InterLibrary Loan Policy

Issue Date: 9/5/84

Revised: 1/08/07

Interlibrary loan is a transaction in which material in one library is made available to another library upon request. Interlibrary loan is an integral part of the Warsaw Community Public Library's information service. Through the cooperative efforts of libraries, Warsaw Community Public Library is able to provide materials and information not available within its own collections to our patrons. In turn the Warsaw Community Public Library shares its resources with other libraries. The Warsaw Community Public Library does adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in the interlibrary loan codes of the Indiana Library Federation and the American Library Association.

Borrowing

Any borrower in good standing with a valid Warsaw Community Public Library borrower’s card may request interlibrary loan service. Warsaw Community Public Library does not request:

More than five items per person;
DVDs
Duplicates of titles already owned, unless the Library's copy is missing or additional copies are needed for reading clubs;
Rare or unique materials that would be difficult to replace.

The Library will endeavor to secure material for borrowers in a timely manner. Lending libraries are chosen using a hierarchical order: state, regional, national, and international sources. The Warsaw Community Public Library does not charge borrowers a service fee for providing interlibrary loan service. If charges are levied from the lending library, the borrower is notified before the item is sent. The Warsaw Community Public Library contracts with a shipping service to transport materials throughout the state. The items sent through this service will have no mailing fees, but postage will be charged for items returned through standard mail or shipping services. Return postage charges and lending library service fees will be the responsibility of the borrower, payable upon receipt of the requested item. Borrowers may indicate on the request form that they are not willing to pay postage charges. In this case, the requests are submitted only to Indiana libraries.

The lending library will set the duration of the loan period and may impose further use restrictions. The Warsaw Community Public Library notifies the borrower by phone, mail, or e-mail of the requested item’s arrival. If the item is not picked up by the due date, it is returned to the lending library and may not be reordered by the same patron for three months. Return postage charges for the item will still be added to the borrower’s record. Renewals may be requested according to the lending library’s policy.

Unfilled requests will be resubmitted according to the availability of holding libraries. All unfilled requests will expire 90 days after the Date of Request. Borrowers may re-petition for the materials after 30 days.

The borrower also assumes responsibility for costs associated with the loss of or damage to interlibrary loan items while in his/her possession. Overdue charges are $1.00 per day with no maximum fine. The lending library sets the replacement fee for damaged or lost materials. Borrowing privileges are revoked until overdue items or missing materials are paid for. (The Library assumes ultimate responsibility for reimbursing the lending library for lost or damaged material and paying any handling fees in the event the borrower fails to make restitution.) The Library assumes the responsibility for returning interlibrary loan items promptly and in good condition to the lending library.

If there is a continuing demand for requested material, the item will be considered for purchase by the Library. The Library complies with the Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and its accompanying guidelines.

Lending

The Warsaw Community Public Library participates in lending materials to requesting libraries. Regular Warsaw Community Public Library loan periods apply to interlibrary loan items.

Warsaw Community Public Library does not typically loan the following items:

Items in high local demand
Reference books
Newspapers
Genealogy materials
Rare or unique materials that would be difficult to replace
Indiana and local history items
Holiday items in season
DVDs
Any collection with a reduced loan period

Warsaw Community Public Library endeavors to fill all requests as quickly as possible and to the best of its ability. The Library does not charge a fee for providing interlibrary loan service to requesting libraries. Overdue, lost, or damaged items are processed according to the current policies and procedures. Borrowing libraries are not charged overdue fines.

Loaned items may be renewed according to current policies and procedures, providing the item has not been reserved by a local borrower. The requesting library assumes full responsibility for interlibrary loan items from the time it leaves this Library until it is returned to this Library. Interlibrary loan statistics are collected and reported monthly to the Library Board of Trustees.