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General Interlibrary Loan Guidelines and Protocols

Introduction
Things that should not be requested through Interlibrary Loan
Things that may be requested, but are difficult to obtain
Copyright
Request tracking
Due dates and renewals
Returning materials

Recalled materials
Canceling requests
Limiting requests

Introduction

• The availability of interlibrary loan does not relieve any library of the responsibility of developing its own collection.


• Borrowing libraries should make every effort to exhaust the resources in their own collection or LINKcat before resorting to interlibrary loan.


• In some cases, items requested should be considered for purchase.


• Borrowing libraries may not pass on borrowing or postage charges to their patrons.

Things that should not be requested through Interlibrary Loan

• Items that are included in LINKcat.


• Items that are less than 4 months old, as determined by the publication date on Amazon.com.


• Entire issues of magazines.
  Whole issues do not circulate. It is in violation of copyright to request that an entire issue be photocopied. Provide as complete a citation as possible so that we can try to obtain a photocopy of the article or section your patron needs.
• Genealogical materials.
  Actual materials rarely circulate. You may request a photocopy of information if you know a specific resource, and complete names, dates, towns, etc.


• Reference items.
  Again, you may request a photocopy of some part of the item.
• E-books and electronic journals.

Most E-book and electronic journal database licenses do not allow for interlibrary loan sharing.

• Anything that your patron has requested during the past eight weeks. In other words, please wait eight weeks before re-submitting a request for the same title.

Things that may be requested, but are difficult to obtain

Many libraries have limits on what they will lend. Libraries will typically only lend an item if it is on the shelf. No reserves are placed for interlibrary loan requests. Things that may be difficult to obtain include:

• Audiovisual materials, especially DVDs and CD-ROMs


• Small-town newspapers on microfilm


• Theses


• Complete musical scores
• Multi-volulme sets
  

Copyright

Libraries must adhere to United States copyright laws in the processing of all interlibrary loan requests. You must include the letters either "CCL" (for items more than five years old) or "CCG" (for items less than five years old) on any request for photocopies (in the 'Additional Info/OS' field). You may not request more than five articles less than five years old from any given serial title in a calendar year. It is the responsibility of each library to keep track of this.

Request Tracking

• When submitting a request, borrowing libraries should keep a record of (at least) the date, the title requested, the patron's name, and the patron’s library barcode.


• Borrowing libraries must track their own requests.


• Check the status of your requests in FirstSearch WorldCat at least twice a week. Unfilled requests, including requests that cannot be referred, will disappear from "My Account" after 10 working days.
• When a request cannot be referred, we will add the phrase "*[Can't Refer]*," followed by a brief reason why at the beginning of the title of the item.
• If an item is "Unfilled," we will add "*[UNFILLED]*" at the beginning of the title of the item. After the title, we will enter the 3 letter code of the responding library, and a code for the reason it was unfilled. Explanations of these codes are available at http://www.wils.wisc.edu/ill/use2.html. (Sample letters for informing your patrons about unfilled items are available at http://www.scls.info/ill/patron/index.html.)
• For more information about the messages we will add about your requests see "My Request Messages" at http://www.scls.info/ill/oclctrack.pdf.
• When a request has a status of "Received," that means the item was shipped by the owning library.
• Madison ILL will automatically update requests to "Received" once they are updated to "Shipped" by the lending library. Madison ILL will not mark requests "Returned." Once the lending library receives a returned item, they will mark the request "Complete."
• Keep track of the date you return an item, in case there is any question about the return of the item later.
  

Due Dates and Renewals

Loan periods are set by the lending library. Please let your patrons know that the loan period for an interlibrary loan item will likely be shorter than the loan period they normally get at your own library and encourage them to use the item in the time given. Because of travel time, due dates usually only leave enough time for your patron to have an item for 1-2 weeks. An "ILL Etiquette" bookmark that explains ILL and encourages patrons to return materials on time can be found at http://www.scls.info/ill/illetiquettebkmk.pdf.

Please note that the due date on an interlibrary loan item is the date the item is due back at the owning library.  When you check an interlibrary loan item out to a patron, be sure to make it due back at your library in time for you to return it to the owning library by their due date. 

Some libraries will not renew interlibrary loan items. Most libraries already give extended loan periods for interlibrary loan materials to allow for delivery time. Often "No Renewals" is stamped on the paperwork that comes with an item. If so, make the patron aware of this restriction.

If a request for renewal becomes necessary, click on the "Renew" button to the right of the title in your library’s WorldCat "My Requests" list to submit a renewal request to the owning library. You must continue to check back to see if the status of that item changes from "Renewal Requested" to "Renewed." If the renewal request is denied, return the item by the original due date. IMPORTANT: Do NOT request renewals for any items that are indicated as "No Renewals" by the lending library. Return them by the due date indicated.

Returning Materials

• Borrowing libraries are responsible for returning materials promptly, in good condition, and in the same manner in which they were received. This means packing the item in the same type of material it was sent in; do not return AV items in jiffy bags.


• One exception: Items from Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota may be returned via delivery to MINITEX, even if they came to you in the mail.
 To see if a MINITEX library is on delivery go to http://www.minitex.umn.edu/delivery/libraries

• Retain any paperwork that comes with an item and return it with the item. An "ILL Etiquette" bookmark that encourages patrons to leave paperwork in the item can be found at http://www.scls.info/ill/illetiquettebkmk.pdf.


• In the case of loss or damage, you must reimburse the lending library or provide replacement, whichever they require.


• You are responsible for requested items from the time they leave the lending library until they are returned. If an item is lost in the mail before you receive it, or after you return it, your library is held responsible.


• Be respectful of other libraries. The relationships developed between libraries on OCLC are very important and our reputation as a good borrower is necessary if we want to be able to continue to borrow.


• In some cases, Madison ILL may need to go out-of-state for items, and you will have to pay postage to return the item. (MINITEX items are an exception; see the second bullet above.)


• For specifics on how to return items using delivery, see "Returning ILL Items" at http://www.scls.info/ill/illreturns.html.


• If you do not want Madison ILL to go out-of-state for your request, indicate this in the 'Additional Info/OS' field. The default is set to OS:Y (Out of State:Yes). Change the 'Y' to 'N' (making it OS:N) to indicate you do not want your request to go out-of-state.

Recalled Materials

If the owning library recalls an item, the status "Recalled" will appear in your My Requests list.  When this happens, contact the patron and return the item to the owning library immediately.  (Fortunately, this does not happen very often.)

Canceling Requests

You may cancel a request by clicking on the "Cancel" button to the right of a title in your library’s WorldCat "My Requests." NOTE: Once you click on "Cancel" the information about that request will be permanently GONE! Be sure you get all the information you need about a request before you click on "Cancel."
You should cancel requests in the following instances:

• Your patron no longer wants the item.


• The item is 'Unfilled' and you've gotten all the information you need from your "My Requests" list.


• The item is a "Can't Refer" item and you've gotten all the information you need from the "My Requests" list.


• You've accidentally submitted a duplicate request.


• You have received and returned an item that Madison ILL has marked "Email/ALA."

Limiting Requests

We will limit the number of items a patron can request per year to 100.  Each library may set their own limits based on local staffing and resources.   (For example, Madison Public Library will keep their local limit of five requests per day per patron, and a total of 50 requests per calendar year per patron.)  

Madison ILL will keep track of how many items patrons have requested and notify your library when a patron is approaching 50 requests per year.     (If you set a lower local limit than 50, you will need to keep track of that yourself.)

We recommend a daily request limit for patrons for several reasons:

• It helps patrons understand that ILL materials are different from our system materials (they have shorter check-out periods and often cannot be renewed).


• It prevents patrons from receiving more ILL items than they can use by the due date.


• It ensures that we can provide the highest quality, most equitable service possible with a finite staff.
  
  

(Library and Interlibrary Loan users:  Please contact your local library about their local limits.) 

For more information about Interlibrary Loan, contact Cheryl Becker.

For information about using WorldCat to place requests for your patrons, or to check on the status of WorldCat requests you have placed, contact Madison Interloan by email.

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