Interlibrary Loan Policy
Introduction
The Interlibrary loan program (“ILL” or “Program”) is essential to the vitality of libraries of all types and sizes as a means of expanding the amount of material available to patrons. Each library has a responsibility to develop and maintain a collection tailored to the needs of its patrons. The Interlibrary loan program is a cooperative venture among participating libraries and serves as a supplement to those libraries’ collections. Consistent with its mission, the Wellesley Free Library will participate in the program, both in lending to the interlibrary loan community as generously as possible, and in borrowing materials requested by its own patrons.
Definition
For purposes of this policy, an interlibrary loan is a transaction in which library material, or a copy of the material, is made available by one library to another library upon request. This does not include materials shared among members of the Minuteman Library Network. Transactions among members of the Minuteman Library Network are called “network transfers” and are beyond the scope of the library’s ILL policy.
This policy is intended to conform to such existing policies as the National Interlibrary Loan Code, the NELINET Interlibrary Loan Reciprocal Code and the U.S. Code Title 17 concerning copyright law.
Interlibrary Borrowing
The Wellesley Free Library, will provide interlibrary loan service to any patron of Wellesley Free Library (or any other Minuteman Library Network library) with a valid library card.
ILL requests will be considered once it is determined that the resources of the Minuteman Library Network have been exhausted.
The library will attempt to borrow ILL material from free lenders first. If the item requested is only available from a charging lender, the Library will borrow the material for the patron only after the patron has agreed to pay the borrowing charge.
The Acquisitions & Cataloging Department will follow special packaging and shipping requirements imposed by the lending library.
The lending library alone will determine the due date for borrowed material. If the lending library’s item is overdue and the patron is charged, the patron will be charged at the lending library’s rate. The money collected will be sent to the lending library. If a WFL book is overdue, the borrowing library will be charged at WFL’s fine rate.
The Wellesley Free Library may suspend or limit interlibrary loan services for patrons who abuse the privilege by practices that may include, but are not limited to: repeatedly failing to pick up materials that have been obtained; repeatedly returning materials beyond their due date; excessive requests; and/or damaging or defacing materials.
Statistics will be kept in accordance with the requirements of the Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and copyright law guidelines and requirements.
Interlibrary Lending Policy
The Wellesley Free Library offers this service to other libraries within the United States and abroad as long as their requests are sent in a recognizable format via OCLC, fax or mail.
Materials which ordinarily circulate to Wellesley Free Library patrons or to other Minuteman Library Network libraries via Network Transfer are eligible for interlibrary loan, except for entire issues of periodicals and materials obtained within the last three months. Non-circulating materials such as reference books and microfilm will be loaned only in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Director.
The Wellesley Free Library charges no fees to other libraries for interlibrary lending although the borrowing library will be responsible for repair or replacement costs incurred as a result of such loan.
The Wellesley Free Library will loan material for twenty-eight (28) days. Such material may be renewed, unless a patron of the Minuteman Library Network has requested the material in the interim. In that event, the Library will notify the borrowing library that the material is not renewable.
Notwithstanding the above, this policy may be subject to exception at the discretion of the director and/or board of library trustees.
Approved 01/07/2019 by the WFL Board of Trustees