Interlibrary Loans Policy

1. Purpose

This policy outlines the type of material available for loan from the State Library of Victoria to other libraries within Australia and overseas. It also describes the conditions of supply.

2. Scope

The policy is to be accessed by (1) staff, in order to determine material types suitable for loan and (2) other libraries, in order to determine whether to submit a request for loan and the conditions for loan. This policy does not cover library to individual lending. This policy will be made available in relevant procedure manuals, on the State Library of Victoria website and in the Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Directory.

3. Policy

The State Library of Victoria follows the 2001 Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Code. The following items are available for loan:

Monographs

This includes:

• Unbound pamphlets 
• Pre-1900 material
• Government publications
• Material with foldouts
• Material with accompanying Disc or CD-Rom
• Spiral bound material

Microforms

The following items are not available for loan:

• Material in fragile condition
• Serials bound and unbound
• Newspapers
• Legal Deposit material
• Only copy Victorian imprint
• Reference Collections
• Special Collections. Including Maps, Rare Books, rare Children’s Collection, rare Chess Collection, Manuscripts, Pictures, ephemera and uncatalogued collections
• Bound pamphlets
• Current year monographs
• Elephant folios
• Monographs with tipped in plates
• Loose leaf services
• Electronic resources
• Videos/Printed Music/Sound Recordings
• Patents
• Pre 1850 monographs

Not for loan categories override for loan categories.

3.2 Loan Periods and Loan Renewals

The standard loan period is 4 weeks with all requests for loan extensions to be directed to the Document Supply Service. Material may also be made available for loan for 2 weeks and non renewable or 5 working days and non renewable.

3.3 Conditions of Supply

• Material is to be read in the borrowing library only and under conditions specified.
• Onlending will only be approved under exceptional circumstances.
• Onlending requests must be directed to the Document Supply Service when requesting the loan.
• The Document Supply Service reserves the right to recall any loan during the loan period.
• The Document Supply Service reserves the right to supply a copy in lieu of the item requested.
• An Overdue notice will be issued 7 days after the due date. A second and final notice will be issued 14 days after the due date. Material not returned within 7 days of the final overdue notice will be considered lost. The borrowing library will be required to pay a replacement fee.
• The borrowing library will be required to pay a replacement fee for lost material.
• The borrowing library will be required to pay a replacement fee for material which is damaged beyond repair.
• The borrowing library will be required to pay for repairs if the material is damaged.
• The replacement fee or repair fee is current value or repair costs plus an administrative charge.
• The Document Supply Service reserves the right to suspend the borrowing privileges of the borrowing library until the replacement fee or repair fee is received.
• The Document Supply Service reserves the right to suspend the borrowing privileges of a library found not to be adhering to the conditions of supply.
• The Document Supply Service follows the principles established in the Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Code, 2001.

3.4 Charges

The Library follows fees and charges set by the 2001 Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Code. In line with State Library practice in all states of Australia the State Library of Victoria does not charge for loans to public libraries within the state of Victoria. Under an historical reciprocal arrangement there are no charges for loans to the State Libraries of Tasmania and New South Wales.

4. Related Documents

4.1 Internal Procedure Documents

Interlibrary Loan Procedures for Staff of the Document Supply Service provides staff with guidelines regarding not for loan and for loan categories, information on loan periods, lending authorisation, onlending and the circumstances under which the Preservation and Storage Division is to be consulted.

Interlibrary Loan Authorisation by Collection Managers outlines the arrangements for the authorisation of loans by Collection Managers or delegates from the collections of the State Library of Victoria.

Interlibrary Loan Procedures for Service Point Staff outlines the procedures for staff on service points when taking requests for Australian and International interlibrary loans.

4.2 Other documents

Interlibrary Loan Charges for State Library of Victoria Clients-material not held in the Library itemises costs to State Library of Victoria non library clients for external interlibrary loans.

Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Code 2001 describes the service levels standards and library to library charges prescribed by the code.

5. Responsibilities and Roles

The policy will be administered by the Document Supply staff under direction of the Document Supply Coordinator. The Operations Manager, Service and Business Development Group State Library Services will be responsible for the administration of the policy. State Library Services Collection Managers will be responsible for decisions related to the lending of relevant material within their area of responsibility and according to the policy.