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Interlibrary loans policy

1. Purpose

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

2. Scope

The policy is to be accessed by staff to determine material types suitable for loan and by other libraries 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 is also available in relevant procedure manuals and in the Australian interlibrary resource sharing directory.

3. Policy

The State Library Victoria follows the Australian interlibrary resource sharing code.

3.1 Loan categories

The following items are available for loan:

  • unbound pamphlets
  • pre-1900 material
  • government publications
  • material with foldouts
  • material with an accompanying DVD or CD
  • spiral-bound material.

The following items are not available for loan:

  • material in fragile condition
  • serials bound and unbound
  • newspapers
  • legal deposit material
  • only copies of Victorian imprints
  • items from reference collections
  • items from special collections. including maps, rare books, manuscripts, pictures, ephemera and uncatalogued collections
  • bound pamphlets
  • elephant folios
  • monographs with tipped in plates
  • Loose leaf services
  • Electronic resources
  • videos, printed music
  • vinyl sound recordings/audiovisual media kits
  • patents
  • pre-1850 monographs
  • microforms
  • music CDs.

Not-for-loan categories override loan categories.

3.2 Loan periods and loan renewals

The standard loan period is four weeks. Requests for loan extensions should be directed to the document delivery service. Material may also be made available for loan for two weeks or five working days, without an option to renew.

3.3 Conditions of supply

Material is to be read in the borrowing library only and under conditions specified.

On-lending will only be approved under exceptional circumstances.

On-lending requests must be directed to the document delivery service when requesting the loan.

State Library Victoria reserves the right to recall any loan during the loan period.

State Library Victoria reserves the right to supply a copy in lieu of the item requested.

An overdue notice will be issued seven days after the due date. A second and final notice will be issued 14 days after the due date. Material not returned within seven 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 that 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.

State Library Victoria reserves the right to suspend the borrowing privileges of the borrowing library until the replacement fee or repair fee is received.

State Library Victoria reserves the right to suspend the borrowing privileges of a library found not to be adhering to the conditions of supply.

State Library Victoria follows the principles established in the Australian interlibrary resource sharing code.

3.4 Charges

State Library Victoria follows fees and charges set by the Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Code. In line with library practice in all states of Australia, the State Library Victoria does not charge for loans to public libraries within Victoria.