Library Policies: Interlibrary Procedures at Circulation Desk

INTERLIBRARY LOAN PROCEDURES AT THE CIRCULATION DESK

Preparation of Interlibrary Loan items:

1. Interlibrary Loan personnel will prepare for pickup all items borrowed through traditional Interlibrary Loan (ILL) in the ILL area prior to bringing them to the Circulation Desk.
2. Returnable items will be desensitized before a “book” strap is attached around the front cover of the book/ video case. The strap will include the OCLC Request Identifier number, the borrowing patron’s name, the temporary bar code and the due date.
3. Returnable items (e.g. books, videos, music scores) will be checked out in the patron’s name, thereby starting the loan period. The due date on the patron’s record will be adjusted to show what the lending library has indicated.
4. ILL personnel will place, in alphabetical order by patron last name, returnable items on the ILL marked shelves behind the Circulation Desk. The non-returnable items will be filed in the hanging file folders by patron’s last name.
5. The ILL personnel will contact the patron by email or phone when the requested material(s) are ready for pickup.
6. Articles will be sent to the patron by email whenever possible
7. Returnable items and articles will be sent by campus mail upon request by the faculty patron.

Distribution of Interlibrary Loan:

Circulation Desk personnel will, upon request by the patron, retrieve the requested items from the ILL shelves or the hanging file folders.

“In-Library Use Only”

      Interlibrary Loan materials with the “In-Library Use Only” designation are rare. Circulation Desk personnel will give the item to the patron with the understanding that the item is not to leave the building. The item is to be returned to a Circulation Desk employee when the patron is finished with it or is leaving the library. The Circulation Desk employee returns the item to the ILL shelves, if still needed by the patron, or to the ILL Return container above the ILL shelves. The “checking out” and “returning” is permitted an unlimited number of times within the loan period set by the lending library.

Checking in Interlibrary Loan items:

1. Circulation Desk personnel will check-in returned ILL books, videos, maps etc. by entering the temporary bar code and stamping the date returned on the “book” strap before placing in the Returned ILL container. This prevents incurring overdue fines or limits the amount of overdue fines owed.
2. The Interlibrary Loan personnel will periodically, each day, empty the Return ILL container to return the borrowed items to the ILL area for processing and return to the lending library.

Collecting Fines:

1. Circulation Desk personnel will collect fines from students and staff on overdue Interlibrary Loan materials.
2. Library student employees will also pay overdue fines for Interlibrary Loan materials.
3. Assistant Circulation Manager will wave faculty fines for overdue Interlibrary Loan materials.

SWAN/MOBIUS books:

1. Circulation Desk personnel will follow procedures established by the Circulation Manager for retrieving and preparing Olin Library books to be loaned to SWAN/MOBIUS libraries.
2. These books will be placed in the SWAN/MOBIUS container on the top of the range closest the front doors.
3. Interlibrary Loan personnel will periodically, each day, empty the SWAN/MOBIUS container for the purpose of preparing the books for transportation by the courier to the requesting patron’s destination library.
4. Circulation Desk personnel will follow the procedures established by the Circulation Desk Manager for checking in returned borrowed books and returned Olin Library books.
5. The returned books borrowed through Mobius will be placed in the SWAN/MOBIUS container and then moved to the ILL area for preparation for returning to the owning library.
6. Books borrowed through SWAN/MOBIUS by off-campus faculty, students and staff will be placed in the SWAN/MOBIUS container by the Circulation Desk personnel.
7. The Interlibrary Loan staff will prepare these books for mailing to the patron’s preferred address. The box will be delivered to the mail room for the inclusion of return postage inside the container and the attachment of postage for the same amount to the exterior.

Video mailing boxes:

1. Off-campus faculty, students and staff who check out videos in person will be provided with a box and one padded envelope per video for the return of the items through the mail.
2. Each box will have a return mailing label and sufficient postage for the total number of videos and padded envelopes to be mailed back to Olin Library.
3. Interlibrary Loan staff will supply the Circulation desk with boxes with padded envelops inside.

Interlibrary Loan Questions:

            Circulation Desk personnel will refer walk-in library patrons with Interlibrary Loan questions to the librarian in charge of Interlibrary Loan or one of the student assistants during the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. After 5 pm the patron will be asked to leave a written message, which will be placed in the Interlibrary Loan mailbox or the student can send an email to ill@drury.edu. Phone calls to the Circulation Desk about Interlibrary Loan will be transferred to the Interlibrary Loan phone number. The patron will receive prompt assistance in person or will be able to leave a voice mail message and will receive a response as soon as possible.

Off-Campus Services:

Overdue fines will be levied for returnable ILL materials borrowed by off-campus faculty, students and staff. The Assistant Circulation Manager will send the overdue notices.

Reviewed 08/28/08