Definition

Interlibrary loans are transactions in which certain library materials at one library may be made availabile to another library's borrower. For the purpose of this policy, transactions may include the provision of a copy of an article from a magazine or pages from a book as a substitute for a loan of the original material.

Scope 

1. Member libraries will agree to borrow and lend among CAMLS members whenever possible:

   a. Place CAMLS libraries first among potential lenders.

   b. Give CAMLS library requests first priority.

2. Member libraries agree that current, popular material is often in demand and may not be obtainable via interlibrary loan.
3. Member libraries may request reference materials with the understanding that these materials may not be lent if such a loan would hinder the service of the lending library.
4. Member libraries will consider purchasing inexpensive materials in lieu of interlibrary loan.
5. Member libraries may not ordinarily loan bulky or fragile materials, rare materials, or materials for class or reserve use.
6. Member libraries will agree that all transactions must be in accordance with current copyright regulations.
7. Member libraries will agree that the lending library has the privilege of deciding whether a particular item should or should not be provided, and whether the original or a copy should be sent. These decisions may be determined by the nature of the material, its physical condition, or the degree of active demand for the material requested.

Responsibility of Requesting Libraries 

1. Requesting libraries will screen carefully all applications for loans to avoid unreasonable requests. Unreasonable requests may include a high number of items requested at one time, requests for high demand newly-published titles or expectations of unrealistic quick delivery.
2. Requesting libraries will honor any limitations on use of materials which might be imposed by the lending library.
3. Requesting libraries have the responsibility for returning loans promptly and in good condition. The requesting library will meet the costs of repair or replacement of damaged or lost materials in accordance with this policy.
4. Requesting libraries have the responsibility of defining deadlines on "RUSH" requests. A "RUSH" request which is received without a specific deadline stated on the form will be handled as quickly as the lending library can handle it without disrupting normal workflow.

Responsibility of Lending Libraries 

1. Lending libraries will practice as liberal and unrestrictive a policy as is possible for interlibrary loans, with due consideration to the interests of their primary clientele.
2. Lending libraries have the responsibility of informing requesting libraries of any violation of interlibrary loan policy.
3. Lending libraries have the responsibility of informing requesting libraries of the specific reason materials are not being loaned, if asked.
4. Rare books or irreplaceable material of scholarly or high monetary value will not be loaned.

Form of Request 

1. Materials requested will be described as completely and accurately as possible following bibliographic practices currently in practice for CAMLS libraries.
2. All items requested will be verified using standard bibliographic tools.
3. If verification is disregarded, or the bibliographic data incorrect, the lending library may return the request unfilled without special effort to identify the item requested.

Duration of Loan 

1. The duration of the loan will be determined by the lending library.
2. Unless otherwise specified by the lending library, the duration of the loan will be calculated from the time the requesting library receives the item.
3. Upon request, the period of loan may be extended by the lending library.

Notification and Acknowledgement 

1. In accordance with the CAMLS Interlibrary Loan Procedures, the lending library will notify the requesting library if the material cannot be supplied.
2. If there is undue delay in the receipt of a shipment, the requesting library will notify the lending library that the material has not been received.

Lost Material 

CAMLS requesting libraries will agree to reimburse lending libraries for lost interlibrary loans. However, CAMLS members will not charge processing fees to one another.

1. In-Print Materials

   a. List price as found in current edition of Books in Print will be used.

   b. The requesting library will pay this amount immediately to the lending library, not waiting to collect from the patron.

2. Out-of-Print Materials

   a. The requesting library will consult the lending library, which will set a price for the lost material. This should be done within one week, or as soon as possible after the material is reported lost.

   b. A bill will be sent by the lending library to the requesting library.

   c. The requesting library will pay this amount immediately to the lending library, not waiting to collect from the patron.

Violation of Policy 

1. Continued disregard of the provisions of this policy may cause undue burdens on member libraries. Violations will be brought to the attention of the Director of the offending library by the CAMLS Executive Director and should be sufficient reason for suspension of borrowing privileges.

1. Every title will be verified in one of the following standard library bibliographic verification tools, with the source cited on the request. The abbreviation "CNV" should be used if the requesting library cannot verify the request.

   Books (preferred order of use):
   OCLC
   Member Online Catalogs
   Books in Print (BIP)
   Any recognized acquisition tool
   Bibliography (include citation of the source)

   Periodicals (preferred order of use):
   CAMLS Union List of Periodical Holdings (CULPH)
   OCLC
   Biomedical Serials in Selected Northeast Ohio Libraries (BMS)
   Member Online Catalogs

   OHIOLINK Catalog

    

2. Any additional information that will help the lending library will be included (i.e., Juv, French edition, book in foreign language, volume number).

    

3. Copyright
   Interlibrary loan request forms must indicate copyright compliance. "CCG" conforms with CONTU Guidelines. Use for photocopies - conforms if five or fewer copies from the last five years of journal title are requested within any one calendar year. The burden of proof rests with the requesting library. Interlibrary loan requests must be kept for three years, plus the current year.

   "CCL" complies with Copyright Law. Refers to the borrowing of books or photocopies from journals more than five years old.

Location Verification

The location of every title requested will be determined before placing the request. Locations may be verified in the following tools:

Books:
OCLC
Member Online Catalogs
National Union Catalog

Periodicals:
CAMLS Union List of Periodical Holdings
OCLC Serials Union Lists Groups
Biomedical Serials in Selected Northeast Ohio Libraries Member Online Catalogs

Mode of Request

CAMLS libraries can request interlibrary loans via U.S. Mail, FAX, OCLC, daily delivery service or telephone. If there is a preferred mode of delivery, it must be clearly indicated on the request form. Requests will be handled as follows:

1. NON-RUSH Requests - These requests may be transmitted via FAX, OCLC, telephone, daily delivery service, or U.S. Mail. They will be filled by daily delivery service, UPS, or U.S. Mail.
2. RUSH Requests - These requests, marked "RUSH", should be transmitted by fax and will be filled by FAX within 24 hours.
3. URGENT Requests - These requests should be arranged by telephone with the lending library and then followed by a FAX request marked 'URGENT." These requests will be filled immediately.

Requesting libraries must use either a standard ALA ILL form or the CAMLS fax form. The CAMLS Fax Request form is preferred because it identifies CAMLS requests and includes spaces for mode of delivery, referral strings, and replies. (See the "Forms" section of the web site for a printable copy of the CAMLS Fax form).

Request Procedure - Books

The requesting library can request an interlibrary loan directly to a potential library via one of the following:

Telefacsimile: Use CAMLS FAX Request Form or standard ALA ILL Form; indicate "CAMLS Request" at top of form.

U.S. Mail: Use Standard ALA ILL Form; indicate "CAMLS Request" at top of form.

The Cleveland Public Library (CPL) serves as the contracting library for the CAMLS OCLC ILL service. Sign up with CAMLS for the OCLC ILL service and follow the guidelines listed below.

To contact the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) Interlibrary Loan Department by telephone, dial 216-749-9512.

1. Form - Use any of the following forms to submit your interlibrary loan request

a. CAMLS Interlibrary Loan form

b. ALA ILL form (indicate CAMLS request)

c. Any standardized local form if all the necessary elements are included (e.g., copyright compliance)

d. Electronically produced ILL form

2. Content - Please include the following for each interlibrary loan request

a. CAMLS Request Number (CAMLS symbol and an assigned number)

b. Author (last name first, first name)

c. Title

d. Full citation for magazine article

e. Copyright compliance

f. Maximum cost if appropriate to request

g. OCLC number if available

h. Imprint - publication, publisher, date of publication

i. Any special instructions

3. Method of Request - To expedite this process, please submit your request in the following manner (preferred order listed first).

a. Submit the request electronically using the OCLC interlibrary loan form on OCLC

First Search; or

b. Fax the request to CPL's Interlibrary Loan Department (216-398-6104) using a

CAMLS interlibrary loan form; or

c. Send the request, using a CAMLS interlibrary loan form, using the CAMLS daily

delivery service; or

d. E-mail the request, with all relevant data to CPL's Interlibrary Loan Department:

[email protected]

e. Send the request, using a CAMLS interlibrary loan form to

Interlibrary Loan Department

Cleveland Public Library

325 Superior Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44114

4. CPL Duties (request processing) - CPL will do one of the following

a. Check its own collection and databases and send materials if available.

b. Place the request on OCLC.

c. The CAMLS library will be notified if the item is not available on OCLC or database to which CPL has access.

5. CPL Duties (shipping) - CPL will notify the library when an item requested on OCLC has been shipped by the lender or if an item is unfilled. When a request status is "SHIPPED" on OCLC, CPL will send the CAMLS libraries two copies of the request.

6. Returns - The CAMLS library will notify CPL when an item is returned so that the records may be updated. One copy of the printout of the request is returned to CPL so that the OCLC record may be updated to 'RETURNED" (for books and A-V). Send the printout to the attention of the ILL Department. See #3e above for the complete address.

7. Negotiations - Negotiations with the lender are the responsibility of the CAMLS library.

8. Lost or Damaged Materials - The CAMLS library is responsible for the returning of materials to the lender and for any lost or damaged materials.

Request Prodcedure - Photocopies

1. CAMLS libraries have agreed to supply photocopies at no charge, the exceptions are Cleveland Public Library (CPL), Cleveland Clinic Foundation Alumni Library (CCF), and Cleveland State University (CSU). Request journal articles from the no fee suppliers in the same way as you request other interlibrary loans.
2. CAMLS pays CSU and CCF to provide backup service for photocopies. When you have exhausted the no fee locations, then use CSU and CCF.
3. CPL provides photocopies on a direct fee-based service to requesting libraries.

Procedures with Contracting Libraries

Each CAMLS member library receives a total of 25 interlibrary loans, each year, from CSU and CCF at no charge. When the number of requests exceeds 25, CAMLS will bill the library the following fiscal year at the rate stated on the Memorandum of Agreement.

CSU Contract

Instructions for OCLC Libraries:
Use OCLC subsystem and follow OCLC procedure. Place CSU in the lender string and specify
"CAMLS" in the "SHIP VIA field".

Instructions for non-OCLC Libraries:
Place requests in one of two ways:

1. U.S. Mail: Use standard ALA ILL Form, indicate "CAMLS Request" at top of form, mail to CSU ILL Department.
2. Telefacsimile: Use CAMLS FAX Request Form or standard ALA ILL Form, indicate "CAMLS Request" at top of form, and fax to CSU ILL Department at (216) 687-2383.

CCF Contract

Instructions for OCLC Libraries: Use OCLC subsystem and follow OCLC procedure. Place CCF in the lender string and specify "CAMLS" in the "SHIP VIA" field.

Instructions for non-OCLC Libraries:
Requests may be placed in one of two ways:

1. U.S.Mail: Use standard ALA ILL Form, indicate "CAMLS Request" at top of form, and mail to CCF ILL Department.
2. Telefacsimile: Use CAMLS Fax Request Form or standard ALA ILL Form and indicate "CAMLS Request" at top of form, or use CAMLS Fax Request Form, and fax to CCF ILL Department at 216-444-0271.

The desired mode of delivery should be noted on these forms. CCF does not fax materials unless the form indicates a fax is desired.

Replies

1. Replies to the requesting library via OCLC, CAMLS ILL Form or standard ALA ILL Forms will be made as soon as possible, preferably within one business day.
2. OCLC replies appear on the terminal. If there are lending restrictions (i.e., For use in library only, fragile, etc.), they will be noted in the reply on OCLC as Conditional Response under STATUS, with conditions in 'LENDING NOTES.'
3. Replies from Cleveland Public Library to non-OCLC libraries are made by telephone for unfilled requests only.
4. Lending restrictions (i.e., for use in library only, fragile, no photocopy allowed, handle with care, etc.) will be marked clearly on the material.

Processing Procedures

INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING LIBRARIES:

1. When a CAMLS ILL is received, the requesting library will process it for loan to the user according to its own internal system.
2. Either the CAMLS ILL Transaction Slip or an in-house equivalent should remain with the item throughout the loan period. These slips serve as an identification of an ILL recognized by all CAMLS libraries.
3. Requesting libraries will abide by any lending restrictions imposed by the lending library: for example, "For use in library only".
4. Each library will keep a current file of all materials borrowed from CAMLS members.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LENDING LIBRARIES:

1. All materials lent as a result of a CAMLS ILL request will include the CAMLS ILL Transaction Slip or an in-house equivalent.
2. These slips will remain with the item throughout the loan period and are the only identification of an ILL recognized by all CAMLS libraries.
3. Each library will keep a record of materials lent to CAMLS members, using whatever system is utilized in that library.

Delivery Methods

1. A variety of methods exists for the delivery and return of interlibrary loans among CAMLS libraries. Use one of the following:

   
   Delivery System - Use if both the lending and requesting libraries are on the daily delivery system.
   U.S. Mail or a Common Carrier
   

   Statistical Reports

    

   • A monthly statistical report will be submitted by each participating library to the CAMLS office by the fifth of each month using the CAMLS ILL Monthly Report Form (IL-4). Please report borrowing and lending among all CAMLS libraries. You may e-mail your monthly statistics to Marge at [email protected].

Problems

1. Individual ILL problems with a specific library should be discussed with that library's ILL contact.
2. Unresolved or other ILL problems should be reported to the CAMLS Executive Director.

Forms

Please call the CAMLS office for any forms which are not found at the web site.

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