Interlibrary loan is an essential service of the library, allowing patrons access to a wide variety of library materials and information not available at Sutton Free Library. In meeting patron needs, the library will exhaust local resources before requesting items on interlibrary loan. Items in frequent or recurring demand will be considered for purchase. The library will not seek loans of materials that have been published within the last six (6) months. 

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The library will keep its interlibrary loan policy up to date and make it available to users and other libraries upon request. 

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DEFENITION

 

Interlibrary loan is a transaction in which the Sutton Free Library borrows materials directly from another library on behalf of a patron, or another library borrows materials from the Sutton Free Library on behalf of its patron. 

 

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

 

The Sutton Free Library endorses the principles relating to interlibrary loan included in the New Hampshire Automated Information System (NHAIS), the ALA Interlibrary Loan Code, the U.S. Copyright Law and U.S. Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) Guidelines, and federal and state laws governing confidentiality of records. 
 

INTERLIBRARY LOAN BORROWING

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Users

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This service is offered to all patrons holding a valid library card from the Sutton Free Library. All cardholders in good standing may participate in interlibrary loan. The interlibrary loan borrowing privileges of severely delinquent patrons are suspended until any overdue materials have been returned by them and payment for lost materials has been received. 

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Types of Materials Borrowed

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Interlibrary loan is an integral element in collection development. Staff will request materials not owned by the library or missing from the library's collection, or materials owned by the library that are in the process of being repaired and are temporarily unavailable. Materials that will not be requested include items owned by the library but temporarily in use by other patrons, and electronic full-text information available to the library via the Internet. Multiple copies of a title may be requested by the library to support local book discussion groups.

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There is no limit to the number of interlibrary loan items a patron may request each month; care should be taken, however, to ensure that the lender’s due date is respected.

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Sutton Free Library will strive to obtain a patron’s requested material without restriction to its source.  We will make every effort to establish borrowing relationships with a variety of libraries, including public and college libraries, both in New Hampshire and out of state.

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How to Submit a Request

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A request may be placed at the circulation desk in the Library as well as by email, fax, or over the telephone. 

 

Turnaround Time

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Service will be provided as quickly as possible. Turnaround time varies depending upon the lending library and the materials requested. After the item is received and the requestor notified by telephone or email of its arrival, it will be held at the library for up to one week.

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Conditions of Use

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Materials from other libraries will be loaned for two weeks or for the loan period granted by the lending library. Renewals may be possible and are at the discretion of the lending library. Sutton Free Library will observe strictly any conditions for use of loaned materials that are imposed by the lending library. 

 

Charges

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No fee is charged by Sutton Free Library for placing an interlibrary loan request. The Library will attempt to borrow from libraries that do not charge fees, and will request notification of fees from lending libraries before materials are shipped. When fees are unavoidable, patrons will be given the option of paying the fees or canceling the request. Sutton Free Library will not pay borrowing fees or special charges in order to obtain an interlibrary loan item. Sutton Free Library will, however, cover the shipping costs for loan items which must be mailed.

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Responsibility

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When a patron has lost or damaged a book that Sutton Free Library has borrowed through the interlibrary loan program, the Library will report the loss to the lending library and offer to send a replacement book. If requested by the lending library, the Library will also pay a reasonable processing fee. Except under extenuating circumstances, the Library expects its patrons to take responsibility for the damage or loss and to reimburse the cost of the replacement book and processing fee.

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Sutton Free Library takes responsibility for materials borrowed on behalf of its patrons from the time the material leaves the lending library until it is returned.  The library agrees to reimburse lending libraries for overdue charges, damage, or loss of materials borrowed through interlibrary loan. 

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Statistics

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The library will maintain records of transactions in order to inform patrons of the status of their requests and will annually report activity as required to the New Hampshire State Library. 
 

INTERLIBRARY LOAN LENDING

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Users

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Sutton Free Library will lend available materials to other New Hampshire and United States libraries upon request, except for materials in use by Sutton Free Library’s patrons, newly purchased material, or certain rare local materials that do not circulate.

 

Materials Available

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The library endeavors to make available the broadest range of materials for interlibrary loan, with the following exceptions: 

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• Materials limited by licensing agreements 

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• Materials designated as non-circulating (reference, rare, historical) 

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• Materials recently added to the Library’s collection (exceptions may be made at the Librarian’s discretion and are decided on a case-by-case basis)

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• Materials in use or on reserve for Sutton Free Library patrons

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The library also reserves the right to refuse to lend other materials or to ask a borrowing library to restrict use of materials lent. 

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Lending

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Materials loaned to other libraries will be allowed a loan period of four weeks, and may be renewed for another four weeks if there are no local requests for the materials. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Librarian.

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Format for Requests

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Requests for loans will be accepted from libraries via fax, email, telephone, mail, ALA form, and NHAIS.   Materials will not be loaned directly to a patron of another library. 

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Turnaround

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The library will send any requested item to the borrowing library on the next NHAIS van whenever possible. Van delivery and pick up occur on Tuesdays, except holidays observed by the New Hampshire State Library or when Sutton Free Library is closed.

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Circulation Period

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The loan period will be four weeks unless otherwise specified. Renewals will be granted unless the material is needed by another patron of the library. 

 

Charges

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Borrowing libraries shall assume responsibility for returning materials in the same condition as received or will compensate the Sutton Free Library for damages as requested. Items not delivered by the New Hampshire State Library van service may be mailed by U.S. Postal Service. The Sutton Free Library will assume outbound postage on materials requested and the borrowing library will assume return postage.

 

Adopted by the Trustees of the Sutton Free Library, March 5, 2013.