Policies Governing Loan of Library Materials

Library materials may be loaned to users for in-building or out-of building use for varying periods according to policies guidelines and procedures determined by the Director of the Library upon consultation with appropriate University officials, the Library Policy Committee, and other groups of constituents. Loan of library materials is defined under this policy guideline as transfer from the lender (the UMBC Library) to the individual borrower of control and responsibility for safekeeping of library materials (either owned by the UMBC Library, a State agency; or temporarily in the care and safekeeping of the UMBC Library from another owning institution, be it another UMS library, private or publicly supported library, federal agency, etc.).

Criteria addressed by lending policies guidelines include:

• type of material (e.g., fragile Special Collections materials which should be used only under controlled circumstances);
• projected use (e.g., course reserves, reference volumes);
• borrower type (e.g., UMBC faculty, UMS student, special borrower ) and history (e.g., denial of borrowing privileges to the delinquent borrower);
• and owning agency (e.g., loan periods for interlibrary loans are ordinarily set by the owning library rather than the UMBC Library).

Specific lending policies guidelines and criteria are summarized in subsequent policies guidelines and are subject to periodic review and alteration to further effect the mission of the Library.

previously implemented
policy guideline written 5/7/91; reviewed 8/18/08, edited 10/10/08, ld