Because the collections and other information resources maintained by the Library are often insufficient for research and study undertaken by UMBC's faculty, staff, and students, the Library participates in a variety of arrangements through which libraries exchange materials for use by their library users. Participation in such interlibrary lending and borrowing arrangements can, however, be costly.

Interlibrary Borrowing Guideline

Given the Library's limited financial resources, we must ordinarily restrict this service to persons directly affiliated with UMBC. These are:

• current UMBC faculty and staff
• emeritus UMBC faculty
• enrolled UMBC graduate students
• enrolled UMBC undergraduate students

Furthermore, the Library can only partially underwrite the costs of interlibrary borrowing for these users.

Costs for staff and student assistance, and for postage or shipping of requests and borrowed materials are fully absorbed by the Library.

For interlibrary borrowing requests submitted by library users in the above categories, the UMBC Library pays charges made by the supplying library up to a maximum of $ 20.00 per item. In practice, this level of financial support for interlibrary borrowing allows most users to receive their requests at no personal charge. Users thus perceive the borrowing to have been "free."

In the minority of cases where the supplying library or other information provider charges more than $20.00 for an item, staff will require the user to either cancel the borrowing request or reimburse the Library the amount by which actual charges exceed the $ 20.00 support limit.

Staff will refer persons affiliated with other USM institutions (except UMAB) to their home USM institution if they wish to obtain interlibrary borrowing services. UMAB students will be provided interlibrary borrowing serivces if they elect to pay interlibrary borrowing fees and charges as special borrowers (see below).

In keeping with the University's mission to serve the community, the Library will make interlibrary borrowing service available to UMBC Special Borrowers under the following conditions:

1. that the Special Borrower is registered and in good standing in accord with provisions of Library guideline 256.
2. that staff time is available and would not detract or diminish the quantity, quality, and speed of Interlibrary Loan service offered to both the Library's primary UMBC clienteles and interlibrary lending partners.
3. that the Special Borrower agrees to fully reimburse the UMBC Library for all expenses which might be incurred in obtaining Interlibrary Loans from other libraries or information providers (including other USM libraries).

Expenses to be reimbursed by the requestor for each interlibrary borrowing item obtained ("ILL request filled") include:

• $ 15.00 (eff. 8/1/01) for UMBC processing, shipping and handling
• and any and all costs charged by supplying library/information provider

Interlibrary Borrowing Procedures

Interlibrary Loan staff (or other staff as specified) will implement the above guideline through the following procedure:

1. screen all borrowing requests
2. notify requestor of individual liability for anticipated charges (that is, notify UMBC affiliate of estimated charges exceeding $20, and notify Special Borrower of all estimated charges) prior to commissioning the supplying library to loan; [see sample letter, Appendix A]
3. obtain requestor's signed commitment to pay the charges (that is, get the requestor to approve the borrowing transaction or cancel the request); [see sample letter, Appendix A]
4. commission the supplying library to send the item(s);
5. clearly tag arriving items as to charges to be paid and forward to holding shelves at the Circulation Desk;
6. before releasing item(s) to the requestor, Circulation staff will collect and issue a receipt for all indicated interlibrary borrowing charges. Item(s) will not be released unless paid in full;
7. if borrowed items are not paid for and picked up by the requestor, Circulation staff will bill the requestor through appropriate University mechanisms (including any additional processing or collection fees that may be assessed by the University);
8. Interlibrary Loan staff will monitor requestors' use of this service. Failure to pay costs as required or repeated failure to return borrowed items in good time or condition will result in cancellation of interlibrary borrowing privileges.

References: Library guideline 256
Library Unit Head meeting minutes 9/28/92. 10/12/92

revised 10/12/92, fees revised 7/13/01

reviewed 12/6/10 beck