MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT: FINAL VERSION Revised 4/1/95
OhioLINK Direct Reciprocal Borrowing
Approved December 11, 1992
This agreement provides reciprocal, direct on-site borrowing among
OhioLINK member libraries for all registered faculty, staff, and
students in good standing. Patrons who borrow from a lending library
will adhere to the same circulation rules as all other patrons within
that patron type at the lending library.
The following are the most restrictive minimum standards for direct
borrowing. Lending libraries may be more permissive if they choose.
Specific practices of lending libraries are specified on the attached
form.
Terminology
Lending Library: the library holding the material that is to be
circulated to a patron from a home library.
Home Library: the library at which the patron is on the faculty or
staff, or at which the patron is a registered student.
Policies
Unless specified below, the policies below apply to all patron types
(faculty, staff, and students).
1. Materials. This agreement applies only to materials in the
collections that normally circulate outside of the library building.
2. Patron Registration. All direct borrower patrons will be
registered in the lending library's system. [1] Lending libraries may
choose to (a) use the library ID card of the home library (if
practical), or (b) issue a lending library courtesy card to the
patron. [2] The lending institution will call the appropriate
department at the home institution to validate the patron or verify the
patron via the on-line request capability. OhioLINK Central will
compile a list of phone numbers of the appropriate departmental phone
numbers.
For all borrowers, the length of registration will for no less than the
current term (e.g., academic semester or quarter) of the lending
library. Lending libraries may choose to provide of up to one year
registration.
3. Loan and Renewal Periods. The general loan period will be 21
days, with one renewal of 21 days allowed (unless there is a hold on
the item). [3] The loan period for special materials or special
formats may be different as set by the lending library. Phone
renewals are permissible if the patron calls to renew before the item
becomes overdue. Items for which a hold has been placed may not be
renewed.
4. Recalls. Materials will be recalled from any patron type but only
if needed for class reserve. [4]
5. Item Limit. Faculty and staff will be eligible to charge out a
total of 15 on a single account. Students will be eligible to charge
out at total of 10 items on a single account.
6. Overdue Notices. Lending libraries will send overdue notices
directly to the patron according to the normal overdue schedule for the
lending library. [5]
7. Fines. Each library may charge fines up to the amount that is charged
to their own campus borrowers. However, this amount will not exceed the
rate of $1.00 per day ($3.00 per day for failure to return a recalled
item) and not exceed a total maximum of $30.00 per item. The lending
library will retain all fine revenues for materials that they lend.[6]
8. Return of Materials. The borrower is responsible for returning
material to the lending library on time. The borrower may either return
the material directly to the lending library or may return the item to the
home library for return to the lending library, but in either case the
borrower is responsible for returning the material in sufficient time to
avoid any late charges that may be incurred.
9. Patron Blocks. Patrons who have any overdue materials or unpaid fines
shall be blocked from further borrowing at both the lending and at the
home library. When a lending library reports a delinquent patron to the
home library, the home library shall take measures such as blocking of
borrowing privileges or other measures that are normal operating
procedures for the home library (e.g., holding of grades or transcripts).
Lending libraries will report to home libraries the names of patrons who
are more than 35 days delinquent in the return of materials. Home
libraries will block patrons from further borrowing at the home library
until all materials are returned and fines are paid in full at the lending
library. Lending libraries will report to the home library when the
patron is no longer delinquent so that the home library will remove the
patron block.
10. Replacement and Processing Fees. The lost book replacement charge
will be $75.00 per item minimum (unless the actual replacement price is
documented to be higher) plus a $25.00 processing fee. Both fees would be
cancelled if the item is returned (provided the lending library has not
yet incurred the cost for procurement of a replacement volume), but the
patron will still be responsible for any accrued fines. Every effort will
be made by both the lending and home libraries to secure the overdue
materials or the replacement fee directly from the delinquent patron.
However, if repeated and cooperative efforts of the lending and home
library fail to realize return of the material within six months, the home
library will be responsible for replacement costs and processing fee.
When payment is to be made by the home library, the replacement fee will
not exceed the actual replacement cost plus the $25.00 processing fee.
11. Materials on the Local Campus. Patrons may borrow materials from a
lending library even if those materials are available at the home
library.[7]
12. Implementation Date. This policy will become effective as of January
1, 1992.
END NOTES:
1 The OhioLINK Circulation Policy states that "complete patron records
will be kept only at the home institution of the patron," however this
policy was intended for materials requested through the home institution.
In the absence of a central circu lation function, direct patron borrowing
requires the lending institution to register borrowers in the lending
library system.
2 All current faculty, staff, and students upon whom there are no blocks
or holds at the time of initial registration at the home institution are
considered "in good standing." Given the home library's responsibility
for patron infractions, the lend ing institution should determine in
advance whether the patron is "in good standing."
3 Although the loan period under the OhioLINK circulation policy is 24
days, it is only 21 days under this policy because there is no need for
the extra 3 days for transit between the home and lending libraries.
4 This is in accordance with the OhioLINK Circulation Policy.
5 The OhioLINK Circulation Policy calls for the home library to be
responsible for sending such notices. However, this policy assumes that
the checkout is being done through the home library system. With direct
patron borrowing, the patron is regis tered in the lending library system,
and therefore the lending library must issue the notice.
6 The OhioLINK Circulation Policy states that "The patron's home library
will keep the monies collected for late fees ..." However, this policy
assumes that the registration of the patron and the issuance of overdue
notices will be done by the home institution. With direct patron
borrowing, the opposite situation pertains. Therefore, the lending
institution should retain any fines, replacement costs, or processing
fees.
7 The OhioLINK Circulation Policy requires that requests for material from
another campus should be rejected if the material is available at the home
campus. However, with onsite patron borrowing: (a) the system will not
alert the circulation staff member that the item is available at the home
institution, and (b) there would be a user inconvenience if the user, who
has the item in hand, were told that it could not be checked out.