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Madison College Libraries Policies: Interlibrary Loan

Madison College Libraries Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Policies

The following ILL policies apply equally across all Madison College district libraries. The Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, prepared by the Interlibrary Loan Committee of the Reference and User Services Association, is used as a guide in establishing these policies. According to that code, the definition of interlibrary loan is the process by which a library requests material from or supplies material to another library. These policies do not necessarily apply to intra-library loaning among Madison College district libraries.

Borrowing policies:

  • Current Madison College students, staff, and faculty are welcome to make ILL requests through our library. We ask that community users utilize their public library.
  • Based on national guidelines, we ask that patrons limit their requests to five at a time.
  • The main strategy for obtaining material is through OCLC Resource Sharing.
  • Direct requests to institutions are not allowed.
  • Each lending library or institution sets its own circulation policies. There is no guarantee that a library will loan material. If the owning library agrees to loan the requested material, the loan period will typically be about one month. Renewal also depends on the library. All borrowed material is subject to recall by the lending library. Typically the following items are not loaned: textbooks, testing materials, newer fiction or popular non-fiction, and newer or expensive audio-visual items.
  • Long overdue items will result in the patron’s academic and library records being barred. Repeated disregard of due dates or abuse of general interlibrary loan policies can result in interlibrary loan privileges being revoked with the approval of the Dean of Library and Academic Support Services.
  • There is usually no cost to the patron for an interlibrary loan, but there will be a fee for lost or damaged material. The borrowing patron is responsible for any fees for lost or damaged items. The patron’s academic record may be barred until the issue is resolved.
  • Some libraries will charge a small fee for material. The Madison College Libraries will not seek to acquire items with an attached fee, except for Madison College administration or staff requests approved by the Dean of Library and Academic Support Services.
  • For copy requests, the requesting library must comply with U.S. copyright law.
  • ILL requests can be made through the WorldCat page by clicking on the ILL tab, through the online form on our library home page, or by phone or e-mail to the library (608-246-6640 or library@madisoncollege.edu).
  • Patron borrowing requests are confidential.

Lending policies:

  • Circulating books and journal articles are available for interlibrary loan from the Madison College Libraries to other United States libraries.  Domestic requests only.  We do not loan reference, testing, or reserve material. Audio-visual material is considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Our lending period for materials is 42 days (includes travel time). Materials may be renewed or given a special due date if not needed by another Madison College patron.
  • The Madison College Libraries will charge for lost or damaged ILL materials.
  • Requests can be made to the Madison College Library through OCLC Resource Sharing, by phone, or e-mail to the library (608-246-6640 or library@madisoncollege.edu).