Purpose:

The goal of providing the Interlibrary Loan service is to provide library users with materials, which are unavailable in the Peoria Public Library.  Photocopies of magazine articles and other materials can also be acquired.  The conditions of this service are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code, 1980 (adopted by the American Library Association) and by the regulations of individual lending libraries.

Who May Use Interlibrary Loan

Anyone registered and in good standing (no outstanding fines/fees) with the Peoria Public Library may use ILL, which includes patrons, volunteers, and staff members.

Materials Available

Books and newspaper articles can be borrowed.  Photocopies of non-circulating materials, primarily periodicals, can be requested in accordance with the copyright law.  Items owned but missing from the library can be requested through ILL.

Materials Not Eligible for ILL

The following types of materials are not normally requested:  books owned by this library and temporarily in use; new books published six months or earlier; recent, newspapers; materials for class or group use; bulky or fragile items; reference books; rare or valuable material such as manuscripts; microfilm, a-v materials; and some genealogical materials.

How ILL Works

All requests must be submitted in writing on forms supplied by the ILL staff.  Ask for these forms at a reference desk.  For speedy service, accurate and complete citations should be supplied, including author, title and accurate personal information.  Library staff check the automated catalog to ensure the library does not own the item.  A library user may have 6 ILL items on her/his record at any given time.

Time

Plan ahead when requesting materials.  The time required for an ILL to arrive depends on various factors, including:  the difficulty of the request, how close the lending library is to the Peoria Public Library, whether or not the item is available at the potential lender, and the size of the backlog at the ILL clearing center.  A minimum of 3-4 weeks is usually needed to search, process, and receive each request.

Cost

Currently, there is no standard charge for borrowing materials, however, some lenders do impose a fee.  Due to photocopy agreements, some photocopies are free of charge, but there is a possibility of a charge from $13.00 and up, for each magazine or newspaper article.  Patrons are required to authorize a maximum price that s/he would pay for the loan.  “Free” is an option; but this choice may limit the number of potential lenders.

Loan Period

The loan period is determined by the lending library but is usually 3 weeks, beginning when the individual is notified that the item is ready for pick-up.  Because Peoria Public Library does not own the items they may not be renewed.  If the book is overdue, the fine is 50¢ per day per item, with a maximum of $5.00 per item when returned.

Notification

The patron will be notified when the material arrives and the item(s) can be picked up any time during the loan period.  If the patron has any overdue books and/or fines/fees outstanding, s/he cannot receive the ILL until the 'overdues' are returned and/or fines/fees paid.

Restrictions

Lending libraries determine any special conditions regarding the use of their materials.  Limitations such as “Library Use Only” must be honored.

Returning Materials

All materials borrowed through ILL must be returned to the circulation desk.  All notices and paperwork must be kept with and returned with the item.  When the library is closed, patrons may use book drops.  When the library is open, patrons must return the items to the circulation desk.  Late return of, or failure to return, the material jeopardizes the ability of this library to continue this very special service.

Lost or Damaged Items

If an ILL item is lost or damaged beyond repair, a fee is levied to the patron.  The fee will include a $5.00 service charge plus the cost of the book and must be paid or the patron will be restricted from further library use.  The lending library determines replacement cost.  In the absence of replacement charge notification by the lending library, the Peoria Public Library default cost will be $55.00 + $5.00 (processing fee) for a total of $60.00 per item.