ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


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and authorize them on the original request.
2. It is recommended that in the interests of 

efficiency the lending library absorb costs which 
are nominal, such as for postage.

VII. Conditions of Loans.
1. The safety of borrowed materials is the 

responsibility of the borrowing library. In case 
of loss or damage the borrowing library is 
obligated to meet all costs of repair or replace­
ment, in accordance with the preferences of 
the lending library.

2. The borrowing library is bound by any 
limitations on use imposed by the lending li­
brary. It is recommended to lending libraries 
that any limitations ( such as “for use in library 
only” ) be based on the physical condition or 
the bibliographic character of the particular 
item rather than be imposed on all materials 
lent.

3. Unless specifically forbidden by the lend­
ing library, copying by the borrowing library 
is permitted provided that it is in accordance 
with copyright law and American Library Asso­
ciation policy.

VIII. Placement of Requests.
1. Libraries should exhaust local resources 

and make an effort to locate copies through 
the use of bibliographical tools, union lists, and 
union catalogs. Requests should be made to 
one of the nearer institutions known to possess 
the desired material. Care should be taken, 
however, to avoid concentrating requests on a 
few libraries.

2. In the absence of special agreements, re­
quests should normally be placed by mail using 
the standard ALA forms, or by teletype using 
a format based on the ALA interlibrary loan 
form. When an urgent request is made by tele­
phone, this initial request should be immedi­
ately followed by the confirming ALA form.

IX. Form of Request.
1. Materials requested must be described 

completely and accurately following accepted 
bibliographic practice.

2. Items requested should be verified and 
sources of verification given, and for this pur­
pose borrowing libraries should have access to 
basic bibliographic tools. When the item re­
quested cannot be verified, the statement “Can­
not verify” should be included with complete 
information on the original source of reference. 
If this provision is disregarded and the bib­
liographic data appear to be incorrect, the re­
quest may be returned unfilled without special 
effort to identify the reference.

3. The name and status (position or other 
identifying information) of the individual for 
whom the material is being requested should 
be included on the request form.

4. A standard ALA interlibrary loan fonn 
should be used for each item requested (or 
an ALA photoduplication order form, when it

is known that copies will be supplied and 
payment required).

5. All correspondence and shipments should 
be conspicuously labeled “Interlibrary Loan.”

X. Duration of Loan.
1. Unless otherwise specified by the lending 

library, the duration of loan is normally cal­
culated to mean the period of time the item 
may remain with the borrowing library, dis­
regarding the time spent in transit.

2. The borrowing library should ask for re­
newal only in unusual circumstances, and a 
second renewal should never be asked for 
without a specific explanation. The renewal re­
quest should be sent in time to reach the lend­
ing library on or before the date due. The 
lending library should respond to renewal re­
quests promptly; if it does not, it will be as­
sumed that renewal for the same length as the 
original loan period is granted.

3. Material on loan is subject to recall at any 
time and the borrowing library should comply 
promptly.

4. The loan period specified by the lending 
library should be appropriate to the type of 
material.

XI. Notification and Acknowledgment.
1. The lending library is expected to notify 

the requesting library promptly whether or not 
the material is being sent; if the material can­
not be supplied, the lending library should 
state the reason.

2. Except in the case of very valuable ship­
ments, no acknowledgment of receipt is neces­
sary. If there is undue delay in receipt, how­
ever, the receiving library has a responsibility 
to notify the lending library so that a search 
may be initiated promptly.

XII. Violation of Code.
Continued disregard of any of the provisions 

of this code is sufficient reason for suspension 
of borrowing privileges. ■ ■

SENATOR HILL HONORED
Senator Lister Hill was honored on June 

20 at the National Library of Medicine by the 
library’s Board of Regents and staff. Paying 
tribute to the Senator, who is retiring after over 
forty years of public service, were Alabama’s 
Junior Senator, John Sparkman, who served 
with Mr. Hill in the Senate for more than 
twenty years; U.S. Department of Health, Ed­
ucation, and Welfare Secretary Wilbur J. Co­
hen; W orth B. Daniels, M.D., first chairman of 
the Presidentially-appointed Board of Regents 
of the National Library of Medicine and Mr. 
Hill’s personal physician; colleagues from both 
Houses of the Congress; officials of the Depart­
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare; and 
many other friends from the biomedical com­

■ ■munity. 



273

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