Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Policy
The Wheaton Public Library (WPL) provides interlibrary loan (ILL) service in order to enhance and extend the resources available to its patrons. Because the library cannot purchase or subscribe to every useful resource, ILL is an essential part of the library’s effort to meet the informational needs of the community. The WPL Board of Trustees supports participation in and use of regional state and nation-wide ILL networks. WPL is a member of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) and a partner in the Illinois Library and Information Network (ILLINET) and a member of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) as well as a member of LINKin*.
Wheaton Public Library accepts requests from patrons for material that the library does not own. It is the policy of WPL that all material not found in the WPL catalog or LINKin catalog first will be ordered through ILL.
Borrowers will assume full responsibility for any fees associated with the obtaining of materials and for all fees for late, damaged, or lost materials charged by the lending library.
Borrowers must be in good standing and have a valid Wheaton Public Library card to order ILL materials. All materials borrowed will be in accordance with US Copyright law as indicated below.
The Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the Law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproductions. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of that order would involve violation of the law.
Items NOT ALLOWED to be requested are:
- Reference material
- Downloadable items
- Periodicals
- Materials with prohibitive replacement costs
- Items that are already on order
Items WPL WILL NOT loan to other libraries are:
- Downloadable materials
- Microfilm rolls
- Reference materials
- Periodicals
- Materials with prohibitive replacement costs,
- Framed art
Loan Period
The circulation period for ILL and LINKin materials is based on the loan period extended by the lending library. The loan period pertains to both items loaned and items borrowed. Renewals are at the sole discretion of the lending library and cannot be guaranteed.
Limits and Fees/Fines
There is no limit on the number of ILL requests. LINKin limits will be determined by the LINKin consortium policy.
WPL makes its requests from institutions that typically do not charge for their materials. This provides loans at no cost to the library patrons. If items(s) requested are available only from institutions charging a lending fee, this fee will be passed on to the WPL patron. The patron is notified of any charge before the item is ordered. The patron can agree to pay the charge and proceed with the request or decline.
ILL and LINKin items borrowed are subject to the fine policies of WPL. Charges for lost or damaged material are set by the lending library and payable to WPL.
Book Club Borrowing
WPL offers a special ILL service for local book clubs. WPL will request multiple copies of books in order to provide book clubs the necessary number of books they need. All requests are handled through the ILL Department. Requests cannot be current best sellers or new books.
Patron Responsibilities and Rights
For security, all ILL items must be returned directly to the WPL Circulation desk. All communication in regard to ILL and LINKin materials must be directed to Circulation Department; Reference Department and the Resource Sharing staff. Refusal to abide by these procedures may result in loss of borrowing privileges.
*LINKin is a group of libraries located in Illinois that allow member libraries to borrow materials from other group members. Library customers can independently borrow materials if titles are not owned by their home library or if their library’s copy is already checked out. The LINKIN group catalog enable us to share many titles with all of our users for free and most items will be available for pickup at your home library within a few days. The catalog includes books, Blu-rays, CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and Recorded Books and titles are added every day. LINKin went live for customers in January 2006.
Board Approved 11/2017
