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Information for Members:
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Participation in MassCat (Massachusetts Catalog Project) Some Questions and Answers on Interlibrary Loan (ILL) MassCat is a union catalog of the resources of participating libraries. Its purpose is to provide a web-accessible catalog for members and to encourage resource sharing among its members. MassCat will also be a resource in the Massachusetts Virtual Catalog, a project that encourages resource sharing by linking together the bibliographic databases of the Commonwealth. MassCat members are expected to observe MassCat ILL policies, regional interlibrary loan policies and the National ILL code. Although interlibrary loan is a small part of a library’s services, every library will need materials outside its collection, at least occasionally, to meet the needs of its users. Any member of MassCat that wishes to borrow materials must be willing to lend materials. MassCat members will begin Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requesting/processing October 15, 2001. What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)? In today’s information explosion age, a library cannot have all the material its users need. Interlibrary loan is the process by which a library borrows materials that are not owned by the library but that are needed by its users. Interlibrary loan can be a direct loan from one library to another or it can be a mediated loan done through an ILL processing center (a regional system, for example) on behalf of the library. Is my Library required to loan materials? MassCat is supported by the regional library systems to encourage and facilitate resource sharing. One of the requirements of MassCat is that each participant agrees to lend normally circulating material. What are the benefits of lending? Interlibrary loan supplements and expands the range of materials that each library can make available to its users. Also, as a participant in ILL, each library may benefit from the state and/or Region’s net lender programs. If a library lends a greater number of items than it borrows, the library is eligible to apply for net lender offset funding. What must my library loan? In general, members make circulating materials in the collection available for interlibrary loan. Each Member of MassCat is encouraged to develop an Interlibrary Loan Policy, which should include guidelines describing which materials may be borrowed. Members are encouraged to be as generous as possible in the lending of materials. When will my library be expected to participate in ILL? MassCat members are expected to begin participating in the ILL system 5-6 weeks after they begin adding materials to the database. Other members will begin to see, and perhaps request, materials from your library as soon as they appear on the database. MassCat will set indicators on the system to move requests past your library during the initial 5-6 weeks. Thereafter you will be expected to respond as a full participant. MassCat members should not expect to be able to borrow material until they are ready to loan material. What kinds of policies/procedures does my library need to have in place to participate in resource sharing? Each participating library is encouraged to develop a local interlibrary loan policy. The Regional offices can supply you with samples. The policy should include: the types of materials you will lend, the amount of material you will loan if there are limits, materials that you will not lend, loan periods, how materials should be shipped, packing instructions (if needed), overdue policies and charges, if any. How does my library request material from and loan material to other libraries? The AutoGraphics software used by MassCat has a requesting component. Member libraries receive training in using this Interlibrary Loan software. The software provides an electronic request form, tracking of requests, and statistics. How many items may my library borrow? There are no restrictions on the number of materials a member library may request. It is assumed that a library will be willing to loan in proportion to its need to borrow. How often is my library expected to check for requests? An interlibrary loan system is only as successful as it is timely. Member libraries are expected to process requests each day the library is open. How often is my library expected to update records/requests/transactions? Interlibrary loan should become a part of the daily procedure. Requests should be searched, updated and materials sent each day the library is open. The regions will make their best effort to provide delivery service as needed. If my library needs something we loaned, how do we recall an Item? All Interlibrary loans are sent with the awareness of the borrowing library that the material may be recalled at any time. The system provides a message for recalling an item. The borrowing library then will contact the person who borrowed the material and ask that it be returned immediately. All material loaned on interlibrary loan is subject to recall, so users should be prepared for this possibility. How long will it take to obtain requested material? It really depends on where the material is located and if the material is in use at the owning library. If the material is in another MassCat Library and is on the shelf, you should receive the material within a week. It can take longer for requests for hard to obtain materials or materials that are sent to the processing centers to be requested from other networks or resources (see below). How will I receive ILL materials? The regional library systems are trying to add MassCat members to their delivery services. If your library is added to regional delivery, most materials borrowed through MassCat will arrive through the delivery service. Some materials may be mailed to you. You should return material the way it came to you (delivery, UPS, mail, insured, etc). Who pays shipping costs? It is the responsibility of the borrowing library to pay shipping costs if the item is sent through US Mail or a commercial shipper. Regional delivery may be used for items that are not overdue or do not need to be insured. In most reciprocal lending arrangements, the lender pays to ship the item to the borrowing library. Can my library renew material? The borrowing library must request a renewal from the lending library. The system provides messaging to request a renewal. If a renewal is possible, the lending library will indicate that it accepts the request. If the lender cannot renew, you must return the material as soon as possible. All ILL material is subject to recall at the request of the owning library. What kinds of records must my library keep? Each borrowing library needs to know which materials it borrowed, which user has the material, when the material is due at the owning library, and how the item must be shipped. If your library uses an automated library circulation system, the system may do much of this for you. If not, you should keep a copy of the request with the following information: the name of the lending library, conditions of loan, due date, shipping method, the date the material was received, the date the library user borrowed the material, the date the item was returned by the user. When you return the item, add to your records: the date and shipping method you used to return the material to the owning library. You need to keep these records for at least 6 months. What is my library’s responsibility for borrowed material? Borrowing libraries are responsible for materials from the time they leave the lending library until they are returned to the lending library. If borrowed material is lost during the transaction, the borrowing library is responsible to replace or pay for the item. The borrowing library may bill the user for lost material or may assume the cost itself. If the user does not pay for the lost material, the library must pay unless the owning library forgives the loss. Damage to materials is the responsibility of the borrowing library. In all cases, the borrowing library should communicate with the lending library to inform them of efforts to retrieve or pay for material. The lending library will inform the borrowing library of any costs. Who is responsible for retrieving materials my library loaned through ILL? The borrowing library should retrieve material from its patrons and return it to you on or before the due date. The borrowing library may ask your library for a bill for lost or overdue material. If a borrowing library does not retrieve or pay for material, then your library is under no obligation to loan to that library in the future. Interlibrary loan must be a mutually satisfactory agreement between libraries. Your Regional ILL Office (and the Regional Office of the borrowing library if they are different) may be able to support the process with contact information or policy development. What kinds of statistics must my library keep? The MassCat ILL system will supply some statistics for you. The statistics you keep depend upon local requirements. You may want to keep track of who borrowed materials from them and whom they borrowed materials from. Are they located in your region? Are they in another region? Member libraries will need to know the number of items borrowed and the number of loans made in a year’s time frame. If your library is a net lender, you must keep statistics to support your application for net lender funding. Is using ILL going to cost my library? The Interlibrary Loan software is a component of MassCat and is covered by any fees your region charges for MassCat. Other costs that may occur and must be planned for by the member library are replacement costs for lost items and any shipping or insuring of materials. Who pays staffing costs? Staffing costs are part of the local commitment to ILL. Interlibrary Loan is essential to meet the expanding range of materials a library patron might need. What if the item my user needs is not in MassCat? MassCat libraries may send request to the regional Interlibrary Loan Processing Centers using the regular forms and procedures for those Centers.
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