Interlibrary Loans and Document Delivery Policy

Library

Introduction
This policy covers document supply, document delivery and interlibrary loan services. It does not distinguish between them. In its interlending and document delivery services ACU Library operates in accordance with the Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing (ILRS) Code (2001). The Code specifies principles for sharing resources, defines levels of service (including turnaround time and delivery mode) and recommends prices for supply and delivery.

In supplying items to requesting libraries ACU undertakes to provide service levels up to Priority level, as specified in the service level standards of the ILRS Code. Higher levels of service may be provided on occasion at the discretion of the campus library concerned.

When it supplies interlibrary loans ACU Library normally charges the current ILRS recommended prices for both supply and delivery, except where an interlibrary loan or resource-sharing agreement has been established.

Details of the Library's policies for lending items are contained in the National Library of Australia's Interlibrary Resource Sharing Directory which is available on the Web at: http://www.nla.gov.au/ilrs. The Library observes Australian copyright law and our contractual obligations.

Eligibility
The following groups of ACU staff and students are eligible for interlibrary loan and document delivery services through the library (library-mediated interlibrary loans):

• Academic staff - continuing academic staff for the purposes of teaching and research
• Other academic staff - to support the duties they are employed to undertake e.g. develop or teach a unit
• Higher Degree students - Postgraduate degree students
• Honours students
• General staff - for purposes related to their university positions

The library does not provide interlibrary loan services to support the information needs of ACU staff who are enrolled as students in other institutions. This is the responsibility of the enrolling institution.

Items in the collection of ACU Library will not be obtained on interlibrary loan.

ILLs will not be processed if the borrower has overdue any item borrowed as a Standard Loan, Inter-campus Loan or Interlibrary Loan, or has outstanding fines of $10 or more.

Level of Service Provided
ACU Library normally uses the Core service level when requesting interlibrary loans. Requests may be made at higher service levels to obtain urgently required interlibrary loans at the discretion of the campus library.

Number of Loans
To ensure efficient budgetary and staff management the campus library manager may restrict the number of loans requested or supplied.

Choice of Supplier and Format
The library manager or designated staff member determines the supplier and format of a loan where there is a choice.

Intercampus Loans
Document delivery and loans between the campus libraries of ACU are not considered interlibrary loans. The conditions under which these are provided are governed by the Library's Loans Policy.

Responsibility for Payment

• The costs of library-mediated interlibrary loans and library-mediated use of document supply service are borne by the campus library EXCEPT when the item requested is for a program or research that receives special funding.
• Where the item requested is for a program or research which has received special funding from within or outside ACU, library staff will process the loan, but all costs associated with it are charged to the relevant (non-library) fund.
• Where a non-library staff member or student initiates a request with a supplier and directly receives a loan or document (makes a non library-mediated request), the requester is responsible for any associated costs, not the library. In these situations the library's role is restricted to informing clients about the range of document supply services available and educating them in how these can be accessed.

Attribution of payments
Where the library is responsible for payment of charges associated with interlibrary loans, charges will be met from the operations budget of the campus library responsible for them. No call will be made on the campus library acquisitions budget.

UNILINC Inter Library Loan Agreement
ACU Library is a member of the UNILINC Inter Library Loan agreement. Under the terms of this agreement members provide Core service interlibrary loans to other members without applying charges. For loans at higher levels between members only the relevant ILRS levy and any additional delivery fee are applied.

Local Resource Sharing Agreements
In addition to the University wide UNILINC agreement individual campus libraries participate in a range of other local resource sharing agreements. These are negotiated directly by the libraries concerned.

Requests for Theses
A request for a thesis will be treated either as a purchase for the collection or as a request for a copy. More information here.