Interlibrary Loan Policy

Purpose:

Interlibrary Loan is the process of lending and borrowing materials between libraries via a mailing system. Because of limited budget, space, and other factors, the Kyle Public Library cannot provide all materials that are requested; therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries those materials that are beyond the scope of the Kyle Public Library’s collections. Materials in the possession of the Kyle Public Library shall be made available for lending, unless otherwise restricted by this policy. The Kyle Public Library Interlibrary Loan policy shall adhere to the requirements of the Texas Interlibrary Loan Protocol and the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States.

Eligibility:

All Kyle Public Library cardholders shall be eligible to use the Interlibrary Loan process so long as they meet the following requirements:

• Be in possession of a Kyle Public Library card for at least 2 months prior to their first Interlibrary Loan request;
• Be in good standing with the Kyle Public Library as defined in the Kyle Public Library Policies and Procedures;
• Be at least 18 years of age;
• Agree to all requirements of this Interlibrary Loan Policy.

Borrowing Materials:

Eligible cardholders shall make a request for Kyle Public Library materials through Kyle Public Library staff. The Kyle Public Library staff will assess the availability for the requested materials from available Interlibrary Loan resources and inform the eligible cardholder of the potential timeline and cost of the requested materials. The eligible cardholder will be informed of due dates and other material-specific restrictions and requirements. Once the eligible cardholder agrees to the requirements of the Interlibrary Loan material and associated costs, the Kyle Public Library Staff will request the materials through available Interlibrary Loan platforms. An eligible cardholder shall be limited to 2 Interlibrary Loans per month.

Upon receipt of the Interlibrary Loan material, the Kyle Public Library Staff will inform the eligible cardholder of the availability of the requested material. The eligible cardholder will be required to retrieve the material from Kyle Public Library Staff within 2-weeks, unless there are more stringent restrictions on the requested materials from the lending library.The eligible cardholder will be required to return the Interlibrary Loan materials by their due date, as established by Kyle Public Library Staff, and all materials will be returned in good condition. Failure to adhere to these requirements will subject the eligible cardholder to the fees outlined in this Interlibrary Loan Policy

Lending Materials:

All materials in the possession of the Kyle Public Library shall be available for loan, unless it is specifically listed as a “Restricted Material”, as defined in this Interlibrary Loan Policy. The Kyle Public Library will prioritize the distribution of materials to Kyle Public Library cardholders on a priority basis, but will not preclude materials from being lent solely for the purpose of keeping materials available for Kyle Public Library cardholders. The Kyle Public Library shall adhere to the requirements established in the Texas Interlibrary Loan Protocol and the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States.

Restricted Material:

The Kyle Public Library Director shall maintain a list of any collection materials that are restricted from the Interlibrary Loan program. The limitations include, but are not limited to:

• Material Age
• Rarity
• Condition
• Replacement Cost
• Shipping Limitations

The Kyle Public Library Director shall update this listing, and educate Kyle Public Library Staff on these materials, at least annually.

All materials that are part of the Kyle Public Library’s collection for the “Library of Things” shall not be available for the Interlibrary Loan program.

Costs and Fees:

All eligible cardholders will be subject to a service cost of $2.00 for each Interlibrary Loan material requested. This fee is used to offset some of the postage for the borrowed materials. This $2.00 cost will be paid at the time the Interlibrary Loan materials are received and will be paid in a manner prescribed by the Kyle Public Library Director. No order for materials from available Interlibrary Loan resources will be placed without first receiving payment for the $2.00 cost.

All cardholders will be subject to fees associated with a late return of Interlibrary Loan materials and for damaged or lost Interlibrary Loan materials. Fees associated with late, damaged, or lost materials will be identified by the lending library and the Kyle Public Library will inform the eligible cardholder of these fees as soon as possible.

Should any material loaned from the Kyle Public Library be lost or damaged by the cardholder of another library, the cost for repair or replacement will be assessed to the borrowing library.

The Kyle Public Library will not charge other libraries for the loan of materials and will only assess a fee as outlined in this Interlibrary Loan Policy.

Approved by the Kyle Public Library Board on July 6, 2023.