Special Collections Department:
Reference Services

 

Interlibrary Loan Policy
To request a Special Collections item via Interlibrary Loan, please contact
 Interlibrary Loan

Introduction:  The Special Collections Department (as of July 1, 2004) will consider the possibility of loaning items from the Rare Book and University Archives Book collections to appropriate repositories.  These requests will be handled by Becky Jordan, Reference Specialist, and all must be approved by Tanya Zanish-Belcher, as Department Head. 

These guidelines also rely on the recent ACRL Guidelines for the Interlibrary Loan
Of Rare and Unique Materials
.

The committee’s objectives in preparing these guidelines were:

  • to encourage and facilitate interinstitutional loan from special collections for research use;

  • to affirm curatorial responsibility in decisions regarding the loan of special collections;

  • to specify the responsibilities of lending and borrowing institutions; and

  • to ensure the safety and security of items loaned.

 

All requests will be evaluated on a case by case basis. 

The following guidelines will be followed in each case:

  • To Consider, on a Limited Basis:

Recently published soft-bound items

Rebound materials in a library binding

  • In General, Not to be Loaned

Fragile and/or brittle materials

Housed in preservation boxes

Housed in three-ring binders

Oversized items

Rare works in original bindings (usually prior to 1875)

Also including Henty publications, miniatures and blue books

Theses or dissertations

Titles available in the general collection

University textbooks

 

Use Policies:

Automatic:

  • In Special Collections/Monitored Area use only (to be monitored by the

borrowing library) 

  • After the loan is confirmed, ILL will confirm the conditions with the

borrowing institution

  • ISU ILL:  Please note physical condition prior to shipping
     

  • 2 week loan period, no renewal
     

  • Special Collections staff will take any items for loan directly to the ILL staff.  When materials are returned, they should be brought by the ILL staff directly to the Department (and should not be sent through the hand mail).
     

  • Neither ISU or the borrowing repository will ever attach sticky notes or Post-It notes to Special Collections volumes.

 

Restrictions:

If a volume is not to be photocopied, Special Collections staff will mark

the loan slip.

Packing and Shipment, Terms and Conditions:

          Additional insurance needed

          Send and return by commercial shipper with tracking system

          Special packing (bubble wrap or extra support) needed


  For additional information, please contact:
Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University Library
Ames, IA  50011-2140
(515) 294-6672
spclref@iastate.edu


Policy Revised: August 2005.