Original Proposal Adopted September 1993, Revised March 2003, January 2013
ASERL RECIPROCAL BORROWING PROGRAM
Overview
Throughout its history, ASERL has been committed to improving resource sharing in the Southeast. It has demonstrated this commitment through such activities as the founding of SOLINET, obtaining grant funding to support massive retrospective conversion of cataloging records, providing a forum for the regular exchange of ideas and information, and many others. In 1993 ASERL launched a program to promote reciprocal borrowing of library materials among member libraries. The plan has significantly facilitated borrowing and lending of materials among ASERL institutions in as simple and equitable a manner as possible.
ASERL-WRLC Partnership
In early 2013, ASERL and the Washington Research Library Consortium (www.wrlc.org) signed a partnership to expand resource sharing among the member libraries of each consortium. As a result of this agreement, starting February 1, 2013 ASERL and WRLC libraries will provide no-fee, priority service to each others’ resource sharing requests. This is an important, significant expansion of resource sharing for research libraries in the region.
Agreement Guidelines:
Eligibility: Participation in this program will be limited to ASERL member libraries, ASERL Program Affiliates, and other partners with which ASERL has completed a written agreement for this program.
Protocol:
- The Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States will be followed.
- ASERL and WRLC members will process requests from other ASERL/WRLC libraries as quickly as possible, within four days of receipt.
- When necessary, participating libraries will answer “No” within 48 hours utilizing OCLC’s “Reasons for No.”
- The program will require no fees and no bookkeeping, including overdue fines, postage, or nonrefundable processing charges.
- The note “ASERL-WRLC” should be entered in the in the affiliation field of the OCLC ILL, DOCLINE, and ALA request forms. Requests that are not so noted may be assessed regular charges for ILL service.
- The borrowing library is responsible for any returnable material from the time it is shipped to the borrower until it is returned to the lender. If damage or loss occurs, the lender may request replacement or compensation.
- All materials lent through this agreement are subject to recall by the lender and must be returned as soon as possible. Failure to provide timely returns may result in loss of borrowing privileges.
- The lending library will provide rush service by Odyssey, Ariel, fax, UPS, or similar service when needed.
Participating Libraries
All ASERL and WRLC members except North Carolina State University are participating in this agreement.