Interlibrary Loan Policy – Durham County Library

APPLICABILITY:

This policy applies to all Library customers who use Interlibrary Loan services.

PURPOSE:

The Interlibrary Loan Policy establishes eligibility requirements and guidelines for Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is the process of requesting materials that are not available at Durham County Library but can be borrowed from other libraries. This policy explains how Durham County Library conducts Interlibrary loan borrowing and lending.

POLICY:

Durham County Library subscribes to the Interlibrary Loan Code set forth by the Reference and User Services Association division of the American Library Association.

BORROWING

Who can use ILL?

To use ILL, a patron must have a full privilege Durham County library card (resident, nonresident, or local government) with no more than $25 in outstanding fees.

Patrons can request books or other materials that Durham County does not have in its collection.

Books that are designated as “in library use only” status cannot be requested as an ILL. However, patrons may request an exception due to hardship.

Patrons cannot place ILL requests for items that are on order.

Books that are less than 1 year old or more than 100 years old cannot be requested.

A patron can request individual articles, magazines, and journals that Durham County does not have. The cost to print is the same as in the Circulation and Library Fee policy.

A patron may request a microfilm reel, which will be counted as the 1 AV item borrowed, but it must be used in the North Carolina Collection on the third floor of Main Library.

How many requests can be made?

A patron can request up to five items at any stage of the ILL process at a time. For example, a patron could have two ILL items checked out, two requests reviewed, and one being shipped. Only one of these five items may be audiovisual material (such as a DVD, audiobook, or CD).

Other borrowing rules:

The checkout period and option to renew are set by the lending library system.

Patrons must pick up and return their ILL to the Durham County Library location that they designated in their ILL request.

While Durham County Library does not charge overdue fines or non-pickup fees, the lending library may charge fines or replacement charges for lost or damaged items. These charges are the responsibility of the customer.

Renewals must be requested 5 days before the due date set by the lending library.

ENFORCEMENT

Violations of this policy may result in the revocation of Interlibrary Loan privileges.

LENDING

Durham County Library lends items that are more than 1 year old but less than 50 years old to other library systems.

Items are loaned for a period of 4 weeks.

They can be renewed up to two times – each time for up to 3 additional weeks.

The following collections are not loaned: North Carolina Collection materials, items from the Selena Warren Wheeler Collection, and non-circulating materials.

We also do not lend the following types of materials:

Archival/Mixed Material
Computer File
E-Audio Book
E-Serial
E-Text
Government Document
Integrated Resource
Internet Resource
Kit
Manuscript
Map
Microform
Musical Score
Newspaper
Serial
Sound Recording – Cassette
Sound Recording – LP
Visual Material – VHS

The Library lends books, large print books, audiobooks, DVDs, and CDs.

The Library can make copies in accordance with copyright policy of materials from our circulating collection as well as from the following:

Archival/Mixed Material
Government Document
Manuscript
Microform
Newspaper
Serial – Bound

Electronic copies are free, but print photocopies cost the amount set in the Circulation and Library Fee Policy.

Durham County Library does not lend or borrow physical items internationally.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The Library follows copyright law in accordance with Title 17 USC § 108 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/108). Displayed prominently on the interlibrary loan request page is our copyright notice. It states the liability of the user for copyright infringement and the right of the Library to refuse a copy request if, in its judgment, it would violate copyright law:

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.”

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

Recognizing that ours is a free society, Durham County Library subscribes to the Library Bill of Rights set forth by the American Library Association. In addition, the library endorses ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement and Freedom to View Statement, also developed by the ALA and adopted by the Library Board of Trustees on January 28, 1985.

RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of the Resources and Finance Officer, with the advice of the ILL Coordinator, ILL Staff, and with the advice of the Board of Trustees, to interpret, monitor, and recommend updates to the policy. The ultimate responsibility for implementing the Interlibrary Loan Policy lies with the Library Director.

APPENDICES

Effective September 1, 2026