ACADEMIC LIBRARIES OF INDIANA (ALI)
Reciprocal Borrowing Program

Introduction

• The Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) agree to extend in-person borrowing privileges to faculty, staff, and students of member institutions. This is a cooperative onsite borrowing agreement among the participating members of ALI.
• To participate, the borrower needs a signed ALI Borrowers Card from the home institution library, campus identification, and a photo ID with a current address, such as a driver’s license.
• The ALI Borrowers card grants privileges for up to one year, expiring on or before June 30th.

Eligibility: Faculty, Staff, Students

• Currently employed faculty and staff and currently enrolled students in good standing may be granted borrowing privileges at participating libraries by obtaining a signed ALI Borrowers Card from the home library. The home library has final authority to issue or deny this privilege and determines the expiration date on the ALI Borrowers Card.
• The library staff member issuing the ALI Borrowers Card will verify eligibility and make certain that the borrower’s home library account is not delinquent.

Materials Available for Onsite Loan

• Borrowing privileges are determined by each lending (host) library which may provide shorter or different loan periods from those available at the individual’s home library. Other restrictions may also apply.
• Some library materials such as periodicals, videos and other media, reference works, archival and special collections, and books on course reserve may not be available for loan.

Borrower Responsibilities

• Borrowers are subject to the rules and regulations of the lending library and are responsible for knowing and observing these rules.
• Borrowers must present the lending library with a valid, current ALI Borrowers Card issued by the home institution, campus identification, and a photo ID with a current address. Some lending libraries may issue an additional borrowers card.
• Borrowers are responsible for the safe and timely return of materials to the lending library. Borrowers may return items via their home institution’s INCOLSA Wheels service, but they are responsible for any overdue charges incurred.
• Borrowers are responsible for all financial obligations incurred at the lending library. Failure to receive notification does not absolve borrowers of library obligations.
• Borrowers are responsible for supplying a current mailing address to the lending library.

Loan Periods, Recalls, Penalties

• The lending library’s regulations related to loan periods, renewal and recall procedures, and fines apply to all loans.
• Borrowers should report lost or damaged materials to the library from which the item was borrowed.
• Borrowers are responsible for paying any fines, lost/damaged book charges or processing charges incurred. Checkout privileges may be withdrawn if borrowed material is not returned by the due date or if library fines and charges are not paid.
• Borrowing from another institution is a privilege and not a right. Failure to comply with the loan policies of the lending institution may result in a penalty appropriate to the non-compliance.
• Problems that cannot be resolved simply between the borrower and the lending library will be referred to the home library. In issuing an ALI Borrowers Card, the home library assumes ultimate responsibility for lost or damaged materials.
• Revision of this policy may be considered at any time, but at least initially, the policy will have an annual review by the ALI Executive Committee or a group they select for that purpose.
• Each institution is responsible for keeping statistics (as determined by the ALI Board) for the purpose of evaluation.

Click here for a printable "Word document" form that must be completed to obtain an ALI Borrowers Card.

Approved by the Academic Libraries of Indiana, May 5, 2004 and amended by the ALI board, July 7, 2004.