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InterLibrary Loan Policy

 Section 1 – Borrowing 

West Florida Public Library’s (WFPL) Interlibrary Loan Service (ILL) offers eligible library cardholders in good standing the ability to request over 2 billion items available through 72,000 ILL partner libraries around the state and across the continental U.S. ILL is not available to any child (a patron not yet 18 years old), unless the child’s parent has agreed to be responsible for all charges associated with the child’s use of the service (such as, processing fees and replacement costs for damaged or lost items). WFPL adheres to the Reference and User Services Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States. 

Section 2 – Requesting Items 

  • ILL requests may be made electronically from home or at any WFPL location using the ILL interface on the library’s website. Requests may also be submitted on a paper form that is available at each library location. Click HERE to download. 
  •  Patrons may submit a total of 5 new requests during a 30 day-time frame. Special circumstances may require a change in the number of new requests allowed. 
  •  Some materials may not be available for check-out and will be designated as “In Library Use Only,” such as difficult to replace materials (including those the Library deems expensive or rare), materials received for in-house use only, and microfilm. Microfilm from the Genealogy Collection may be viewed only at the Pensacola Library and is designated “In Library Use Only.” 
  •  Any item not currently owned by WFPL may be requested, but the following may be difficult for our partner libraries: 

➢ Items published or released in the last 6 months 

➢ Movies / Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS) 

➢ Textbooks and study guides (if available these will be in library use only) 

➢ Vinyl records 

  •  Each lending library determines whether a borrower’s fee will be assessed for an item or request. Patrons will be notified by the ILL Department if such a fee is charged. The fee must be paid before the request is processed. 

Section 3 – Patron Loan Periods and Overdue Fines 

  •  WFPL is unable to guarantee if and/or when an ILL request will be delivered. Patrons will be notified by the ILL department of their status. 
  •  Materials are loaned for a period of 21 days, nonrenewable. 
  • ILL items that are not returned by their assigned due date will incur overdue fines in accordance with lending library’s policies. 
  • ILL items may be returned to circulation staff at any WFPL circulating location regardless of where the items were originally checked out. To ensure the library has received returned ILL materials, items should not be placed in a book drop nor the attached paperwork removed. 

Section 4 – Lost and Damaged Items 

Patrons are responsible for the damage, replacement cost, and processing fee of any ILL items that are lost, damaged, or stolen in accordance with WFPL’s policies and as determined by the lending library. Repeated loss or damage to other libraries' property may result in a suspension of a patron's borrowing privileges. 

Section 5 – ILL Services 

Interlibrary loan is a courtesy provided to libraries by other libraries. This service is based on protocols and good will. Continuous disregard of due dates and/or failure to pick up requested items may result in the loss of ILL privileges for the patron. 

Section 6 – Lending Policy to Other Libraries 

  • Other libraries may request materials from WFPL for their patrons through Florida Library Navigator, an OCLC WorldCat Navigator affiliate. WFPL adheres to the Reference and User Services Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States. 
  •  WFPL does not lend materials added to its collections in the last 6 months, e-books, e-audiobooks, local history and genealogy materials, microforms, periodicals, reference books, and textbooks and study guides. The decision to lend materials is made at the discretion of the supervisor of WFPL’s ILL service. 
  • Materials are loaned for a period of 21 days, nonrenewable. 
  • To comply with Section 108 of the Copyright Act of 1976 the following limits are made on photocopies: book sections (1 per book*) and periodical articles (5 per periodical). Per page and processing fee are defined in WFPL’s Florida Library / OCLC WorldCat Navigator policies profile. 
  • The requesting library assumes responsibility for borrowed material from the time it leaves WFPL until it has been returned to and received by WFPL. This includes all material shipped directly to and/or returned by the user. If damage or loss occurs, the library that owns the material will access fine and/or fees for replacement. 
  • WFPL may suspend service to a requesting library if it fails to comply with the provisions of this code. 

Approved and adopted by the WFPL Board of Governance on March 26, 2018. Approved and adopted by the WFPL Board of Governance on July 27, 2020. Approved and adopted by the WFPL Board of Governance on October 26, 2020. 

Revised and approved on July 25, 2022 by the West Florida Public Libraries Board of Governance.