Interlibrary Loan Policy
Eligibility for Interlibrary Loan (ILL):
This service is available to HCC Current Credit Student and Employees who have a valid Harford Community College Library card and no unpaid fines. Community Borrowers (not affiliated with campus as Current Credit Student or Employee) will be directed to use their own public library branch to place their ILL requests. Government Documents not available in Harford Community College Library’s collections will be obtained on interlibrary loan for all patrons from the Regional Depository at McKeldin Library at University of Maryland, or from selective depository libraries in our Regional area of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
Items that Cannot Be Requested through Interlibrary Loan:
- Items owned by HCC Library or through reciprocal borrowing with Harford County Public Libraries (HCPL)
- Textbooks or other items available on Harford Community College Library Course Reserve
- E-Books
Charges:
- HCC Library covers any costs for loans and copy fees from lending libraries supplying materials through Interlibrary Loan for HCC Credit Students and Employees.
- Any unreturned, lost, or damaged item is the financial responsibility of the borrower, not HCC Library.
Loan Expectations:
- Items will be picked up and checked out at the Harford Community College Library Circulation Desk with your HCC Library card.
- Borrowers will be notified by phone or email when the item has arrived or if the request cannot be filled.
- Requests can take up to three (3) weeks for delivery.
- Interlibrary Loan materials do NOT auto-renew and due dates are determined by the lending libraries. Contact 443.412.2042, or email ill@harford.edu to request a renewal, or to relay concerns or questions.
Definition of Interlibrary Loan:
Interlibrary loan is the process of borrowing materials or obtaining copies of materials library to library on behalf of library patrons. Per the American Library Association Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, materials “includes books, audiovisual materials, and other returnable items as well as copies of journal articles, book chapters, excerpts, and other non-returnable items.” The Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States was prepared and revised by the Interlibrary Loan Committee in Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), revised again by Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS), and approved by RUSA Board in 2016. (https://www.ala.org/rusa/guidelines/interlibrary)
The copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, USC) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish 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. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
The requesting (borrowing) library must comply with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and be aware of related guidelines for copy requests in regards to section 107 Fair Use (https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107) section 108 Reproduction by libraries and archives (https://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#108) , and other considerations as the CONTU Guidelines (https://www.copyright.com/Services/copyrightoncampus/content/ill_contu.html).
The supplying (lending) library, when scanning, should provide a copy that closely reproduces the original article or chapter in appearance, legibility, and completeness with appropriate attention paid to image color and clarity, margins, page orientation, and any accompanying references, plates, or appendices. (https://www.ala.org/rusa/sites/ala.org.rusa/files/content/ILL%20Code%20with%20Supplement_11-20-17_updated-link.pdf)