Interlibrary Loan Policy

1. Purpose

To define the eligibility, usage limits, and conditions governing the Inter‑Loan service offered to Fort Erie Public Library patrons, ensuring fair access while respecting the policies of lending libraries.

2. Scope

Applies to all Fort Erie Public Library members who wish to request materials through the Inter‑Loan program, as well as library staff who process and manage those requests.

3. Definitions

• ILLO Service – The borrowing of items from other libraries on behalf of a patron.
• Patron – Any individual with a valid Fort Erie Public Library membership.
• SOLS Region – The geographic area served by the Southern Ontario Library Service, used for routing fiction, juvenile, and all titles.

4. Policy Statement

Only residents of Fort Erie with Fort Erie Public Library memberships in good standing may use the ILLO service.

• Patrons are allowed 5 requests per month
• Only three titles may be requested at one time.
• All titles are requested only with the SOLS region.

Materials not eligible for inter loan include:

• Very popular titles
• Titles less than one year old
• Duplicates of titles already owned
• Basic reference material
• Rare materials
• Materials with a pre-1950 publication date
• Periodicals (photocopies provided)
• Book Club Sets
• Video Games
• Course or Project material
• Uncatalogued paperbacks

The lending library specifies the conditions under which materials are lent. Fort Erie Public Library is not free to alter these conditions.

There is no charge for this service. Overdue, damaged or lost material fees may still be charged based on FEPL’s Borrowing Policy. Charges levied by the lending library will be passed on to the patron.

5. Responsibilities

• Board - oversees compliance, reviews and approves policy updates
• CEO – Ensures the policy is current, communicated, and that staff have the resources to enforce it.
• Library Technician - Receives ILLO request forms, logs each request, verifies patron eligibility and item eligibility, forwards approved requests to the lending library, tracks fulfillment, and notifies patrons when items are ready for pickup.
• Branch Services Coordinator – Oversees all circulation functions, ensures staff follow ILLO limits and policies, monitors workflow metrics, resolves escalated patron or partner issues, and leads the periodic review of the Inter‑Loan program.
• Circulation Staff – Verifies patron eligibility, processes requests within the stated limits, and informs patrons of any ineligible items or fees.
• Patrons – Must adhere to request limits, return items on time, and pay any applicable fees incurred from the lending library.

6. Compliance & Consequences

Noncompliance (e.g., exceeding request limits, attempting to borrow ineligible items) may result in temporary suspension of InterLoan privileges and, if repeated, further disciplinary action per FEPL’s overall policy framework.

7. Communication

The policy will be posted on the library’s website, included in the online policy manual, and displayed at the circulation desk. Staff will receive training on the limits and ineligible item list during onboarding and annual refresh sessions.

8. Related Documents

• FEPL Borrowing Policy
• SOLS InterLibrary Loan Agreement
• Ontario Public Libraries Act

9. Review Cycle

This policy will be reviewed every four years to confirm continued relevance and alignment with partner library agreements. The next scheduled review is March 2030.