3.5 Requestable Materials
Libraries are encouraged to be generous about lending their circulating materials.
- Participating libraries are required to make their circulating book collections available for loan with the following exceptions:
- special collections;
- audio-visual collections;
- collections required for academic coursework (i.e., reserves);
- new items, if set to non-requestable via data loading processes.
- MeLCat staff may request that libraries modify the categories of materials they have made eligible for lending.
- Participating libraries that wish to borrow audio-visual materials must make a significant percentage of their locally circulating audio-visual collection available. Libraries with no locally circulating or otherwise restricted audio-visual collections may apply for a waiver of this requirement.
- As new media formats become available, libraries must review their MeLCat AV policy to determine if additional formats should be available for lending.
- MeLCat staff may review libraries’ AV policies and practices as needed.
Reasons to not lend AV, appropriate for waiver:
- AV collections are primarily for staff support or for curriculum support and course reserves and do not circulate to local library users.
- AV collections have use restrictions for local patrons due to funding.
- Library does not have AV collection.
Reasons to not lend AV, not appropriate for waiver:
- Charge rental fees to own patrons.
- High local demand, especially for the new AV materials.
- Cost of packaging and labor for shipping.
- Too many items are out on MeLCat loan at the same time.
- Concern about loss and damage/can't detect damage upon return.
- Expensive sets of DVDs are ruined if one disc is lost or damaged-it is ofen not possible to replace just the damaged disc.
- Materials gone too long, even with short MeLCat loan.
- Don't lend AV materials in traditional ILL either.
In the description field below, please explain why your library is eligible for a waiver for this policy.