Interlibrary Loan Policies

RPL Patrons | Other Libraries

IInterlibrary Loan Contact Information

email:
Telephone: 507.287.2610
fax: 507.287.2110

mail: Interlibrary Loans
Rochester Public Library
101 Second St. SE
Rochester, MN 55904-3776

Rochester Public Library Patrons

Who may use interlibrary loan services?

Patrons with resident library cards from Rochester Public Library [RPL] may request interlibrary loan materials. Patrons with blocked cards due to lost or too many overdue materials are not permitted to make interlibrary loan requests. Rochester residents without library cards need to register for a library card before making interlibrary loan requests.

Library users with temporary visitor cards are not eligible for interlibrary loan services. Interlibrary loan materials received at RPL will not be delivered to other SELCO libraries, and should not be returned at other SELCO libraries because the item will not be discharged from the RPL borrower account.

Library users with cards from other SELCO libraries may request RPL materials through MNLINK for delivery to their home library. To use MNLINK, a SELCO library user must have a valid library card (not delinquent due to fines, expiration, etc.) from their home library. A SELCO library card holder may also use MNLINK to request materials for pick-up at RPL, although a valid library card needs to be registered with both the home library and RPL.

Is there a limit on the number of requests?

The MNLINK interlibrary loan system limits RPL borrowers to 35 requests, which includes pending requests, received requests, and items being returned.

Which types of materials are available for requesting through interlibrary loan?

New titles (published in the last six months) are generally considered for purchase at RPL, instead of requesting from another library. We don’t borrow current bestsellers or new movies from other libraries. Use the “request for purchase form” instead of using an interlibrary loan request for recently published materials.

Requests for feature films on DVD and videocassette are limited to Minnesota area libraries. TV series on DVD and popular music CDs are often in high demand at their owning libraries, and not available for lending to other libraries.

If we own a copy of the requested title, but it is currently checked out, requests will be put on the waiting list for the RPL copy, unless it is for an assignment, or before some other deadline.

Reference books and genealogy books (family and local histories) are generally not available for lending from other libraries. Copies of specific sections may be requested.

Photocopies of articles are limited by copyright law. A library may only request up to five articles copied from a particular journal, if the articles have been published in the last 5 years.

Which libraries will lend materials to RPL?

RPL borrows materials through the following library networks or systems (in order of preference):

SELCO/SELS: Southeastern Minnesota public and school libraries

Minnesota Public Libraries

MINITEX: a network of lending libraries in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and some Wisconsin libraries, including the University of Minnesota and Minnesota public and private colleges.

OCLC: a national network of lending libraries across the United States

MISCELLANEOUS LENDERS: historical societies, private and special libraries

How are interlibrary loan requests submitted?

For loan requests (books, CDs, DVDs, videos), use the Interlibrary Loan page and select the MNLINK gateway search option. After finding a title at another library, submit the request with your library card number. If the search is not successful, use the interlibrary loan form to submit a request.

For copy and microfilm requests (from magazines, newspapers, journals, non-circulating books), use the interlibrary loan form. Copy requests have the option of sending an article electronically to your email account, using Adobe Acrobat to download the article.

Interlibrary loan requests do not appear on your RPL account until the item is received at RPL. Patrons may track the status of their MNLINK requests on the MNLINK gateway website.

Is there a charge for making interlibrary loan requests?

In most cases, there is no fee. If the title is available through SELCO/SELS, Minnesota public libraries, or MINITEX, there will be no charge. For other states, we first try free lenders on the OCLC lending network. If there is a charge from the lending library through OCLC, patrons are required to pay this fee. Patrons are notified before sending any request that requires payment of a fee (ranges from $5-20, depending on the other libraries’ policies).
Many historical society archives, college and private/special libraries have lending fees.

How long does it take to receive interlibrary loan requests?

The average time for receiving materials is approximately seven days, if the title is currently available from the lending library. The waiting time varies depending on which library is lending the materials. If the waiting time has been over three weeks since your request, contact the interlibrary loan department to check on the status of your request.

How will I be notified when the requested material arrives at RPL?

Interlibrary loan requests follow the same notification procedure as RPL reserved materials. Patrons with email notification set up on their registration information will receive an email notification, and patrons without email notification receive an automated telephone message. If the automated telephone notification is not successful, a mail notice is sent. When the item arrives, it also appears as available on your online reserve list in “my account” on the RPL homepage.
The only exceptions are photocopy and microfilm requests. Patrons are notified individually by interlibrary loan staff through email, phone, or mail.

Will I be notified if the requested item is not available?

Patrons are notified by email, telephone, or mail if requested materials are not available for lending. MNLINK requests are also updated to “currently unavailable through MNLINK” on your MNLINK account if not supplied. RPL staff will consider current titles for purchase at our library, or try out-of-state libraries for book requests. It may take several weeks to determine that the requested title is not available. Commonly unavailable types of materials are:

• Feature films or TV series on DVD
• Popular music on CD
• Reference and genealogy books (copies of specific sections are an alternative)
• New titles in high demand, or recently published titles (RPL will consider for purchase)

How long is the loan period for interlibrary loan materials? Are renewals possible?

The due date is set by the lending library, and varies widely. AV items (CDs, DVDs, videos) are often due in less than a week. Book loan periods run from 2-4 weeks. It is important to note that due dates are set when they leave the lending library, not when the item is picked up at RPL.
Due dates for materials are listed on your RPL online account.
AV items are usually not renewable. Books can sometimes be renewed, depending on the policy of the lending library. Contact the interlibrary loan department a few days before the due date for a renewal request. Interlibrary loan materials may not be renewed by patrons on the RPL online account.

Where are interlibrary loan materials returned?

The best place to return interlibrary loan materials is the circulation desk, on the main floor of the library. If returning materials directly to the desk is not possible, materials may also be returned in the RPL book drop. Interlibrary loan materials returned to other libraries will not be removed from your account.

Are overdue fees charged for interlibrary loan materials?

Overdue fees are the same as charges for RPL materials (currently 25 cents per day).
Lost or damaged material charges are based on the cost charged by the lending library. The University of Minnesota libraries currently charge $110 for every lost title, and other libraries charge lesser amounts. Patrons who return interlibrary loan materials consistently late, lose materials, or don’t pick up requested materials will be denied further interlibrary loan privileges. Consistent misuse of the MNLINK system, such as frequent placing of requests for items RPL owns, or placing duplicate requests, will also result in being barred from using MNLINK to make future interlibrary loan requests.

 

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Information for Other Libraries

Interlibrary Loan Contact Information

Which types of materials does Rochester Public Library lend to other libraries?

Rochester Public Library [RPL] lends all types of materials, with the following exceptions:

How can RPL holdings be searched?

How are ILL requests submitted to RPL?

RPL accepts ILL requests by the following methods:

Is there a lending fee for RPL loans or copies?

RPL generally loans materials or sends copies free of charge to requesting libraries.
Due to high postal rates, we charge $20 to European libraries requesting materials on OCLC (OCLC IFM only). Libraries that are not reciprocal free lenders will incur a lending fee of $10 per request.

Patrons may request photocopies directly from RPL (obituaries, for example). The charge for non-library requests is 25 cents per page plus the postage cost (a bill is sent with the photocopy.)

How are RPL materials delivered to other libraries?

How are ILL materials returned to RPL?

Use the same delivery method that was used in sending the materials.

How long is the loan period for RPL materials? Are renewals possible?

Our usual loan period is our standard patron loan period, plus 2 weeks for delivery and processing time.
For ILL requests, the book loan period is 6 weeks, and for most audiovisual materials, the loan period is 4 weeks. The loan periods may be shortened for higher demand items.

For libraries with an RPL card, items may be renewed online. MINITEX libraries should first contact MINTEX to inquire about renewals, and MINITEX will arrange a renewal with us. OCLC ILL libraries may request renewals on the OCLC system, and other libraries may contact RPL directly.

What are the fees for lost or damaged materials?

RPL doesn't charge other libraries overdue fees. For lost or damaged materials, we charge the original inventoried price of the item, with no additional fee. Contact RPL staff to check on the cost, or request a bill.