Resource Sharing

Policy and Procedure

I. Philosophy
II. Borrowing and Lending
III. Circulation
IV. Lost, Overdue and Damaged Books
V. Reconciliation of Accounts
VI. List of Participating Institutions
VII. Program Participant Contacts (PDF format)
VIII. Agreement/Change/Order Form (PDF format)
IX. Borrowing Form (PDF format)

The PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program is designed to permit the patrons of participating academic libraries to go in person to one or more other participating libraries to borrow materials not available at the patron's home (borrowing) institution. The Reciprocal Borrowing Program requires that the borrowing institution issue to its patrons the correct form and check that the patron has an appropriate form of photo ID so that the patron may borrow materials from other institutions participating in the program.

Interlibrary Loan policies and procedures will be followed when the patron does not go in person to the lending institution, but uses the facilities of the borrowing institution to secure needed materials.

This document details the policy and procedures under which participants in PALINET's Reciprocal Borrowing Program operate.

I. Philosophy

The PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program recognizes that it is the responsibility of each PALINET academic member institution to provide to its faculty, students, and staff information resources that support the mission and programs of the institution. However, there may be occasions when the library's resources are not sufficient for their own faculty and student needs. On these occasions, academic member institutions will practice resource sharing and follow the procedures outlined below for reciprocal borrowing.

II. Borrowing and Lending

A. Reciprocal Borrowing Forms

Patrons who wish to be authorized to borrow materials in person from another participating library must secure a reciprocal borrowing form from their home (borrowing) institution (see sample attached). Borrowing libraries issue PALINET Academic Library Reciprocal Borrowing Forms according to the policies and procedures described here. Borrowing institutions will purchase forms from PALINET.

B. Borrowing Libraries

It is the responsibility of an authorized librarian (see PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program List of Participating Member Institutions and Authorized Personnel), on behalf of his/her institution to sign the Reciprocal Borrowing form requested by the patron. It should be determined that the patron is currently affiliated with the borrowing institution, is in good standing and that the material required is not held by or is unavailable to the patrons of the borrowing institution. The borrowing library accepts responsibility for the materials loaned to the borrower by the reciprocal (lending) institution. [The librarian should consult the PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program List of Participating Member Institutions and Authorized Personnel before making referrals to other libraries.]

C. Eligible Borrowers

Faculty, Graduate Students, Undergraduate Students, Professional Academic Personnel with faculty equivalencies, Officers of the College or University, Administrative Staff, Academic Staff, and other employees of the institution are eligible to receive reciprocal borrowing privileges. Those eligible to do so may borrow books at participating PALINET member academic institutions upon presentation of a completed reciprocal borrowing form and photo ID (driver's license, campus ID, etc.).

D. Lending Libraries

Lending libraries will honor Reciprocal Borrowing Forms and lend materials to the borrower whenever the materials are available. The terms of the loan will be at the discretion of the lending library. This includes the types and numbers of materials that may be loaned, and fines and special fees that are charged for delinquencies. Lending libraries are encouraged to utilize their automated circulation systems to record and track loans to borrowers under this Reciprocal Borrowing Program.

E. PALINET

PALINET will provide Reciprocal Borrowing Forms to participating member institutions at nominal cost. PALINET will also be responsible for maintaining the PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program List of Participating Member Institutions and Authorized Personnel.

A. Borrowing Libraries

Borrowing library completes the PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Form that will identify the borrower, the subject materials required, and/or the title of the book(s) sought. The form must be signed by an authorized librarian of the borrower's institution. The pink copy of the form is retained by the borrowing library.

B. Borrowers

Borrowers present the PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Form (includes the white original and the yellow copy), together with a photo ID, at the circulation desk of the lending institution. The form is valid for one week from the date of issue.

C. Lending Libraries

Borrowers should be made aware that they are subject to the circulation policies of the lending institution. The lending library will retain the white original for its own record; it will accumulate yellow copies for one (1) month and then return them to the borrowing library. The lending library may return the "yellow" copies more frequently, including by telefacsimile.

D. PALINET

PALINET will maintain and distribute PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program List of Participating Member Institutions and Authorized Personnel, which contains the names of librarians who are authorized to sign the PALINET Academic Library Reciprocal Borrowing Form. The list will be updated annually in October and made available on PALINET's website.

A. Borrowing Libraries

The borrowing library agrees to accept final responsibility for the collection of fees and/or fines from the borrower and for recovery of those materials loaned to the borrower. It will act on behalf of the lending library in notifying the borrower regarding the overdue materials and/or other delinquencies.

Borrowers will be fined for lost, overdue, or damaged materials according to the lending institution's fees and fines policy.

B. Lending Libraries

Lending libraries are encouraged to notify the borrowing library promptly of any overdues or other delinquencies of the borrower.

Two weeks after a book is due, the lending institution will send the borrower's library an invoice for the replacement cost of the materials overdue plus processing fees. The borrower's institution will be responsible for contacting the borrower regarding the overdue materials. If replacement is made, or the materials returned and fine paid, the lending institution will notify the borrower institution of this fact. If after an additional two weeks, i.e., one month after the original due date, the account is still outstanding, a second invoice will be sent to the borrower's institution.

Ten days prior to the end of the academic period of the borrower's institution (as indicated in PALINET Reciprocal Borrowing Program List of Participating Member Institutions and Authorized Personnel), the lending library will alert the borrower's institution of accounts still outstanding. This will give the borrower's institution time to impose appropriate sanctions on the borrower.

By July 1st of each year, each academic library will reconcile outstanding accounts accumulated by its eligible borrowers with the lending library. The borrower's institution shall reimburse the lending libraries for the cost of materials not returned in good condition to the custody of the lending libraries. Such costs shall be limited to the replacement cost of materials and any associated processing fees (accrued fines will be foregone by the lending library). These costs may be paid by transfer between member PALINET accounts rather than via check or other means. Libraries wishing to pay in this way must send PALINET a letter indicating the amount(s) to be paid and the library(ies) to which the amounts should be credited. These transactions will appear on the next monthly member account statement.

However, if the borrowing institution is not notified of a delinquency by the end date of its academic period (quarter, semester, trimester, etc.), then the borrowing library is not responsible for the replacement costs of materials not returned in good condition to the custody of the lending library.

For more information contact, palinetsupport@palinet.org.

VI. Program Participants

Access the list of participating institutions and their authorized contacts in PDF format.

1. ALLEGHENY COLLEGE
2. BETHANY COLLEGE
3. BUTLER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4. CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
5. CARLOW UNIVERSITY
6. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY- ENGINEERING & SCIENCE LIBRARY
7. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY - HUNT LIBRARY
8. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY - MELLON INSTITUTE LIBRARY
9. CHATHAM COLLEGE
10. CLARION UNIVERSITY - CARLSON LIBRARY (CLARION)
11. CLARION UNIVERSITY - SUHR LIBRARY (VENANGO CAMPUS /OIL CITY)
12. COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY - ALLEGHENY CAMPUS
13. COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY - BOYCE CAMPUS
14. COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY - NORTH CAMPUS
15. COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY - SOUTH CAMPUS
16. DEVRY UNIVERSITY
17. DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY
18. EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
19. GENEVA COLLEGE
20. GROVE CITY COLLEGE
21. INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
22. LANCASTER BIBLE SCHOOL
23. LA ROCHE COLLEGE
24. LUZERNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
25. MT. ALOYSIUS COLLEGE
26. MOUNTAIN STATE UNIVERSITY
27. PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
28. PENNSYLVANIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
29. PENN STATE -ABINGTON COLLEGE
30. PENN STATE -ALTOONA - ALTOONA COLLEGE
31. PENN STATE -BEAVER - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
32. PENN STATE -BERKS - BERKS-LEHIGH VALLEY COLLEGE
33. PENN STATE -DELAWARE COUNTY - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
34. PENN STATE -DUBOIS - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
35. PENN STATE -ERIE - BEHREND COLLEGE
36. PENN STATE -FAYETTE - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
37. PENN STATE -GREAT VALLEY - Great Valley Library
38. PENN STATE -HARRISBURG, CAPITAL COLLEGE
39. PENN STATE -HAZLETON - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
40. PENN STATE -LEHIGH VALLEY - BERKS-LEHIGH VALLEY COLLEGE
41. PENN STATE -MCKEESPORT- COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
42. PENN STATE -MONT ALTO - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
43. PENN STATE -NEW KENSINGTON - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
44. PENN STATE -SCHUYLKILL - CAPITAL COLLEGE
45. PENN STATE -SHENANGO - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
46. PENN STATE -WILKES-BARRE - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
47. PENN STATE -WORTHINGTON SCRANTON - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
48. PENN STATE -UNIVERSITY PARK
49. PENN STATE -YORK - COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE
50. PHILADELPHIA BIBLICAL UNIVERISTY
51. POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
52. POTOMAC STATE COLLEGE OF WVU
53. ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY
54. ST. FRANCIS UNIVERSITY
55. ST. VINCENT COLLEGE
56. SETON HILL UNIVERSITY
57. SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
58. SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY
59. STRAYER UNIVERSITY - DC CAMPUS
60. STRAYER UNIVERSITY - PENN CENTER WEST
61. THIEL COLLEGE
62. WEST VIRGINIA NORTHERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
63. WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
64. WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY AT PARKERSBURG
65. WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
66. WESTMINSTER COLLEGE
67. WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE        
68. WIDENER UNIVERSITY