Interlibrary loan lending in O'Neill Library supplies other libraries with materials needed by their users. The Boston College libraries have an obligation to supply materials to other libraries as part of the reciprocal nature of interlibrary loan.
Lending requests for all libraries are received in the Interlibrary Loan Office located in O'Neill Library and are forwarded to the appropriate library for filling if the material is held outside O'Neill Library.
Individual patrons are not served directly; all lending activity is library to library.
Requests for loan or photocopy are transmitted via the OCLC interlibrary loan network, email, Ariel or DOCLINE. In-person requests (person from other libraries carrying interlibrary loan forms) are not accepted.
OCLC symbol: BXM
DOCLINE Symbol: MAUBNU
Ariel address: ariel.bc.edu or 136.167.69.97
Libraries homepage: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/
The Boston College Libraries reserve the right to restrict the loan period, or refuse to lend, any circulating material that is fragile or in demand, or that may otherwise need special restriction.
Requests will normally be filled for the following material:
- material in the circulating collections
- photocopies or scans of any material that would not be damaged in the process of copying or restricted by copyright regulation
- Audio-visual materials (BLC Libraries only)
- microfilm (two reels per individual request)
- microfiche (duplicated for loan)
- Boston College dissertations and theses (copies of fiche available for loan and return.)
- copies from journals only available in electronic format where the license permits interlibrary loan
- Materials already on loan to a BC patron
- Individual paper issues of current newspapers and journals
- Bound periodicals
- Media and computer software
- Books from the Burns, Educational Resource Center and Social Work libraries
Microforms: one month
All other material: one month
No renewals are granted
All materials loaned are eligible for recall by Boston College's primary borrowers. The ILL staff, at a patron or library staff member's request, will place the recalls. Recalls will be transmitted to the borrowing library through the message file and follow up with an email.
Books are shipped via United States mail or through a courier delivery service for all BLC and MLIN member libraries. Photocopies and microfilm are shipped via 1st class mail, a courier delivery service for all BLC and MLIN member libraries or transmitted via Ariel, email or fax.
Resends
Requests for resends will be honored for 5 days only
Loss/Replacement
The requesting library is responsible for borrowed materials from the time they leave the supplying Boston College library until they have been returned and received by a Boston College library. If damage or loss occurs, the requesting library is responsible for compensation or replacement.
Current replacement charges: $95 ($30 Processing + $65 Replacement)
The preferred billing method is IFM (OCLC) or EFTS (DOCLINE)
Non-profit libraries
Loan - $15
Photocopy/scan - $12For profit libraries
Loan or photocopy/scan, $20International libraries
Loan - $16.00
Photocopy/scan - $12National Network of Libraries of Medicine (via Docline)
Loan or photocopy - $11
Exempt:
Massachusetts non-profit libraries
Libraries that are members of the cooperating groups in the section below
Copyright and Reciprocal Agreements
The service is administered in accordance with the American Library Association's National Interlibrary Loan Code (1993), the U.S. Copyright Revision Act of 1976 (17. United States Code. 101 et seq.) and in conformance with the resource sharing agreements with the Boston Library Consortium (BLC), the American Jesuit College and University Libraries (AJCU), the Boston Theological Institute (BTI), the Massachusetts Library and Information Network (MLIN) and reciprocal agreements entered into with individual libraries.