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Interlibrary Loan Policy

Eligibility
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services are intended for Whitworth students, faculty, and staff. Because ILL is a labor-intensive service and often incurs charges from lending libraries, we are normally unable to extend this service to others, including those who have borrowing privileges for the library's own materials through a Guest Privileges card. Patrons not affiliated with the university should use their public library, or (if a student or faculty member elsewhere) their own university or school library to meet their interlibrary loan needs.

Exceptions to the foregoing general policy may be made under the following circumstances, provided that in all cases the requestor must have a Guest Privileges card and commits to paying any charges as stipulated below:

Whitworth Alumni: May be granted limited ILL privileges on application. Must complete an ILL Agreement form.

Area Pastors: May be granted limited ILL privileges on application. Must complete an ILL Agreement form.

Other Guest Privileges card holders: Generally ineligible. Special one-time exceptions may be made only with the library director's express approval, and only when there is a showing that the card holder does not have a public or other library from which he or she can obtain ILL service, or that such library is unable to meet the particular need. Must complete an ILL Agreement form.

Special Agreements: The library may, at the library director's discretion, contract with other institutions, organizations, etc., to provide ILL services. Such agreements, which must be in writing, will be on a full cost recovery basis.

Charges
The Whitworth Library does not charge for providing ILL service, but in many instances ILL requests incur one or both of the following: (a) transaction fees levied by the lending library; (b) photocopying, printing, or online transmission charges for copies of articles. These charges are covered as follows:

• For current Whitworth students, faculty, and staff, the library covers all loan transaction fees, with the exception of any special fees for "rush" requests, which are passed on to the requestor. The library also covers photocopying, printing, or online transmission charges for copies that become the borrower's possession.
  
• All others, if granted exceptional privileges under the terms defined above, shall reimburse transaction fees as well as photocopying or printing charges levied by the lending library. For articles transmitted online and printed locally, there will be a charge of 10 cents per page. All charges are to be paid on receipt of the ILL item.