Contained within our Vermont university and college libraries is a rich and varied collection of materials whose value extends beyond the boundaries of a single institution’s campus. In an effort to make these resources more widely available to faculty members across our state the Vermont Consortium of Academic Libraries sponsors the VCAL Faculty Reciprocal Borrowing Program. This program enhances the availability of resources that support the delivery of curriculum and the engagement of research. The program is not intended to abrogate an individual institution’s responsibility to routinely acquire materials necessary to support its curriculum.

Procedures

Faculty at participating VCAL libraries are permitted to borrow materials from the collections of other participating libraries. All borrowers will present to the lending library a completed Vermont Consortium of Academic Libraries Faculty Reciprocal Borrowing form (interactive form [Compatible with Microsoft IE Browser Only] or PDF version) and card issued by their home library. This card will carry with it an authorization and expiration date issued by the home library. In addition, at the time of patron registration at a lending library a borrower may be asked to provide a form of picture ID and contact information.

The borrowing library accepts the responsibility to define who it considers to be faculty. Similarly, the borrowing library determines that individual, or those individuals, vested with the ability to authorize completed application forms or issue VCAL cards.

Policies

All borrowers, and their home library, agree to observe the policies of the lending library. Lending library policies differ in terms of material that may be loaned, circulation time periods, and fines or reimbursement for materials not retuned (if applicable). Some libraries, for instance, do not circulate DVD, VHS, and micro-formats or may have restrictions of material loans based on patron group. Borrowers assume the responsibility for the return of items borrowed. Billing will be generated from one library to another when warranted. The Borrower’s library will pay any outstanding fines or fees to the Lending library and will resolve those charges at the local level.

Lending and borrowing libraries alike agree to post and keep current their VCAL policies on the Consortium’s homepage. Borrowing libraries are encouraged to become well-versed with the policies in place at participating lending libraries.

Participating Institutions

The most up-to-date information concerning participants and this borrowing program may be found at VCAL Circulation Policies.