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Librarians

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan (ILL) is the practice of sharing materials between libraries. Since individual libraries cannot possibly purchase all the materials their local users might need, ILL makes it possible to request those materials from other libraries.

Libraries use a variety of methods to request materials on ILL in Kansas:

  • KICNET is a statewide system that is available to all types and sizes of Kansas libraries. KICNET currently runs on the Auto-Graphics SHAREit platform. 
  • OCLC is an international system used by many medium-to-large libraries; requests can be placed out-of-state as well as within Kansas
  • Some regional library systems have multi-library, consortium catalogs which manage ILL requests within the consortium.

Delivery of materials between libraries is most commonly handled by the statewide library courier service Kansas Library Express or USPS. Non-returnable materials, such as articles, are generally delivered electronically.

Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a core library service and should be offered to library patrons without charge.  These guidelines outline best practices in ILL  statewide. These interlibrary loan guidelines reflect the expectations of library staff and patrons participating in KICNET.

  • ILL is not a substitute for the development of adequate collections based on the needs of the library’s area of service.
  • No library should depend upon another to supply the normal needs of its patrons except under special agreement for such service.
  • It is not for librarians to judge the importance of materials requested by a patron so long as such requests fall within the broad parameters of library service.
  • Libraries should adhere to the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States (2016), the Kansas Best Practices for Interlibrary Loan outlined below, and governing principles of any consortia (such as OCLC and KICNET) to which they belong.
  • These codes are not intended to supplant more liberal agreements existing between groups of libraries within the State of Kansas.
  • According to the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, “the requesting library is responsible for borrowed material from the time it leaves the supplying library until it has been returned to and received by the supplying library”. If loss occurs, the requesting library is responsible for following the Materials Replacement Fund Guidelines outlined by the Southeast Kansas Library System.
  • Holdings in local or shared catalogs should be updated regularly. Outdated or inaccurate bibliographic records negatively affect the efficiency of ILL.

Best Practices for Requesting Libraries

  • Search and fill requests locally whenever possible before requesting through ILL. Items your library owns, but are not available, should not be requested on ILL.
  • Materials in high demand should be considered for purchase or lease before requesting on ILL.
  • Use electronic methods such as KICNET or OCLC whenever possible.
  • For mail or fax requests, use the ALA ILL Request Form and enclose a mailing label.
  • Phone or email requests should only be used when the supplying library has indicated in advance they accept such requests.
  • Avoid placing undue demands on any one library. When placing requests, use the following hierarchy, in conjunction with any special consortia and/or delivery methods.
    1. Libraries within the requester’s regional library system, except those named below
    2. Libraries outside the requester’s regional library system, except those named below
    3. Wichita Public Library, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Kansas City (KS) Public Library, Johnson County Public Library, and Regents’ libraries (ESU, FHSU, Kansas State Polytechnic, KSU, KU, KU Law, PSU, and WSU)
  • The requesting library should ensure the confidentiality of the user.
  • The requesting library should establish, maintain, and make available to its users an ILL borrowing policy.
  • The requesting library is responsible for honoring the due date, which is the date the material is to return to the supplying library, and enforcing use restrictions specified by the supplying library.
  • All borrowed material is subject to recall. The requesting library should respond immediately if the supplying library recalls material.
  • Determine the urgency of each request and clearly note on the request form. When an item is needed within a very short length of time, indicate the specific time by which the item is needed.
  • When requesting special formats, use an appropriate record and clearly identify the specific format.
  • The State Library maintains a list of Book Sets owned by KICNET libraries. Check the list, before submitting multiple ILL requests. See Book Sets tab for more information.
  • Don’t ask for types of material that you would be unwilling to loan from your collection.
  • Keep in mind that most libraries will not ordinarily lend the following types of material:
    1. Rare or valuable materials
    2. Bulky or fragile materials that are difficult or expensive to ship
    3. Materials in high demand at the supplying library
    4. Materials with local circulation restrictions
    5. Unique materials that would be difficult or impossible to replace

 Best Practices for Supplying Libraries

  • Be willing to loan items that would circulate to local users, including non-book formats.
  • Make every effort to respond to requests withing two to four working days.
  • Loan materials to courier and non-courier libraries alike.
  • The supplying library should establish, maintain, and make available to borrowing libraries an ILL lending policy.
  • The supplying library may recall material at any time.
  • When supplying returnables, include a return mailing label.

 Best Practices for All Libraries

  • Keep ILL information up to date in appropriate policy areas such as the KICNET Participant Record and the OCLC Policies Directory.
  • Assign sufficient staff time for ILL to handle normal borrowing and lending activity. Have backup staff available if those with primary responsibility to ILL are unavailable.
  • Inform your regional library system and the State Library when a new person is responsible for handling ILL
  • Subscribe to appropriate ILL discussion lists such as KANILL-L.
  • Attend ILL continuing education opportunities whenever possible.
  • Refer any questions to your regional library system or the Resource Sharing Librarian at the State Library.

Best Practices information is from the following documents:

  • Kansas Interlibrary Loan Code (1994)
  • KIC Council Policies for Cooperative Resource Sharing (1992)
  • Kansas Protocols for Cooperative Resource Sharing (1999)
  • Pennsylvania POWER Library Services: Access to E-resources and Interlibrary Loan (2021)
  • South Dakota SHAREit: Statewide Interlibrary Loan Policy (2022)
  • Vermont Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Code (2020)
  • Wisconsin ILL Guidelines (2021)

Kansas Library Express

Kansas Library Express (KLE), the Kansas interlibrary courier service, connects more than 350 libraries throughout Kansas with a convenient and cost effective delivery service that expands the ability of libraries to readily share their collections.

Delivery days and times are established for all participating libraries based on their service request and courier company’s routing requirements with available delivery options of either 3 or 5 days per week. 

Kansas Library Express is a service of the participating libraries, the State Library of Kansas, and participating regional systems of cooperating libraries. The day-to-day management of the service is provided by the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS), which is contracting the actual delivery service to Henry Industries Courier Networks, a professional courier delivery company with an extensive statewide network. 

Libraries interested in joining the Kansas Library Express service or with questions about the service, should contact NEKLS.

Caroline Handwork, Courier Services Coordinator

courier@nekls.org | 785-838-4090

Materials Replacement Fund

The Materials Replacement Fund, which has been in operation since 1984, will reimburse the lending library for the actual cost of replacing the item shared in Kansas via ILL. By protecting libraries from losses, the Materials Replacement Fund (MRF) encourages participation in resource sharing activities. The MRF is administered by the Southeast Kansas Library System and funded through a grant from the State Library of Kansas.

There is a limit of eight claims per library, per calendar year. Libraries which think they may exceed the limit need to consider which items are worth submitting a claim for and which items are best managed with direct library to library reimbursement.

Interlibrary loan codes stipulate that borrowing libraries are responsible for the safety of ILL items. So borrowing libraries are responsible for submitting MRF claims. If an item a Kansas library borrows via ILL from another Kansas library is overdue, here are the steps to follow:

  1. Contact the lending library, let them know you’re trying to retrieve the lost item. Keep the lending library informed throughout the process. As you try to recover the missing item, follow the steps outlined on the claims form.
  2. Use your library’s policy to determine when the item is considered lost. If your efforts to retrieve the item are unsuccessful and you consider the item as lost a claim form can be submitted once the item is 2 months beyond the original due date. Claims must be filed within one year of the due date.
  3. Since the MRF reimburses the replacement cost, some verification, such as an invoice from the lender, a printout from Amazon.com, or other evidence of the item’s replacement cost, must be submitted along with the completed form. There is a minimum claim of $5.00. Bulk loans, such as rotation books, are not covered by MRF.
  4. Depending on the system used to transport items for ILL there are specific people to notify first or options to try before submitting to the MRF.
    • If the item was returned by Kansas Library Express, contact Caroline Handwork at courier@nekls.org.
    • If the material was sent or returned via a delivery method with a tracking mechanism, such as UPS, FedEx, or the COKAMO courier,  please submit a tracking request and apply for reimbursement through that service.

Before submitting a claim, do your best to get the item back and keep the lender informed throughout the process.

printable claims form

mail to Material Replacement Fund
                218 E. Madison
                Iola KS  66749

fax to (620) 365-5137

Questions 800-279-3219 or email

Material Replacement Fund information provided by Southeast Kansas Library System.

This page is a resource for librarians; if you’re a discussion group leader or participant looking to borrow book sets, please contact your local library for assistance.

Download the Excel spreadsheet to determine if a book discussion set is available. Book Discussion Sets Spreadsheet, updated July 30, 2024. For specific information about a library’s policies regarding lending of their sets, click on the library tab in the spreadsheet.

To add information about your library’s book discussion group sets, please use the following forms:

To remove a set your library no longer owns or change information about existing set, contact the Resource Sharing Librarian at the State Library.

Digital Books 

In addition to physical book sets, eBook and digital audiobook offerings can also be utilized by book groups.

ILL Reporting Guidelines

  1. Statistics are collected on an annual, calendar year (January-December) basis.
    • Libraries whose operating year is other than a calendar year, schools and academics, for example, may submit two semi-annual reports: July-December and January-June, as long as the reports are clearly marked with the time period covered.
    • Public libraries will submit their ILL Annual Activity Report along with their Kansas Public Library Service Surveys.
    • All other libraries should fill out the online form Non-Public Library ILL Annual Activity Report before March 1.
  2. Statistics are collected from all public and academic libraries and from school and special libraries that meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • Are members of OCLC and/or KICNET
    • Receive LSTA or other grants from the State Library
    • Sign the KIC Membership Agreement
    If you are unsure your library needs to submit ILL statistics, contact the Resource Sharing Librarian at the State Library, 800-432-3919.
     
  3. Libraries that share common governance, such as county libraries with branches, or school libraries within the same district, should submit statistics as follows:
    • If ILL is handled through a central location, like a district media center, one report for the entire group should be sent. Transactions between individual libraries within the group do not count as ILL.
    • If each library handles their own ILL, each should submit a report, but should not include transactions with other libraries within the group.
  4. Rental transactions, such as through Heritage Quest, should not be counted as ILL. Rule of thumb: if the request is made via a standard ILL mechanism (ALA forms, OCLC, or KICNET) it is an ILL; if the lending agency uses something else, the transaction is not an ILL.
     
  5. Requests for multiple copies of a single title for book clubs should be counted per request, not per item received. If you order a multi-copy set from a single library, count one transaction. If you have to submit multiple requests to get the number of copies needed, count each request as a transaction.
     
  6. Bulk loans, such as rotating collections from a regional system, do not count as ILL.
     
  7. Renewals of material do not count as ILL.

For questions about how to count or submit ILL statistics, contact the Resource Sharing Librarian at the State Library, 800-432-3919.

Past Years' ILL Statistics
Posted on the Kansas Government Information Online Library, back to 1978.

For KICNET to send requests to libraries in the correct order, each library must establish a list of preferred lenders. These preferred lenders are based on three primary factors:

  • Whether or not your library participates in the Kansas Library Express Courier
  • The regional system in which your library is located
  • The ratio of items your library lends to items borrowed

Libraries that use the courier service should contact Caroline Handwork, Courier Services Coordinator at NEKLS, for a copy of the most recent preferred lender list for their region.

To create a preferred lenders in KICNET

  1. Open your library KICNET Participant Record.
  2. Download the file: Preferred Lender List for Non-Courier Libraries.
  3. Select the tab for the regional library system in which you library is located, even if your library is not a system member.
  4. Highlight and Copy the list.
  5. Paste the list of library codes to the Preferred Lender List in your KICNET Participant Record. 
  6. Modify the lender lists to remove your own library code and move libraries in your own community, and other libraries you have special arrangements with, to the top of the preferred lender list.

If you need assistance, contact your regional library system or the Resource Sharing Librarian at the State Library.