Interlending and Document Supply Policy

Introduction

Resource sharing supports the study and research needs of Qatar National Library members who are over the age of 18. Interlending and Document Supply (ILDS) will explore and use alternative sources of access to resources (e.g., full-text materials, commercial document delivery sources and current digital services). 

Through ILDS, we request materials from institutions and companies worldwide. As part of resource sharing, ILDS at Qatar National Library provides articles and materials for its members for any article not available through the Library’s e-resources, or books not found in the Library’s catalog. We request these materials from partner libraries.

I. Purpose

The main purpose of this policy is to highlight the research needs of the Library’s members and to define the approach to offering the ILDS service.

II. Scope

This policy applies to all Library members who are 18 years old and above.

III. Terms and Abbreviations 

  1. Resource sharing: information and materials that are shared by libraries and institutions in order to expand the accessibility of information to their users
  2. Interlending and Document Supply (ILDS): a service in which a patron of one library can be sent journal articles and other copies of items that are owned by another library. The service is initiated from the requesting patron’s library. The item, either an article or a book, is sent to the requesting library or electronically to the requestor.
  3. Requestor: the user who initiates the request for a document
  4. Turnaround time: the time from the initial request to the delivery of the article
  5. Copyright: a law that protects original creative works, such as software, video games, books, music, images and videos. Copyright laws vary by country. 

IV. Policy

The Interlending and Document Supply (ILDS) at Qatar National Library provides you with materials in electronic or print format for study and research that are not found through the Library's own resources. Items are obtained through the Library’s Interlibrary Loan partners or through various suppliers overseas in Canada, the UK, Europe, the US, etc. If, after searching the Library’s Catalog and Online Resources, you are unable to find the material you are looking for, you may use this service.

The Library’s policies on ILDS:

  1. Only books available on the Library's premises can be used for ILDS transactions.
  2. Up to 10 books at a time and per partner institution can be loaned for a period of three weeks. Requests for renewals should be made by the due date and can only be done once.
  3. Books can be recalled by the lending library at any time.
  4. Priority is given to members of the borrowing library.
  5. If the details given by the user are inadequate, the requesting library should make a reasonable effort to verify the information using whatever bibliographic tools it possesses. If unsuccessful, it should mention the sources they have used.
  6. Details of the requested item should be adequate for its identification by the lending library.
  7. Official requests should be made through the online form.
  8. Each borrowing library provides its own means to pick up and return materials from and to the lending library.
  9. The borrowing library should ensure the item on loan is returned on time and respect any special conditions imposed.
  10. The borrowing library is responsible for any loss or damage of material loaned to it from the time it is received by the lending library to the time it is returned to the lending library. The cost of the item plus 50 QR for processing fees is paid in case of loss.

Eligibility

Individual Library members aged 18 or older are eligible to request materials through ILDS.

Available materials

  • Journal articles
  • Book chapters or sections 
  • Conference proceedings 
  • Reports
  • Books

Color scanning 

  • Scanning with black-and-white text is the standard procedure.
  • Color scanning may be requested for articles in which color is essential to the article, such as medical or fine arts articles or certain charts and graphs. However, we cannot guarantee high-quality color resolutions based on the limitations of available scanning technology. 

Materials not eligible for request

  • DVDs
  • CDs
  • Microfilm
  • Library-use only (reference) materials

Fees

    For the time being, the ILDS is free of charge for all Library members.

Turnaround time

  • Processing any ILDS material usually takes one working day and up to a maximum of seven working days from the time of request until delivery. 
  • Each request is processed on a case-by-case basis, and some might take longer due to delays at the supplier’s end or because of standard delays in mail delivery.

Email notification

All ILDS notices are sent via email. These include notices of receipt of materials, cancellation notices, courtesy and overdue notices. Email notices are sent to the member's email address.

Copyright information