Core Agreements:

The mission of the USMAI is to support effective access to library resources by providing and promoting a range of resource sharing services which support the objectives and maximize resources of the individual libraries of the member institutions. In support of this mission, the members of the consortium agree to provide an equitable level of service to all consortial patrons by:

1. Making circulating materials available to requestors through patron placed holds (PPH) within the parameters of local policies.
2. Recalling from all patron statuses, including faculty.
3. Sharing common broad definitions for specific patron statuses.
4. Promptly searching for and shipping items ordered through PPH.
5. Providing full patron information for global borrowing privileges.
6. Honoring blocks placed by other institutions or the integrated library system.
7. Recharging other members' materials to patrons that have reached the renewal limit only when the material is physically presented.
8. Preserving the highest level of loan privileges when registering patrons with multiple affiliations.
9. Informing the consortium of all major changes to local policies and procedures.
10. Making current and all new library staff aware of these agreements.
11. Holding patrons fully responsible for their fines at USMAI libraries; USMAI libraries and institutions will not be held responsible for their patrons' fines.
12. Being responsible for conducting all financial transactions involving the library's own materials.
13. Reviewing these agreements annually.

Procedures:

1. Course Reserves:
   
   1. Members of the consortium agree not to put other members' materials on reserve.
      
      
2. Holds/Tracers/Recalls:
   
   1. Except for when items are purchased at a patron's request, members will not alter the hold queue or cancel a hold in favor of their own patrons.
   2. After canceling a hold for a legitimate reason (e.g., if the only copy is going on course reserve), members will notify the patron whose hold has been deleted. Exceptions are for expired holds coming off the hold shelf and expired requests found on the Expired Hold Requests Report.
   3. Items on the Outstanding Hold Request report will be promptly searched and shipped out within 2 business days. (Per Council of Library Director's decision of 11/20/2003). Shipping should be provided by an expedited courier service (e.g., UPS) or a delivery method (e.g., USPS) of comparable or superior speed.
   4. If an item is not found, the item process status will be changed to RM "missing being searched" within 2 business days so that the patron's request will move to another copy.
   5. Materials returned to a non-owning library will be shipped out within 2 business days to the home library via an expedited courier service or a local delivery method of comparable or superior speed.
   6. The maximum weight of shipped materials should be no more than 30 pounds per box.
   7. Packing material should be used to protect the items from damage. Packing materials that break or spill (such as envelopes with recycled filler) will not be used.
   8. If a user wants a requested item on hold at one library to be moved to another library for pick up, do the following: 1) verify that the item on hold does not have other requests (if so, notify the patron that s/he should pick it up at the current pickup location), 2) delete the user's hold request, 3) re-create the request with the desired pickup location, and 4) contact the relevant library to discharge the item and deliver as soon as possible.
      
      
3. Fines:
   
   1. Members will not back-date materials unless there is justification (e,g., item left in book drop, library error re: due date stamp, etc.).
   2. Borrowing members will not back-date materials to "forgive" fines imposed by lending members. Also, borrowing members will not back-date lending members' lost materials (i.e., more than 30 days overdue).
   3. Members will not place "claims returned" messages on materials owned by another library. Claims returned appeals should be directed to the owning library.
   4. If a fine is created due to an error at a non-owning library, it is the responsibility of the designated staff at that library to notify the billing supervisor at the owning library of the error. Only the item's owning library has the right to cancel the fine.
   5. Patrons, not their home libraries, will appeal legitimate fines at the item's home library. Library staff at patrons' home institutions are limited to providing the name and phone number of the owning library's billing supervisor to the patron.
   6. Aleph will place a global block against a patron's account once a patron's record reflects a $750 debit (per 3CIRC minutes of 12/3/2002) or reaches 99 overdue items.
      
      
4. Patron records:
   
   1. Members will not remove blocks placed by another member unless the block note specifically indicates that it can be removed (or if it is patently logical. Example: if a block note states "get local address," and the local address is obtained, then removal of the block is permitted).
   2. All blocks and notes in the global record must include the library code, author's initials and date, for example, (HS/EB 4/19/05).
   3. Migrated CARL blocks and blocks with no note may be overridden by any location, but should only be removed by the patron's home library.
   4. Members may loan materials to patrons with expired accounts in the following situations: the patron's account is expired in Aleph, but his ID card is current (the Aleph expiration date should be determined by a call to the patron's home library); or the patron's account is current in Aleph, but his ID card is expired or has no expiration date. If the patron's Aleph account is expired and his ID card is expired or has no expiration date no materials should be loaned.
   5. If a patron does not have an SSN or does not want to disclose it, a block "06 Patron did not supply SSN - global privileges blocked" must be placed on the account. (Per Council of Library Director's decision of 12/18/2003)
      
      
5. Charges, Renewals, etc.
   
   1. Members will not use the "Renew All" function if this will affect other members' materials.
   2. Members will not recharge another member's materials unless the owning library specifically permits this. (For example, when an item has reached its renewal limit and is physically presented to a USMAI campus library other than the home library for discharge, then recharge). Contact the owning library for permission, as needed.
   3. Members may renew another member library’s materials unless the owning library specifically prohibits this. Please be sure that the item is present when you discharge and recharge it and that there are no holds or recalls.
   4. Members will inform any and all patrons of due dates and return dates in the manner chosen by the individual library (stamps, receipts, etc.). (Discussed over COIcircresill listserv ?/2005)
   5. Patrons must have a valid USMAI ID to check materials out from any of the USMAI libraries. Members may allow other forms of ID and/or verification based on local policy or practice.
      
      
6. Miscellaneous:
   
   1. Members will search overdue in-transits on a regular (at least monthly) basis and cooperate with the sending/receiving/owning library. If an item is long-overdue in transit and has been searched for by both the lending and borrowing library, the lending library must change the item processing status to "RM - missing being searched."
   2. Members will disseminate these agreements to the appropriate staff in their home libraries and will review these agreements when training new staff.

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