Release of ACRL/RBMS Guidelines for Interlibrary and Exhibition Loan of Special Collections Materials

ACRL/RBMS Guidelines for Interlibrary and Exhibition Loan of Special Collections Materials

To enhance access, support research, and promote awareness of their collections, special collections repositories may arrange to lend materials from their holdings to other institutions for research use or exhibition. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a framework for the development of appropriate institutional policies and decision-making criteria to support the interinstitutional loan of special collections materials, to specify the respective responsibilities of borrowing and lending institutions, and to recommend procedures to ensure the security and preservation of loaned materials.

These guidelines are intended for use by libraries, archives, historical societies, and other similar repositories to encourage and facilitate the interinstitutional loan of special collections materials, including rare books, manuscripts, archival documents, photographs, maps, prints, artworks, artifacts, ephemera, and other materials in special formats that are normally consulted under secure, supervised conditions. Although these guidelines are written primarily from the perspective of single institutions, they are also meant to serve the needs of consortial groups in developing policies and procedures for facilitating research and exhibition loans among their members. These guidelines may also provide guidance to other types of institutions, such as museums, that may engage in loan arrangements with special collections repositories.