LINK+ is a consortium of public and academic libraries across California and Nevada that enables customers to search its unified catalog of holdings and borrow items. As a member library in the consortium, Palo Alto City Library needs to agree and follow established LINK+ policies and procedures.

See the LINK+ website for more information.

Policies

Requesting

Patrons may borrow Link+ items by placing a request in the Link+ Catalog.

Borrowing

• Loan Period: 21 days for books and some media, 7 days for selected media.
• Renewals: One 21-day renewal is allowed for books and some media, unless the item has been requested at the owning institution. No renewal is allowed for media selected for 7-day loan.
• Replacement Fee: $115 per item.

Pick Up and Return

Books and some media will be held for pick-up for 10 days. Selected media will be held for pick-up for 5 days. If not picked up, items will be returned to their owning library.

Courier Bags/Bins

All empty bags/bins should be returned to the owning library on a daily basis.

Claims Returned

If not found, the borrowing library should wait four weeks to allow the item to be found and returned (perhaps returned to the wrong library, wrong branch, etc.) If the item is not found after the designated time, the patron shall be deemed responsible for the replacement charges of the item. The borrowing library has up to one year to collect the replacement cost from the patron and reimburse the owning institution. Late fees can be waived at the borrowing library's discretion and the actual replacement cost can be negotiated library to library as with our policy regarding Institutional Overdues.

Paging Slips

Paging slips must be printed at least once per day, Monday-Friday.

Replacement

The BORROWING/CIRCULATING library retains overdue fines for LINK+ items. The library may retain fine money or, at the library's discretion, may contribute fine money to the Link+ operating budget. However, replacement cost and other fines for lost LINK+ items are paid to the OWNING library. Libraries may choose to accept a replacement copy of the item rather than payment. All libraries should actively try to recover billed Link+ items. However, libraries are not responsible for reimbursing other libraries for Link+ items that their patrons have lost.

Bankruptcy Notices
Patron bankruptcy is considered one of the costs of doing business. Once a bankruptcy notice is received the patron and the borrowing library will be cleared of outstanding debt or replacement charges.

Recalls

Recalls are not allowed on Link+ items.

Paged Too Long Report

This program should be run daily or every other day. Items on this list which are not located should be cancelled and so they can be re-requested by the system. This is to keep the process moving in a timely manner.

In Transit Too Long Report

The Link+ Directors have agreed that the borrowing library will not be held responsible for items lost “In Transit.”

Institutional Overdue Report

The borrowing library will no longer invoice the lending library for lost Link+ items. However, libraries should make every attempt to have the item (s) returned, or if lost, to collect replacement costs in order to reimburse the lending library for their loss.

Refund Policy

There are no refunds for Link+ items once a patron has paid for the item.