Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement
The VALE Reciprocal borrowing agreement is a cooperative onsite borrowing agreement among 50 participating VALE member colleges and universities. Under the agreement, faculty and staff from participating institutions who are in good standing at their home library qualify for onsite borrowing privileges at each other’s libraries.
Faculty, staff, graduate students or undergraduate students must obtain a signed “VALE Reciprocal Borrowing Application Form”, available at their home institution’s library before they can borrow at one of the participating libraries.
Instructions to Faculty, Staff and Students
- Consult the table below of VALE Reciprocal Borrowing Participating Libraries for Faculty and Staff, for Graduate Students or for Undergraduate Students to determine if you qualify for onsite borrowing privileges at the library you are interested in visiting.
- Ask staff at your home library for a VALE Reciprocal Borrowing Application Form and fill it out. If you are applying for privileges at more than one library, you must fill out a form for each library. Library staff at your home library will verify your standing and sign the form.
- Present the signed application form along with a photo ID at the participating library’s circulation desk. You will be issued borrowing privileges and/or a guest borrower card. Privileges are for one academic year and expire June 30th.
- To renew your borrowing privileges, you must present a new application form signed by staff at your home library.
- You will be responsible for complying with the lending library’s circulation policies, including loan periods, overdue fines, recalls, all replacement and processing fees, and for returning all borrowed items directly to the lending library.
**Please note: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, member libraries may have suspended or modified their reciprocal borrowing programs. Please contact the lending library for their current policy.