CBHL libraries are varied in size, patronage, parent organization, and budget, among other characteristics.

This policy attempts to address the diversity of member libraries and their internal policies by being as flexible as possible. Yet it also encourages libraries to take advantage of the Group Access Capability (GAC) through OCLC and the mutual benefits of CBHL members sharing with each other.

1. Underlying Principles
2. Responsibilities of Borrowing Library
3. Responsibilities of Lending Library
4. GAC Member Directory (This directory is for CBHL members only)

1. Underlying Principles

A. CBHL libraries which are members of the GAC consortium agree to share library materials among themselves to promote the uniqueness of their individual collections, to reduce costs incurred by any one library, and to spread the wealth of their collections among more end users.

B. GAC members understand that the interlibrary loan process cannot and should not replace each library's appropriate collection development.

C. In accordance with their own library's borrowing and lending policy, GAC members agree to loan and/or photocopy for other GAC members free of charge and within the constraints of U.S. copyright laws. For example, libraries that don't lend books are not expected to lend to GAC members.

D. GAC members are encouraged to add their serial titles (not necessarily individual holdings) to the OCLC database in a timely manner, so that other CBHL libraries will have as current information as possible.

E. Whenever possible, GAC members agree to request loans for books or periodical articles through the OCLC Interlibrary Loan Subsystem, so that statistics for each library's borrowing and lending will appear on the GAC's yearly report. If that is not possible, libraries are encouraged to use a method that will document usage among CBHL libraries (e.g. ALA forms or an in-house ILL module).

2. Responsibilities of Borrowing Library

A. New York Botanical Garden, National Library of Agriculture, Harvard Botany Libraries, and the Missouri Botanical Garden will be the libraries of last resort due to their already high volume of interlibrary loan transactions. Borrowers should request items from other GAC members first, if there is a choice.

B. Whenever possible, borrowers are encouraged to provide complete citations and source information for materials requested.

C. If a library finds it is borrowing a particular periodical frequently, it should consider that title for purchase.

D. Borrowing libraries will be responsible for replacement or repair costs of lost or damaged materials.

E. (update June 2000) In order not be charged for loans, borrowing libraries put the words "CBHL GAC" in the affiliation field on the OCLC form.

3. Responsibilities of Lending Library

A. The lending library should make every effort to fill the loan request within 3-5 days of when it is received.

B. Lending libraries are under no obligation to fulfill every loan request they receive. If the lending library cannot fill the request for any reason, it should respond immediately to the borrowing library, so that the request can be sent to the next potential lending library.

C. (update June 2000) Lending libraries indicate under borrowing notes that they lend for free to CBHL libraries, with a note such as "We reciprocate with CBHL libraries." That is also a place where lending libraries can indicate how many free pages they can photocopy per day/request, should they have an institutional limit.