Interlibrary Loan Policy

The Rasmussen University Library is committed to providing high quality and timely information services to Rasmussen University patrons (defined as current students, faculty, and staff) in accordance with our mission of student support and academic excellence.

Definition: Interlibrary loan is a process by which Rasmussen University Library staff request materials not available in the Rasmussen University Library collection from a lending partner to fulfill a patron’s need. There is no cost to patrons for this service.

Eligibility: Current Rasmussen University students, faculty, and staff are eligible to use the interlibrary loan service.

Submitting Requests: Requests can be submitted from within the library databases, or by using Rasmussen’s Faculty Interlibrary Loan Request Form and Student Interlibrary Loan Form. Rasmussen University reserves the right to cancel requests, particularly in situations that place undue strain on resources, such as an individual submitting a high volume of requests in one day. Prior to cancelling requests, a Rasmussen librarian will contact the requester to discuss effective search strategies and possible alternative resources that may be readily available within Rasmussen’s Online Library.

Physical Items: While the library’s interlibrary loan service is focused on providing digital copies, requests for physical items will be processed for items that are deemed necessary for the completion of original scholarly work by Rasmussen graduate students or faculty. Examples of original scholarly work include Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects and faculty-led research studies.

Renewal requests for physical items will be processed; however, renewals are granted for physical items at the discretion of the owning library. Any fees incurred by the library for overdue or lost materials will be assessed to the patron through the Business Office. Rasmussen University reserves the right to withhold the release of academic information, and other records, pending settlement of any amount due to the University.

Copyright and CONTU adherence

a. The library recognizes and makes a good-faith effort to abide by the copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code). If a patron makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

b. Borrowing data will be reviewed at the end of each calendar year for compliance with Copyright and CONTU guidelines.

c. To adhere to CONTU guidelines and to meet the needs of the Rasmussen community, the library will consider subscribing to serials with a demonstrated need