Loan
In libraries, lending is the term used to describe the lending of library holdings . The lending desk (also known as the lending desk ) is also the area of a library where it is possible to borrow media. The media are noted as borrowed as part of the loan booking . The media must be returned to the library within a certain loan period ( e.g. 4 weeks), otherwise reminder fees will apply.
Lending is one of the central departments in many libraries, especially public libraries . The success of a library these days is often measured by the number of loans. Of course, this value must be seen in connection with the size of the target group.
In many libraries it is also possible to order media from other libraries and borrow them. This process is called interlibrary loan .
Many libraries try to automate this task through self- booking. These work either with barcodes or, for some time now, with RFID . This should relieve the librarians of standard tasks and create more time for advising users.
A separate lending fee is no longer common in most libraries. Instead, flat-rate usage fees are charged per month or year. In some cases there is also an obligation to borrow .
From a legal point of view, the library and user must observe the statutory provisions on the loan agreement .