Lending CDs through Interlibrary Loan: A Success Story

In most libraries, compact discs are exempt from interlibrary loan. Despite their early promotion as an “indestructible format,” the discs and their packaging are too fragile to be sent using traditional methods. Even local loans come with a certain amount of risk: broken cases, missing CDs, missing liner notes, etc. The fear that these precious resources would be damaged or lost at an even higher rate than in local loans has led most libraries refuse to lend CDs through interlibrary loan. But is this fear justified? Ball State University’s experience suggests it isn’t.

Another common fear is that the collection will be decimated, with so many CDs going out on loan that local listeners will be deprived. But because of reciprocity arrangements, these libraries are unable to offer their listeners access to a wider collection. At Ball State, far more CDs were borrowed than loaned. Ball State University began lending compact discs in 2007, and after about eighteen months the data show that with proper handling and judicious policies, loss rates have been minimal. In fact, only one CD liner was lost. The number of loans was 380, while BSU borrowers gained access to over 2,000 CDs borrowed from other libraries.

This session presents the methods BSU has used to protect its materials while still making them available to the “outside” world. Data show that interlibrary loans spanned genres and were divided between university and public libraries. All loans were to other Indiana libraries, most of which participated in a courier service. Even when UPS or USPS were used BSU’s packaging system protected the CDs. In contrast, CDs packaged in cardboard mailers and sent by other institutions often arrived damaged. This type of packaging also adds an expense for the receiving library because it is not reusable. BSU’s interlibrary loan department requires borrowing institutions to return CDs in the same packaging that was used for shipping, saving an expense for both institutions.

Examples of packaging material used by BSU and commercial CD “mailers” used by other libraries were on hand for inspection. Only the BSU examples are pictured below.


Amy Edmonds Ball State University
Music Library Association, Chicago 2009