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Alma Workflows

This guide will help you learn about all of the different workflows in Alma that are specific to Miami Dade College, Learning Resources.

RapidILL and Borrowing Request Copyright Compliance

  • These guidelines define the extent to which libraries can reproduce and share copyrighted materials under fair use before requiring copyright clearance or payment.
  • They apply specifically to photocopying for interlibrary loan (ILL) purposes, primarily journal articles and book chapters.

The CONTU Rule of Five

This rule governs how many copies a library can request from a single journal title without needing permission:

  • Up to five copies per year of articles from a single journal title published in the past five years can be borrowed or copied freely without obtaining copyright permission.
  • If a library requests more than five copies from the same journal within a single calendar year, copyright permission must be sought and potentially paid for.

Age of the Journal and Copying Limits

  • Materials published more than five years ago are not subject to the Rule of Five and can be copied freely under fair use.
  • The five-year period is measured from the current year backward (e.g., in 2025, it applies to journals from 2020-2025).
  • The rule applies only to recently published materials to prevent libraries from bypassing publisher subscriptions through excessive copying.

What Counts Toward the Rule of Five?

The five-article limit per journal per year applies to:

  • All requests from one institution (not per patron).
  • Any type of library request (staff, faculty, student, or external borrowing).
  • All copies made by the library, regardless of whether they were supplied to a faculty member, student, or researcher.

Exclusions and Special Cases

The following do not count toward the Rule of Five:

  • Articles from journals older than five years (can be freely copied).
  • Requests made under direct fair use exceptions (such as a patron requesting a single article for personal study, if deemed fair use).
  • Book chapters (These have their own separate guidelines under Section 108).
  • Government publications or public domain works (not subject to copyright).

Options for Requests Exceeding the Rule of Five

If a request goes beyond the five-article limit, the library has three options:

  1. Seek and pay for copyright permission (through the Copyright Clearance Center or publisher).
  2. Refer the requester to alternative resources (such as open-access articles, preprints, or direct purchase options).
  3. Cancel the request if copyright permission is not feasible.

Summary of Key Limits

Item Rule
Articles from journals older than 5 years No limit (can be copied freely)
Articles from journals published in the last 5 years Up to 5 per year per journal (free under fair use)
Exceeding 5 articles per journal per year Copyright permission required

Why These Rules Matter

The CONTU guidelines help libraries:

  • Stay compliant with copyright law.
  • Provide fair access to research without undermining journal subscriptions.
  • Ensure sustainability of interlibrary loan services.

An Analytics report is available to view journals that have reached the rule of 5.

  • The report can be found in Alma by clicking the Analytics icon and choosing "Shared With Me" and searching for RapidILL - Rule of Five.
    • Since the report starts with a prompt you will need to click the "View Full Report" button to see the report.