(a) Unrestricted materials. Except as otherwise provided in this section, materials from the collections are generally available to any interested person only in facilities provided by the Library for this purpose. The Director may prescribe additional reasonable rules to assure the most effective use of the Library's resources by health-sciences professionals and to protect the collections from misuse or damage. The rules must be consistent with the regulations in this part and applicable Department regulations and policies on nondiscrimination. Materials in the collections are available upon each request which assures, to the Director's satisfaction, that the materials will be safeguarded from misuse, damage, loss, or misappropriation, and will be returned promptly after use or upon request of the Library.

(b) Restricted materials—(1) Historical collection. Materials from the historical collection are available only as the Director may permit to assure their maximum preservation and protection. Copies of these materials may be made available in the form of microfilm and other copies, for which reasonable fees may be charged.

(2) Gifts. Materials in the collections are available only in accordance with any limitations imposed as a condition of the acquisition of those materials, whether the acquisition was by gift or purchase.

(c) Loans—(1) General. Requests for loans of materials must assure the Library that (i) the materials will be safeguarded from misuse, damage, loss, or misappropriation and (ii) the materials will be returned promptly after use or upon request of the Library. The Library may provide copies in lieu of original materials, which need not be returned unless otherwise stated at the time of the loan.

(2) Loans of audiovisual materials. Audiovisual materials are available for loan under the same general terms as printed materials.

(3) Loans to other libraries. Upon request materials or copies are available for use through libraries of public or private agencies or institutions. The requesting library must assure that it has first exhausted its own collection resources, those of other local libraries in the geographic area, and those of the Regional Medical Library network (including Regional and Resource Libraries) before making a request for a loan.

(4) Loans to health-sciences professionals. The Director may make loans of materials directly to health-sciences professionals. An individual wishing a loan of library materials must assure to the satisfaction of the Director that the individual is geographically isolated, in terms of distance or available transportation, from medical literature resources likely to contain the desired material.