Međubibliotečka pozajmica će početi tek kada bibliotečki fond nema publikaciju.

Međubibliotečka means interlibrary.

It is an adjective, and the ending -a is there because it agrees with pozajmica, which is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So:

• međubibliotečka pozajmica = interlibrary loan

If the noun were masculine, the adjective would look different:

• međubibliotečki fond = library collection/fund

Not exactly.

• pozajmica usually means a loan or a borrowing/lending arrangement
• pozajmljivanje means borrowing/lending as an action or process

In library language, međubibliotečka pozajmica is the usual set phrase for interlibrary loan.

So in this sentence, pozajmica is not describing the act in general, but the service/loan arrangement itself.

This is the future tense in Serbian, often called Future I.

It is formed with:

• the auxiliary će
• the infinitive početi

So:

• će početi = will begin

The full idea is:

• Međubibliotečka pozajmica će početi = The interlibrary loan will begin

Both are possible.

Serbian often has two future forms like this:

• će početi
• počeće

They mean the same thing.

The version in your sentence uses the clitic auxiliary će, which often comes after the first phrase:

• Međubibliotečka pozajmica će početi

A more compact version would be:

• Međubibliotečka pozajmica počeće

Both are standard.

Because početi is perfective.

Serbian aspect matters a lot. Here the sentence refers to a single event:

• the service will start

That kind of one-time completed beginning is normally expressed with the perfective verb:

• početi = to begin, to start

The imperfective počinjati would suggest repeated starting, ongoing process, or a different viewpoint, so it is not the natural choice here.

Tek kada means something like:

• only when
• not until

The word tek adds a limiting sense.

Compare:

• kada = when
• tek kada = only when / not until

So the sentence says the interlibrary loan will start only when a certain condition is met.

Both are correct.

• kada is the fuller form
• kad is shorter and often a bit more conversational

So:

• tek kada
• tek kad

Both work. In a more formal or written style, kada is very common.

Because in Serbian, after time words like kada meaning when, a subordinate clause often uses the present tense even when it refers to the future.

So Serbian normally says:

• kada dođeš = when you come not
• kada ćeš doći

Likewise here:

• kada bibliotečki fond nema publikaciju

The main clause carries the future meaning:

• će početi

This is a very common pattern in Serbian.

Because imati has an irregular negative form in the present tense.

Instead of separating ne from ima, Serbian uses fused forms:

• nemam = I do not have
• nemaš = you do not have
• nema = he/she/it does not have

So:

• bibliotečki fond nema publikaciju = the library collection does not have the publication

This is something you simply have to learn as a set pattern.

Here bibliotečki fond means the library’s holdings, stock, or collection.

Even though fond can remind English speakers of fund, in this context it is not about money. It refers to the materials the library has.

Grammar-wise:

• fond is masculine singular
• so the adjective is bibliotečki

That is why you get:

• bibliotečki fond

not

• bibliotečka fond
• bibliotečko fond

Because it is the direct object of nema / imati.

The base form is:

• publikacija = nominative singular

As a direct object, it becomes:

• publikaciju = accusative singular

So:

• fond nema publikaciju = the collection does not have the publication

Good question. In Serbian, negation can sometimes be associated with the genitive, especially in certain styles or meanings. But with verbs like imati / nemati, the accusative is also very common, especially when referring to a specific item.

So:

• nema publikaciju is understandable as does not have the publication
• nema publikacije can sound more like there is no publication or can feel more indefinite/formal depending on context

In other words, the accusative here fits a direct, concrete object.

Because the sentence is talking about a publication as a single needed item.

It does not mean every publication in general. It refers to the required publication that the library collection does not have.

So singular makes sense:

• publikaciju = the publication / a publication

If the meaning were about several items, then a plural form would be used.

Because Serbian does not have articles like English a/an/the.

That means nouns usually appear without any article word:

• pozajmica
• fond
• publikaciju

Whether the meaning is a publication or the publication is understood from context.

That is why one Serbian sentence can often be translated into English in more than one natural way.

Yes, very much so.

In library and administrative language, međubibliotečka pozajmica is the normal term for interlibrary loan.

So even if you can analyze it word by word, it is best to learn it as one unit:

• međubibliotečka pozajmica = interlibrary loan

That will help you recognize it quickly in real-world Serbian.