From: callred@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Curtis Allred)
Subject: Re: Inter-Library Loan (was Re: Heraldic references...)
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:43:25 GMT



Greetings, faire gentles,
   I beseech you all to grant leave of a humble practioner of
the art of bibliotheque to join in this conversation on the bridge.

>Lynn/Lin asks:
>> 
>>         Does YOUR library "discourage" ILL?
>> 
>>         Does it *refuse* you the service unless you can
>>           demonstrate that it bears directly on a) your
>>           job or b) your major, like my charming employer?
>>           (Heaven forefend any of us might want to know
>>           anything outside our major/need-to-know)
>Which is why Carolus' gripe about it being nearly impossible to get an 
>inter-library loan really surprised me...

	Having just completed my Master's Degree in Library Studies I
can actually respond to this question with a small degree of
confidence.  First off, not all libraries have the same mission, as is
probably self-evident.  For public libraries their goal would perhaps
be to serve the community in their recreational and business oriented
needs, and with a large university research library, it would be to
act as a link in the international chain of human knowledge, but
specifically geared to serve the university community.  A vital
function of any library would be the ability to obtain information
which a patron has a *need* for, regardless of the source of that
need, as long as the person in question can indeed be defined as a
patron of that particular library (for instance, some university
libraries do not allow non-university personnel or even
undergraduates from that university inter-library loan access).  So
in theory, any library that you could be considered a *patron* of
should be able to get a book for you through inter-library loan.

	Unfortunately, in practice, this is far from the true case.
Libraries, along with most governmental institutions, are getting
their budgets axed and their services are being turned into chopped
pate.  One of the first things to go (after periodicals) is
inter-library loan services.  In order to continue to provide
services, therefore, many libraries have been forced to charge for
these services.  Some libraries will have a policy where the patron
can order a book from a nearby library (thus saving a little on
shipping charges) for no cost to him/her, but if is there is no
library nearby, will still order the book, but will charge for shipping.


Another policy would be for a library to actually *purchase* the book,
if it appears to be one that would benefit their collection in some
way (if it is an academic library, getting a professor to fill out a
request slip, or at least signing a request slip you have already
filled out, for a book will almost guarantee that it will be purchased
by the library).  If a book is too expensive, or if it is out of
print, or if it is still not considered something that could (even in
the furthest stretch of logic) be considered to support the mission of
the library, then the library probably would *not* purchase it, but
would still order it sent through inter-library loan.

	Finally, your best bet is to try to put your case forward as a
serious student of whatever you are doing, and perhaps to request many
books at one time.  Say that Gwendolyn the Fair of Thistlehill goes
into her local library and arranges to have a little chat with a
librarian (preferably the one who handles inter-library loan, but any
reference librarian will help out if you can convince him/her of your
earnestness-this is important to get someone on "your side").  If Fair
Gwen can then demonstrate some already-existant interest in whatever
she is trying to study, say nmedieval cheese-making, and try to be as
serious and polite as is possible to the librarian, I cannot imagine a
libraran turning her down.  Gwen will probably have to pay for the
books to be sent (the more you request, the better chane at getting
*something* worthwhile), but she will then have established a
*partner* in the library, and in the future will be able to request
help from this person again.  Many librarians (myself included) are
History graduates who have a deep love of furthering the study of
history among the general population, and so will go out of their way
to help someone.  Remember, though, that these people are overworked
and underpaid, and so it is always a polite thing to do to call in
advance if you want to talk with one at length.

	Hope that helps some of you not only in SCA research, but in
other areas as well.  If one library for some reason turns you down,
go to another one, and don't think that size of the library has
anything to do with being able to get a book through inter-library
loan, often little hole-in-the-wall libraries are the best ones to go
through.

	A very happy Yule to all of you on this well-used bridge!

			Your humble servant,

				Hugh Makpeas
					(Curt Allred)






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  Curt Allred                    |  Curt se Eald-Rae'd    +Azure, lozenge
  callred@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu | argent, an otter sejant regardant natural+
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