The best things in life are no longer free . . .
Charleston County Public Library will begin charging patrons $2.00 per item received via interlibrary loan, beginning with requests submitted after 3pm on March 31 (which will be processed on the fee's start date of April 1).
This not a moneymaking proposition by any means - it doesn't even meet the cost of postage. Like the charges for photocopying and printing, this is a way to recover some of the costs of library services. Studies at academic libraries have shown that the total cost of an interlibrary loan, including staff time, supplies, and postage, falls between $12 and $20.
Staff members have been wondering if they will be charged. The answer, for now, is no. We encourage staff to read widely and pursue various interests. For example, I have been researching my family history over the last few years. Since my ancestors are from other states, I have had to use interlibrary loan to fill in some of the gaps in my history, and I will continue to do so.
We do ask that staff members consider the cost of this service before rushing to order items. If the item is something that you will probably buy for yourself, go ahead and buy it. If it is something that you need by a certain date, and to be able to keep it for a long period of time, you may wish to buy a copy for yourself (I'm thinking of things like textbooks and readings for classes).
If you have questions about these charges, please feel free to contact me.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Holiday slowdown - apologies in advance
If you order an item via ILL in the next couple of weeks, please be patient. Many academic libraries are closing for the holidays on Friday, December 12. This means the pool of libraries that we can choose from will shrink dramatically.
Also, most of our deliveries come by US mail. This time of year, the USPS is stretched to its limit delivering all sorts of goodies, so library mail may be slower than usual.
Please feel free to order items, but be aware that it may take us longer to receive items than our normal 2-3 weeks.
We will be closed December 24, 25, 26, and January 1.
Also, most of our deliveries come by US mail. This time of year, the USPS is stretched to its limit delivering all sorts of goodies, so library mail may be slower than usual.
Please feel free to order items, but be aware that it may take us longer to receive items than our normal 2-3 weeks.
We will be closed December 24, 25, 26, and January 1.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Myth #8: People read this blog :)
Ouch - ten months since a post - and no one missed us! I guess our target audience is . . . off target . . . or those who really love/hate us will call or e-mail.
I will attempt to be more vigilant about posting - I'm off to SCLA this week and hope we can revive the resource sharing group.
I will attempt to be more vigilant about posting - I'm off to SCLA this week and hope we can revive the resource sharing group.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Myth #7: "I didn't know that _______" is an all-purpose excuse
Fact: Patrons come up with all sorts of excuses for returning items late, in the bookdrop, or just generally not following the instructions that come with an interlibrary loan. The one that irks me the most is the amalglam of "I didn't know that _____" or "I didn't read that ______" or "I assumed that _____."
Excuse #1: "I didn't know that I couldn't return ILL items in the bookdrop."
Allow me to quote from the Interlibrary Loan Patron Responsibility Agreement, which all patrons are required to sign when picking up an interlibrary loan item:
"I understand that this loan represents a special service and that my obligation is to return these items on time and to the REFERENCE DESK of the library where I picked it up. I will not return it via the bookdrops." [italics mine]
Failure to read what you are signing does not absolve you of responsibility for the item.
Excuse #2: "I didn't know the due date was different from CCPL items - I thought I had a month."
The due date for interlibrary loan items is stamped upon the yellow band in red ink to make it very prominent. The Main reference desk staff (at least when I'm around) make a point of showing the patron the due date, and showing the patron the phone number for asking for renewals.
Again, failure to note this date does not absolve you from late fines.
Excuse #3: "I didn't know the yellow band had to stay on the item."
And the big black bold letters that say "DO NOT REMOVE THIS STRIP" are not there for decorative purposes. The yellow band contains information to help interlibrary loan staff match the item with the lender's paperwork to return to that library. It also contains information for patrons, including the due date and contact information for interlibrary loan. It also serves as a flag to our circulation departments if the item is accidentally mixed with CCPL items.
If the band is removed, and the item is returned in the bookdrop or in a pile of CCPL items, our circulation departments will route the item to our Administration office for courtesy returns. The ILL department is in an entirely different part of the building, and does not see these items.
Failure to follow instructions is does not absolve you from responsibility for interlibrary loan items.
CCPL staff - help us out by reminding patrons that the yellow band needs to stay on the items, and by pointing out the helpful information on the band. Maybe if we say it often enough, we can educate our public.
Excuse #1: "I didn't know that I couldn't return ILL items in the bookdrop."
Allow me to quote from the Interlibrary Loan Patron Responsibility Agreement, which all patrons are required to sign when picking up an interlibrary loan item:
"I understand that this loan represents a special service and that my obligation is to return these items on time and to the REFERENCE DESK of the library where I picked it up. I will not return it via the bookdrops." [italics mine]
Failure to read what you are signing does not absolve you of responsibility for the item.
Excuse #2: "I didn't know the due date was different from CCPL items - I thought I had a month."
The due date for interlibrary loan items is stamped upon the yellow band in red ink to make it very prominent. The Main reference desk staff (at least when I'm around) make a point of showing the patron the due date, and showing the patron the phone number for asking for renewals.
Again, failure to note this date does not absolve you from late fines.
Excuse #3: "I didn't know the yellow band had to stay on the item."
And the big black bold letters that say "DO NOT REMOVE THIS STRIP" are not there for decorative purposes. The yellow band contains information to help interlibrary loan staff match the item with the lender's paperwork to return to that library. It also contains information for patrons, including the due date and contact information for interlibrary loan. It also serves as a flag to our circulation departments if the item is accidentally mixed with CCPL items.
If the band is removed, and the item is returned in the bookdrop or in a pile of CCPL items, our circulation departments will route the item to our Administration office for courtesy returns. The ILL department is in an entirely different part of the building, and does not see these items.
Failure to follow instructions is does not absolve you from responsibility for interlibrary loan items.
CCPL staff - help us out by reminding patrons that the yellow band needs to stay on the items, and by pointing out the helpful information on the band. Maybe if we say it often enough, we can educate our public.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Myth #6 - The ILL department is psychic, or WHERE'S MY BOOK?
Fact: The ILL department cannot predict when an ILL item will arrive.
If an item is available in South Carolina, it is most likely at a library that uses interagency mail. This is a service provided by the State Library to nearly all the public and most of the college libraries. We have a high success rate with this, and requests that would take three weeks by USPS from the College of Charleston now arrive within a week. This is contingent on the lending library being able to find the item on their shelves and being able to ship it in a timely fashion after locating it. This service is not trackable and is subject to closure for holidays.
In most cases, we locate items outside of South Carolina. Most libraries use USPS library mail, which is inexpensive but slow. It is also not trackable, so if a library ships an item to us, we at CCPL cannot know where the item is at any given time, much less on what day the item will appear. Sometimes we are lucky and the item comes quickly - but in many cases we find ourselves waiting a month or more.
A few libraries will ship via UPS or FedEx, but this is rare and we are usually not told that items are shipped this way until they arrive.
Most libraries try to respond to our requests quickly, but some will take their time in responding. This is not something that we at CCPL can control; we cannot dictate procedure to other libraries. Obtaining items via interlibrary loan is dependent upon the will and whims of the lending libraries. We do our best to order from libraries that respond quickly but the rarity of some items may limit our choices.
So if your item does not arrive right away, it is not for lack of trying by the CCPL interlibrary loan staff. When we receive items, we process them right away so patrons can use them, but we cannot control the US Postal Service and are dependent on them for delivery.
If an item is available in South Carolina, it is most likely at a library that uses interagency mail. This is a service provided by the State Library to nearly all the public and most of the college libraries. We have a high success rate with this, and requests that would take three weeks by USPS from the College of Charleston now arrive within a week. This is contingent on the lending library being able to find the item on their shelves and being able to ship it in a timely fashion after locating it. This service is not trackable and is subject to closure for holidays.
In most cases, we locate items outside of South Carolina. Most libraries use USPS library mail, which is inexpensive but slow. It is also not trackable, so if a library ships an item to us, we at CCPL cannot know where the item is at any given time, much less on what day the item will appear. Sometimes we are lucky and the item comes quickly - but in many cases we find ourselves waiting a month or more.
A few libraries will ship via UPS or FedEx, but this is rare and we are usually not told that items are shipped this way until they arrive.
Most libraries try to respond to our requests quickly, but some will take their time in responding. This is not something that we at CCPL can control; we cannot dictate procedure to other libraries. Obtaining items via interlibrary loan is dependent upon the will and whims of the lending libraries. We do our best to order from libraries that respond quickly but the rarity of some items may limit our choices.
So if your item does not arrive right away, it is not for lack of trying by the CCPL interlibrary loan staff. When we receive items, we process them right away so patrons can use them, but we cannot control the US Postal Service and are dependent on them for delivery.
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