[ILL-L] It's reciprocal agreement question again/rant

[Campbell, Heather]

Yes, it's the reciprocal agreement question again.  I haven't had to
block a library yet, but I'm sorely tempted to block this one out of
frustration because of the lousy way its staff handling our question.
An out-of-state university is the only source of a newspaper one of our
customers needs photocopies from. We have loaned to this library in the
past- for free. My Borrowing staff sent an e-mail to the Interim ILL
head of the university pointing out that we've lent to them in the past
and asking for reciprocal privileges.  She got an answer back that they
only honor written agreements and referred us to the OCLC Policy site
for charges. We already knew this- this site was our source for our
knowledge about the reciprocal agreements and for her e-mail address.
So, now she's e-mailed back asking how we would go about getting the
reciprocal agreement.  I'm wondering why this interim ILL head is being
so evasive about addressing the question.  We're librarians here. If
someone from another library asks a question about reciprocal borrowing
with your library, wouldn't you respond with information about how that
library could become a reciprocal borrower?  Why drag it out into a
series of e-mails?

 

Heather Campbell, Senior Librarian
Special Services ~ Interlibrary Loan and Books By Mail
OCLC SYMBOL: JPL
Jacksonville Public Library
303 North Laura Street
Jacksonville,  Florida  USA 32202-3505

heatherc at coj.net      (904) 630-2986   FAX: (904) 630-2734