[ILL-L] Common Practice: ? Sending Tables of Contents ~ in lieu of ...

[Laura Barnard]

When we are asked for a loan, we either supply the loan or reply with an appropriate reason for no why we are not providing a loan.  We do not send nor offer table of contents.

Our assumption is that if the requesting library  exhausts all possibilities to get their loan and isn't successful,  their staff are knowledgeable enough to know they can come back later with a request for the T of C.  

As a borrow I have often accumulated several unsolicited T of Cs in pursuit of a loan.  I don't think a borrower should be asked to pay for them, since they didn't ask for the T of C.

Laura Barnard
Interlibrary Loans
Seattle Public Library (UOK)
206-386-4601
ill at spl.org

>>> "Beth Lubar" <nostupidquestions at gmail.com> 10/29/2007 10:09 AM >>>
Hello All and Happy Monday --

When we can't loan a requested item, we provide instead a Table of Contents
(or similar information), free of charge.  The only time we would charge for
the Table of Contents would be if it were the actual item requested.

Is this a common practice to provide TOCs in lieu of requested items?
If so, do most libraries charge for the TOC?
I'm wondering whether or not this issue is addressed anywhere in ILL
guidelines or best practices.

Thank you all for your participation in this illuminating list!

-- 

~ Whoever said there are no stupid questions never worked a reference desk ~