[ILL-L] Setting up Reciprocal Agreements

[ILL_PSC ILL_PSC]

Dear Holly,

Have you talked to your OCLC service provider? -- Some of them have reciprocal groups that you can join. That's how we began locating reciprocal lenders back when OCLC access was via Telnet.

After that we broadened our reach by sending a copy of our reciprocal agreement in every loan we sent out and every loan we returned. After all, if we had made one transaction, it's quite likely we would make more. (If I were going to do it today, I'd probably limit it to libraries that were not LVIS members.)

I also used to have a reciprocal agreement web form that libraries could use if they wanted to create a reciprocal agreement. The free web server shut down, and I joined LVIS, so I'm afraid I've kind of stopped gathering reciprocal partners.

Although we are free lenders, we list ourselves as reciprocal libraries on OCLC. I think that helps pull us into more libraries custom holdings groups and generate more loan requests from borrowing libraries. (I was worried once that it might be an abuse of use of "reciprocal" and I asked the Listserv about it. It seems that, while people have widely varying views of "reciprocity," no one told me flat out that they thought it was wrong for free lenders to designate themselves as "reciprocal.")

Speaking of custom holdings groups -- I lost my net lender status a couple of years ago, and this year I am borrowing at a rate of 3 to 2, so I'd appreciate it if everyone would put PWS in their custom holdings groups -- free, reciprocal (?), LVIS, Ariel, and Odyssey -- and start sending their borrowing requests my way. I want to be a net lender again. 

Happy holidays! Hope to lend you something next year!
Linda @ PWS
ONE MORE WEEK! <dancing through the library>

Linda Celet Bane
Interlibrary Loan (PWS/PWSA)
Mary F. Shipper Library/LRC
Potomac State College of WVU
Keyser, WV  26726-2697
phone: (304)788-6903
fax: (304)788-6946
Ariel: 157.182.165.30, PSC_Ariel at mail.wvu.edu
E-mail: ILL_PSC at mail.wvu.edu

>>> "Klump, Holly" <hklump at rivier.edu> Friday, December 05, 2008 9:31 AM >>>
Hello,

Can anyone tell me how to go about setting up reciprocal agreements with other libraries?  We are an LVIS lender but I often feel like I end up choosing the same lenders even though I really do try hard not to.

How do you decide which libraries to contact?  Do you do it individually... based on their collection, or other criteria?  It seems time consuming, but this might also be a good "summer project".

Or, is it a moot point to set up a reciprocal agreement with anyone since we are LVIS?  The other library would have nothing to gain since we already lend to them for free.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Holly
HF9