[ILL-L] Borrowing From DLC

[Laura Barnard]

The short of it:

When I get these Unfilleds, I send another request, adjusting the need by date out at least 40 days.

If the request cycles through  a second time without a meaningful response, I check their catalog, and if it appears the material is on the shelf, I call or email the lending contact listed in their policy file.  They have always responded and most of the time we have gotten either the item or a clear reason for no within a week  of the contact.


The long of it:

Requests to the Library of Congress can exceed the WRS default need-by-date, particularly if there are non-referral days in the 20 working days of one complete lending string.  However, if the problem is the need by date, the request will expire and appear in your Expired File.

L of C has a conditional response to requests they receive that have expiration dates shorter than 20 working days (not exactly the same situation as above).  You'll know that one when you see it.

It is not uncommon for a request to cycle through the entire 20 working days of the lender string with no response from the L of C, and it is more common for requests that involve the Serials Division (newspapers on microfilm).  These requests come back with 4 Unspecifieds and 1 Aged to unfilled.  I have believed (as opposed to know for a fact) that the Unspecifieds are a result of their in-house management system's interaction with WRS.  My reason for thinking this is that most of these requests are for dates of microfilm that we do subsequently get, either with paper work for the unfilled request or with that of a subsequent request.

These unanswered requests seem to have grown in number in the last few months.  In the many years I have worked in ILL, I have noted the L of C go through periods of dysfunction and come out on the other side, usually with some discernable improvement.  I am hoping (as opposed to knowing for a fact) that they will come through their current crisis as well.


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

>>> <czavos1 at lexmark.com> 1/11/2008 10:56 AM >>>
Is there some kind of secret handshake I need to learn before I can get an 
item from the Library of Congress (DLC)?

I've recently requested a proceeding that only DLC has for one of our 
employees. I followed the rules outlined in their Loan Policies:
"USE ONLY ON LIBRARY PREMISES, PLEASE. Must enter "DLC" 5 times in OCLC 
ILL lender field, else request returned conditional -- IFM fee only for 
libraries outside of U.S.A., $24 -- FOR LATEST NEWS ON ILL POLICY, see ILL 
web site: http://www.loc.gov/rr/loan" 
However, the request came back with a Reason / Response of Unspecified (my 
favorite one!).

Now, the lending policy also states that DLC does not lend "Visual 
Material , Sound Recording , Computer File , E-Serial , E-Text , Kit , 
Dissertation , Patent , Photograph , Serial - Bound , Serial - Unbound , 
Thesis." But this proceeding is catalogued as a book, more specifically as 
"Conference publication (cnp)," which is not one of the formats DLC says 
they do not lend.

Am I missing something here?
Please advise!

Christina Zavos
Lexmark Library - KL0
Lexington, Kentucky
859.232.6047
czavos1 at lexmark.com 
 
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero