[ILL-L] ILL Code - advice needed

[Bierma, Lynn]

This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, we go ahead and try to borrow from another library. Our reasoning:  
 
1) it may become overdue
2) we allow two 4-week renewals
3) where our copy was sent makes a difference too: Out-of-state vs in-state vs out-of-country....how long will it take to be mailed back to us....all are allowed renewals and Alaska, Hawaii and out-of-country have a 3-month loan period, plus two 4-week renewals.
 
I don't want to our patron waiting for an item, and then have the borrower ask for a renewal, which they're entitled to.  That just delays getting the material in the hands of our patron.  The only time I'd do a recall or deny a renewal is if its a rush request, and there are few copies available from other libraries.
 
However, we normally try two OCLC requests (5 libraries each...so that means querying up to 10 libraries).  If after two tries we can't get the material, we tell the patron they'll have to wait for our copy to come back.
 
Lynn Bierma 
ILL Operations Coordinator 
IL State Library 
300 South 2nd St. 
Springfield, IL 62701 
PHONE: 217-558-1928 
FAX: 217-782-4446 
EMAIL: lbierma at ilsos.net 

Jesse White, Secretary of State and State Librarian 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Linda Wilkinson
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2:20 PM
To: 'Interlibrary Loan Listserv'
Subject: [ILL-L] ILL Code - advice needed



 

 

I'm having a lot of discussions and controversy with my branch librarians about when it is appropriate to request material via ILL that we already own.  Our policy is currently to request material if our own copies are "on order" or "in processing", are "lost", or are "checked out" but overdue by at least a week; in other words, if we can't be sure when the material will be available, we will request from somewhere else.  But, if our own copies are checked out but *not* overdue, our patrons are encouraged to wait for the item to return, and a hold is placed if our owning branch is willing to lend it upon its return.  Exceptions are made, of course, for urgently needed material (such as for academic use, though that's rare since we're a public library).

 

More and more, patrons are insisting on requesting material on ILL that is just checked-out, but not yet overdue.  I've told everyone that there's no guarantee that an ILL would be found and delivered before our own item returns, but I'm still facing a lot of opposition.  I hate to put other libraries' materials at risk in the mail system when we own the item (sometimes multiple copies even!).

 

I searched the ILL Code and Explanatory Supplement for guidance, and found the following:

 

>From the ILL Code:

2.1 The purpose of interlibrary loan as defined by this code is to obtain, upon request of a library user, material not available in the user's local library.

 

>From the Explanatory Supplement:
2. Purpose:  Interlibrary loan is intended to complement local collections and is not a substitute for good library collections intended to meet the routine needs of users.

5.9 Recall: Increasingly, some libraries are finding it more effective to request the material on ILL for a local user rather than recall material in use by another library.

 

 

How do your libraries define "not available" as used in 2.1 above?  Do you just go ahead and request items you already own, or are there criteria and limitations on what can be borrowed on ILL?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linda Wilkinson, ILL Coordinator
Southeastern Public Library System of OK
OCLC symbol: OKI

 <mailto:wilkinson at sepl.lib.ok.us> wilkinson at sepl.lib.ok.us 

 









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