[ILL-L] Best way to avoid charges?

[MARINGER Cassie]

Arrange your custom holdings so that your requests always go to free
lenders first, then to charging libraries next if there are no free
lenders.

Cassie Maringer, Senior Library Assistant, Interlibrary Loans
Washington County Cooperative Library Services (OQX)
111 NE Lincoln St MS 58B, Hillsboro OR 97124-3036
Phone: 503-988-5576  /  Fax 503-988-5221
Email: cassiem at multcolib.org


-----Original Message-----
From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Harbin, Jeff E.
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 10:22 AM
To: ill-l at webjunction.org
Subject: [ILL-L] Best way to avoid charges?


What is the best way to avoid being charged for borrowing ILL?

Maybe I'm asking for too much here, but I hope there's someone else out
there who's had experience with this predicament.  TMJ's constant data
records have included "PLEASE CONDITIONAL if you charge!" in the
Borrowing Notes since before I took over ILL nearly a year ago, but we
still get charged by lending libraries (who have not conditionaled my
requests) on a regular basis.  Just yesterday I received two invoices in
the mail (though we prefer IFM) from libraries who charged me for a loan
well after the transaction had been completed. 

I have my maximum cost set to $15 so we can still borrow from libraries
who do charge us.  Essentially, I'm ok with paying necessary charges
most of the time--our grad students request theses on a regular basis,
and I understand why charges are usually associated there--but I'd like
to know that I'm being charged before I'm sent the item so I can pursue
a free option if one is available.  Does that make sense?  I don't like
charges snuck in there because the lending library didn't bother to read
my borrowing note.  

Would it be better to set my max cost to $0?  My only fear there is that
libraries who do charge would just reply "No" without a conditional.
Again, I'm fine with paying charges via IFM if necessary, but both my
library director and I would like to keep costs down as much as
possible, and being more proactive and aware of charges seems like a
good first step.

Perhaps just thinking out loud, on a listerv. I appreciate any ideas.
Thanks as always!  

Jefferson E. Harbin
Public Services Librarian
P.H. Welshimer Memorial Library
Milligan College
(423) 461-8495
jeharbin at milligan.edu


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