[Sca-librarians] Re: Efficacy of Small Local Libraries

[Johnna Holloway]

Public Libraries in different parts of the country
operate within different funding formulas. There are
city, county, regional, township, village, etc  libraries
depending upon which part of the country you are located
in. Funding and who pays will determine the services provided.
Public libraries are not free; someone is paying the bill.
Yes, it does come down to money!

Some libraries belong to systems or networks that can provide
ILL backup. Others operate in smaller networks or local
cooperatives. One thing that ILL cannot provide in most cases
are the resources of an academic library on demand. Given that
most academic libraries do not collect the titles that you are seeking,
why would you suppose that a small local public library would be
able (by magic perhaps) provide you with the books you want
in the timeframe that you desire? Was your former University Library
able to provide all your books on demand? Can you buy a reader's
card at that Library and use it? (The local University here sells cards
for fees ranging from $150 -$500.)

Does  the State
Library do ILL for its citizens? That being said,
You might ask if perhaps the local library has a
back-up for providing more difficult ILL books. Did you offer to
reimburse for mailing or to use any materials in the library?
Did you speak to a Librarian or did you chat with a clerk?


Johnnae llyn Lewis
(former county Librarian)


Solveig Throndardottir wrote:

> Noble Librarians!
>
> Greetings from Solveig!
> On 2005 Dec 10, at 5:58 PM, Fiadnata wrote:
>
>     Walking into any library -- even a small public library -- with
>     the information I give you below, they should be able to ILL any
>     of these.
>
> au contraire, I just did precisely that. I called them on the phone 
> and asked if I could do interlibrary loan through them, they said yes, 
> but I needed to sign up for a library card. So I went in with my list 
> of OCLC numbers and after receiving my library card was told that they 
> were only capable of borrowing books from nearby local libraries. So, 
> I have a new shiny library card, but still have to make overnight 
> trips to go to libraries which have the books I need in their 
> collections, And, people wonder why I insist on buying and keeping 
> around so many books!
>
> Your Humble Servant
> Solveig Throndardottir
> Amateur Scholar