On Tue, 5 Mar 2002, Peter Rowland wrote:
> This is not the "key" to my problem but just an example and unfortunately
> misread. Fortunately many institutions such as the British Library offer a
> service online that allow individuals to obtain copies of their holdings.
> The BL offer "articles direct" and "BL reproductions online" which between
> them cover most if not all that is held by the BL. It costs but I have no
> problem with that. It allows me to deal directly and obtain what I require.
> Unfortunately they don't hold everything. Many other libraries/institutions
> also offer this service which allows access to Joe Public.
Only a *tiny* fraction of the recorded corpus of pre-1990 printed material
is available that way, except through vendors who are charging libraries
and private individuals a LOT of money for access.
>
> What I have a problem with is the reply quoted below when I locate an
> article elsewhere and they do not deal direct with Joe Public. This means I
> have to go through my local/university library, explain to them what is
> required, get them to contact the people I have already been in touch with,
> re-establish links, establish what is required, get a response, come back
> to me, confirm, go back again.....
>
This is how the system works. Why did you not go through your local
library first?? Libraries do interlibrary loan to other libraries-- not
to individuals. This is one of the basic facts which all researchers must
surely discover as soon as they begin their work. I would hope and expect
this point would be stressed in any historiography course.
> To be specific the latest exapmple of the quotation below came from the
> University of Sydney and I am trying to find someone who will "deal" with
> them on my behalf. So much for access to Joe Public...... but then I am
> English not Australian........
Your local public or academic library has a department dedicated to this
purpose. If you are looking for a specific book, held only in Australia,
they can find it for you. In all probability, they can get it, or a
photocopy of it, for you. Depending on your borrowing status with the
local library, and on their policies, and on the reciprocal interlibrary
loan agreements they have, there might not even be a charge to you for
this service.
If this is a printed book, they probably do NOT have to send to Australia
for it. There are probably copies in England they can get for you much
more quickly.
If instead you want to look through archival collections, or need to scan
whole runs of a periodical, or do any other kind of research where you
cannot just ask to see a specific book, or a specific segment of the pages
in a periodical--- then you either need to visit an appropriate library,
or hire a researcher there. Some graduate student at the University of
Sydney will, for a fee, do your legwork for you. If you REALLY need this
service, I would advise contacting the Department of History, or some
other, more appropriate, department at that institution. Do NOT contact
the library administration. It's possible the Archives department of the
library would have students they could recommend, but unlike that they
library's front office would do this.
But that's actually only a last resort, if you really need to go to
Sydney and just can't afford the air fare. Probably, if you ask at your
local library, and expain *exactly* what information it is you need to
locate, they will be able to find much or all of what you need in
England. Librarians WANT to help you, if you will only let them do so!
--Chris Mullin
>
> Peter Rowland
> Hereford, England
>
>
> At 08:04 05/03/02 -0800, you wrote:
> >I think the key to his problem is clearly stated here -- from the response
> >"According to our policy for document delivery
> >services we only can supply within library, not to individual request.
> >Please resubmit your request via your local/university library" it appears
> >that this person is simply calling a library and asking for material to be
> >sent e.g. "Please mail your copy of X or manuscript Y to Joe Blow 100
> >Center Street, etc etc" No library will do that. It's unreasonable for
> >anyone to expect that such a request would be honored.
> >
> >
> >
> >...>
> > >>I would agree that there is the basis for an interesting discussion here
> > >>and hope that there might be some discussion.
> > >>
> > >>As I have indicated in previous emails, my view is that
> > >>personal/corporate collections are more accessible than the
> > >>institutional/academic library. The latter profess to be "saving" items
> > >>for the public but how often do we hear that documents are unavailable
> > >>because they have not been catalogued; are in a poor state and cannot be
> > >>viewed; etc etc. When I try to access documents/articles/papers held by
> > >>some institutional/academic library, the usual response is something
> > >>along the lines of "According to our policy for document delivery
> > >>services we only can supply within library, not to individual request.
> > >>Please resubmit your request via your local/university library". The fact
> > >>remains that most institutional/academic libraries do not want to know
> > >>Joe Public.
> > >>
> > >>Please convince me that I am wrong.
> > >>regards
> > >>
> > >>Peter Rowland
> > >>Hereford, England
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
Christopher G. Mullin mullin@selway.umt.edu | I buy good
Special Collections Librarian 406-243-4036 (voice mail) | regular-8mm
University of Montana 406-243-2060 (fax) | movie stuff
Missoula, MT 59812 Who else has *these* opinions--not UM!