Forwarded from BUSLIB-L with permission
(think of MEDLIB-L instead of BUSLIB-L as you read along)


""Think of this as the twelve steps towards a successful Inter Library
Loan request...

#1):  Remember that almost 30% of BUSLIB-L subscribers will not see your
call for help, until the next business day!  Be specific, and DO NOT
ABBREVIATE the names of a journal, unless you explain that you cannot
decode what the abbreviations stand for.


#2):  Create an informative subject heading, prefaced with "ILL".  Here
are some examples:

        SUBJECT:  ILL: 2 articles from Norwegian journals
        SUBJECT:  ILL: 1972 Annual Conference of Ferromagnetic Alloys
        SUBJECT:  ILL: superceded NIOSH regulations


#3):  Try to incorporate the ISSN or ISBN numbers for each item you are
looking for.  If you are looking for conference proceeding, provide AS
MUCH information about the conference & proceedings as possible
(such as: name of the sponsoring body, acronyms, alternate names for the
conference, a sequence number for the conference).


#4):  Ask people to first contact you by EMAIL.  That way only one person
has to pay for the long distance charges in faxing you the item.


#5):  Make sure that people will see your email address (this is an
ongoing struggle with BUSLIB-L's participants).


#6):  Always specify what country you are in, so that people can determine
in advance if they can afford to pay the long distance fees to fax
the information to you.


#7):  The person requesting an item is ALWAYS liable for payment of what
ever copyright fees or royalties, might apply.


#8):  In most countries, it would be a violation of copyright laws, if you
are purposely trying to get someone to send you a free copy as a favor,
in order to bypass the author's or publisher's royalty fees.


#9):  Be prepared to fill out an official ILL request form, before a
library is able to commit to sending you an article or book.


#10):  Have you ever seen an ILL/FAX request that was not a rush?
Everyone who reads them, presumes it is a rush, so don't remind them of
it.  Likewise, if you are frequently seeking ILL/FAX help, then you might
want to work with a document delivery company, rather than always burden
your friends on BUSLIB-L.


#11):  Do not make unreasonable requests... recently, someone posted a
request, asking for the document to be delivered to them WITHIN FIFTEEN
MINUTES of hitting the 'send key' on their posting!


#12):  Remember to send thank you notes TO THE INDIVIDUALS who were able
to lend a hand with the fractured citation, or with the ILL request.
These expressions of gratitude should be sent as PERSONAL MAIL, instead of
going to the ENTIRE LIST of 1,800+ subscribers!  This was a frequently
voiced concern, in the survey of BUSLIB-L subscribers.

GARY KLEIN, volunteering as Editor of BUSLIB-L and also PRT-LIBN
            BUSLIB-L's FAQ = http://www.willamette.edu/~gklein/buslib.htm
            PRT-LIBN's FAQ = http://www.willamette.edu/~gklein/prtlibn.htm
Management & Economics Librarian
Hatfield Library / Willamette University / Salem, OR 97301 USA
[log in to unmask]  work #503-370-6743  http://members.aol.com/tethered""

Mike Yared