I agree with Elaine.
We too would never advise readers to phone another library directly unless it was to arrange a visit. But I have, over the years, come across certain "awkward" individuals who, having discovered other library catalogues on the Internet, have thought nothing of phoning individual locations to ask for a book BEFORE coming to us to place an ILL request for it. Or, having been advised by us that a particular library declines to lend or will not permit home loans, will persist in contacting that library to try and "persuade" them to change their minds! These are the ones who seem to find it particularly difficult to accept that not only is there a formal ILL system in place, with its own rules and procedures, but also that the system itself only works thanks to the mutual good-will and courtesy of its members, which they are endangering...
I too would like to apologise for any bullying by our readers and ask people to let me know the details so that we can have another attempt at explaining the ILL "facts of life" to them!
Eleri Jones
TalNet
Caernarfon Library
Pavilion Road
Caernarfon
LL55 1AS
Tel: 01286 679843
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: For interlibrary-loan and document supply services.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of E.C.Dean
Sent: 23 January 2004 11:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bullying readers!
This is a problem for all of us I think, particularly the COPAC
libraries. I am not sure that other libraries necessarily advise
their readers to phone, they make that decision themselves for the
most part. We would not recommend that readers ring any other
library directly unless they wish to visit and the policy of the
library concerned is to ask users to ring first. We certainly would
not encourage them to ring to check on an interloan request but with
easy access to other library catalogues, I' m afraid it is inevitable
that they will do this occasionally.
Apologies to any library who gets "bullied" by any of our readers.
If you let us know who it is we will follow it up.
Regards
Elaine
> Dear Colleagues,
> I regret to say that the instances of unpleasant
> [usually male] readers ringing me up here in the office
> at OX/U1 is certainly on the increase. Please do not
> encourage your readers to come direct - if there are any
> problems concerning our lending policies etc I shall be
> happy to discuss such matters with ILL library staff. Not
> only do I resent being bullied, but it also wastes time as
> these people are rarely content with a 'minute' phone call!
> On several occasions some of them have seen fit to ring up
> other members of staff here in the Bodleian before getting
> on to me, thereby wasting the time or annoying those staff
> members.
> I would appreciate if you could prevent this happening
> in the future, though I know it may be difficult in some
> cases.
> Many thanks
> Sandra Bates
>
> Room 320
> Inter Library Loans
> New Bodleian Library
> Broad Street
> Oxford
> OX1 3BG
ooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo
Elaine Dean
Access Services Manager
Main Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Tel 0114 222 7257
Fax 0114 222 7290
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/
ooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo
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