At UEA we run a somewhat different system. Interlending is funded from
the Library's budget; each school is allocated an amount based its on
size and previous usage. ILLs are free to the end users; their school is
charged from its allocation, but only when the item is supplied. This
way the issue of refunds never arises.
Michael Robbins,
Senior Library Assistant - ILL,
Library,
University of East Anglia,
Norwich,
NR4 7TJ
01603 592437
>-----Original Message-----
>From: For interlibrary-loan and document supply services. [mailto:LIS-
>[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Document Delivery Service Durham
>University
>Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 1:40 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Refunding cancelled requests
>
>Dear All,
> I just wanted to ask how other libraries deal with refunding users
>for cancelled ILL requests? At Durham University we use a voucher
system
>for paying for ILL requests and if we cancel requests because the item
>isn't available, or because the user asks then I return the voucher to
>use against their next request. Our policy is not to refund cash and
>this is generally fine right up until the point when users have no
>further ILL requests to make and then the complaints just roll in. I
>just wondered what do other libraries do? Does anyone accept ILL
>vouchers against fines, which would be one of the more obvious things,
>however I wondered how much difficulty would arise from mixing and
>matching funds? We do advertise our policies far and wide but the
>message is difficult to get across to users who can't appreciate the
>staff time involved and just argue that they haven't received what they
>paid for. If anyone has any ideas how to improve this I would be very
>interested.
>
>Yours,
>
>Judith Walton,
>Document Delivery Service,
>Durham University Library
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