>The emergence of Internet based bookshops such as -
>
> <http://www.amazon.com>,
> <http://www.altbookstore.com/ > and
> <http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au/>
>
>have the potential to have some interesting effects on monograph
>inter-library loans.
>
Some thought on the ILL/currently available material aspects of this email.
>
>
>In print items
>============
>How do these changes affect what we do? Firstly let us take the case of
>books that are in print and available rapidly via electronic bookshops.
>
>Inter library loans are costly in staff time for the two libraries
>involved. If the item sought fits into the collection policy it should be
>bought
There is a pre-supposition here that any (every?) library will be able to
buy everything that is published which falls within its collection policy.
Even when collection policies are very tightly drawn, this is palpably
untrue, at least in the U.K, and particularly in Libraries where the
monograph funds (whether formally differentiated or not) have for many years
been squeezed by the need to retain periodical titles.
If is does NOT fall within collection policy guidelines why
>borrow it at all?
Again this raises the question of what are your collection policy
guidelines. I find it very difficult to imagine drawing up a guideline so
accurate that it can identify every potential title needed by every actual
or potential researcher in an unambiguous way. What about serendipity, or
necessary references from outside the main sphere of the subject and not
covered by other areas within the institution? Do we just say: sorry, you're
subject is English Literature, you want a currently available book about
South Pacific flora; it doesn't come within your cpg, nor anyone else's, so
no luck.
>
>We might wish to make an exception for very expensive items but should
>libraries consider borrowing expensive items from other libraries outside
>the scope of their collections to satisfy an unusual request by the user?
Yes, why on earth not?
Andrew Wale
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Andrew Wale
Deputy Librarian
Glasgow University Library
Hillhead Street
Glasgow G12 8QE
Scotland
Tel: 0141-330 5635
Fax: 0141-330 4952
Email: [log in to unmask]
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