Copyright (C) 2000, 2001 Monessen Public Library, 326 donner Ave., Monessen, PA 15062-1182.

Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

Last updated on February 02, 2001.

What We Need You to Do:

Table of Contents

1. Book (Title) Requests
2. Magazine Article Requests
3. Subject Requests
4. Author Requests
5. (What We Do)

Book (Title) Requests

When You Create and Submit the Request:

1. Please submit your request to us using our TITLE Request Form. (We prefer that a librarian fill out the Form.)
2. Please submit only one request on each Form.
3. Please make the print as dark as possible.
4. Complete as much of the Form as appropriate.
5. Include the initials of a staff member we can talk to if we have questions.
6. You can send your request to us by: mail, fax, our van, (or phone, if you need an immediate response; ask for the Reference Librarian).

When You Receive the Book From Us (mpl):

• Your patron can keep the book until the due-date. The due-date will appear on the bottom right of an accompanying copy of your ILL Request Form. (NOTE: Sometimes OCLC lending libraries "recall" a book before its due date. OCLC protocol states that borrowing libraries should return the book at that time, and not keep it until its due date.)

When Your Patron Is Finished With the Book:

• Leave the book for our van driver. Please include a copy of the (mpl) ILL Request Form.

We appreciate your cooperation!

Magazine Article Requests

When You Create and Submit the Request:

1. Please submit your request to us using our ARTICLE Request Form. (We prefer that a Librarian fill out the Form.)
2. Please submit only one request on each Form.
3. Please make the print as dark as possible.
4. Complete as much of the Form as appropriate. (Lending libraries can not fill requests from incomplete bibliographic citations.) NOTE: If a magazine is technical (very specialized, for professionals), usually only universities and colleges carry them, and they charge fees. Please write how much the patron is willing to pay.
5. Include the initials of a staff member (if we have questions).
6. You can send your request to us by: mail, fax, our van, (or phone, if you need an immediate response; ask for the Reference Librarian).

When You Receive the Photocopy of the Article From Us (mpl):

• Your patron can keep the photocopied article. (You do not need to return anything to us.)

We appreciate your cooperation!

Subject Requests

When You Create and Submit The Request:

1. Please submit your request to us using our SUBJECT Request Form. (We prefer that a Librarian fill out the Form.)
2. Please submit only one request on each Form.
3. Please make the print as dark as possible.
4. Please be as specific as possible. Describe the request in a sentence or two. (The more more specific and detailed your description, the greater the likelihood of success.)
5. Complete as much of the Form as appropriate.
6. Include the initials of a staff member we can talk to if we have questions.
7. You can send your request to us by: mail, fax, our van, (or phone, if you need an immediate response; ask for the Reference Librarian).

When You Receive the Materials (from us):

If we send you photocopies:

• Your patron can keep any/all photocopies. (You do not need to return anything to us.)

If we send you books:

• Your patron can keep the book(s) until the due-date. (The due-date is hand-written on the bottom right of an accompanying copy of your ILL Request Form.)

When Your Patron Is Finished With Book(s):

• Leave the book(s) for our van driver. Please include a copy of the (mpl) ILL Request Form.

We appreciate your cooperation!

Author Requests

When You Create and Submit the Request:

1. Please submit your request to us using our TITLE Request Form. (We prefer that a librarian fill out the Form.)
2. Please leave the Title Field blank.
3. Please write: "Author Request:" in the Notes Field.
4. Write your note in the Notes Field.
5. Follow the procedures for a Title Request.

We appreciate your cooperation!

What We Do:

Book (Title) and Magazine Article Requests:

If we reserve one of our copies of a book for you, we send you a duplicate copy of your ILL Request Form, with a note (a date) stating that it is reserved. We send you the book when it becomes available.

If we can not supply a book from our collection*, we forward the request onto the nationwide OCLC Interlibary Loan Subsystem. As proof, we send you a printed copy of the request's OCLC screen-display. (If you do not want the copies of the screen displays, let us know.)

Subject Requests:

If we can not satisfy your request from our collection*, we search the OCLC database and/or forward the request to one of the "Resource Centers"** in PA (such as Carnegie Libarary of Pittsburgh).

We, not the Lending Library, deliver (or ship) the material to you (using the quickest method); along with a copy of your original ILL Request Form. We do this to ensure that you have the name and phone number of the patron (and what s/he requested). Your due-date (if any), is on the duplicate copy of your ILL Request Form.

* NOTE: Our ILL Aides bring Interlibrary Loan Requests to the attention of our Collection Development Librarian for consideration for acquisition when we receive: 1) multiple requests for a title, and 2) requests for just-published titles.

** NOTE: PA's Resource Centers are: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; the State Library of PA; Penn State University Library; and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

We appreciate your cooperation!

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