Dear Del ILLa
Dear Del ILLa answers questions about interlibrary loan issues in the Minitex region.
Ask Dear Del ILLa a question
and the answer might be posted here!
Worldcat Resource Sharing New Features – November 2011
Dear Del ILLa,
My library uses OCLC Worldcat Resource Sharing and I've heard there are some new
features, but I don't know where to find out about them. Can you help?
Feeling Left Out
Dear Left Out,
You can catch up on the latest news by checking out webinars by OCLC Worldcat Resource Sharing that occur on a
quarterly schedule. If you missed the web session when it was presented live, you can look at the
OCLC archive.
One of the new features available is OCLC Article Exchange. Libraries in our region are using it to deliver requested
articles to Minitex. If your library is interested in using this service to send articles to Minitex use this email address:
medd@othello.minitex.umn.edu.
Janine O'Malley-Lortz from Saint John's University says "we have been using OCLC's Article Exchange for two
months now and are very pleased with it!" Check online for more information about
Article Exchange.
You might also want to check out the new Lender String report. This report provides details about your library's
interactions with specific lenders up to one year in the past.
If your library uses Custom Holdings, there are two new features which will make it easier to manage your paths. One
is the Custom Holdings symbol searcher which will help you find the groups where your symbol has been assigned.
The other new feature is expansion of custom holdings group names from 8 characters to 20.
Del ILLa
In Library Use Items – November 2010
Dear Del ILLa,
How come I get items that can only be used by my patrons in the library?
Sissy Circulation
Dear Sissy,
As the collection at the University of Minnesota and other libraries ages, materials
may begin to deteriorate from normal use. In some cases, the item may be out
of print or irreplaceable due to budgetary concerns. We do try to find alternative
lenders if they exist, but if the copy appears to be the only one in the region, and
it could be further damaged by sending it out on interlibrary loan, we need to
make a determination of whether or not that item should leave the library. In some
cases, the loan might be the patron's only opportunity to view and use the item.
Whenever possible, Minitex staff try to fill your patrons' requests, but sometimes we
limit the patron's use to "in library" to protect items that require special handling.
Del ILLa
Packaging Materials– April 2010
Dear Del ILLa,
I want my loaned items to stay in good shape, so what
is the best way to package my items to make sure the
paperwork stays with the item?
Fretful lender
Dear Fretful,
To answer this question, I talked to our experts in the processing area at Minitex, (AKA "The Backroom").
What I learned is that after processing tens of thousands of items every year, the staff who work
there are pretty sure that for printed materials, the best way to send the paperwork is simply to insert it
between the pages of the item. For audiovisual items, a single or double rubber band works best to secure
the paperwork. What really can slow things down for them are plastic bags, excessive use of tape or rubber
bands, and unnecessary, extra packing material around the item. The delivery article in the April 2010 issue of
Resource Sharing News on page four
gives some good tips about packing your items. Also, check out the photo on page six for an example of
what works and what doesn't related to attaching your paperwork.
Del ILLa
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OCLC Symbol for Minitex – December 2009
Dear Del ILLa,
I use OCLC to send requests to Minitex. Wouldn't my request be filled faster if I used the symbol MNU instead of MII?
Confused A. Boutcampus
Dear Confused,
Some people mistakenly believe that sending a request on OCLC to MNU instead of MII will speed up service;
however, that is not the case.
The MNU lending staff is actually located within Minitex as a sub-unit
called Documents to U (DTU). All of the requested items are retrieved on campus by the same Minitex staff
2-3 times a day. However, while our DTU staff is working on the ILLiad system to process requests for
libraries outside of the Minitex region, Minitex staff process MII OCLC requests using our internal database
system, Alexis. Requests are downloaded two to three times a day from all the systems on which we receive requests.
When a Minitex library sends an OCLC request to MNU instead of MII, it can delay processing somewhat because
our staff must send a conditional message asking your library to redirect the request to MII. The reason for
this is two-fold. First, requests from Minitex libraries are handled through the MII account and non-Minitex
requests are handled through the MNU account. Secondly, MNU charges for filling requests – $15 for
requests from libraries in the United States. This is why we do not process requests for Minitex network
libraries under the MNU symbol. The revenue collected from filling those requests for MNU, after expenses,
is turned over by Minitex to the University Libraries.
Though Minitex libraries will not utilize it, InfoNOW is a new
fee-based information service provided by the University of Minnesota. It serves patrons who are not
affiliated with a library, or whose library is within a forprofit organization. InfoNOW requests are
handled by a separate staff outside of the Minitex office.
Del ILLa
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Referral Locations – November 2008
Dear Del ILLa,
I've sent some requests to Minitex with locations I think should be OK, but I have
received the message that the location was not accessible. How can I tell if a location I
find on OCLC is a place that Minitex will refer a request?
Nola Cashen
Dear Nola,
For information on referral locations, check the Minitex website:
Our list of referral priorities is set up based on turnaround time to our office. This list may
be helpful to your library if you are developing referral priorities, Rotas, or Custom Holdings
on OCLC. Remember, when you are setting up your list that you will need to take into account any
local borrowing arrangements and edit the list accordingly.
Del ILLa
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Ordering Bookmarks – April 2008
Dear Del ILLa,
I don't know how this happened, but I just ran out of bookmarks and I need to send some
items via Minitex delivery. What is the quickest way to get them?
Ina Hurry
Dear Ina,
We fill requests for all routing forms every Friday. This time, you have an urgent need for the
routing slips, so please call a delivery staff member and we will send them out immediately!
Del ILLa
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E-Journals and ILL – January 2008
Dear Del ILLa,
I'm getting more and more requests for articles that we own only as e-journals. I'm not
ever sure whether or not I should supply them. How can I tell if it is OK to use electronic resources
to fill ILL requests?
E-wondering
Dear wondering,
The only way to be sure is to check the license agreements your institution has with the various
publishers. Publishers that do allow use of an e-journal for ILL often have stipulations and lengthy
explanations such as:
The Licensee's library staff may supply to an Authorized User of another library (whether by post,
fax or secure electronic transmission, using Ariel or its equivalent, whereby the electronic file is
deleted immediately after printing), for the purposes of research or private study, a single paper copy
of an electronic original of an individual document.
The license agreement with publishers that do not will say something such as:
Interlibrary loans are limited only to the print version.
It would be time consuming to check the licenses every time you have a request. A good project would be
to make a list of the publishers that allow you to share e-resources, then prepare one alphabetical list
of the titles owned by the publishers who say "yes." Then you would have a single list to consult when you
get requests for e-journals.
Del ILLa
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Electronic Copies of Resource Sharing News – May 2006
Dear Del ILLa,
My office is small and I'm trying to cut back on all of the paper I receive. No offense, but is
there any way I could get my copy of Resource Sharing News electronically?
Macon Changes
Dear Macon,
No offense taken! Yes, Resource Sharing News is available on the Minitex website along with all of
the other serial publications coming from our office:
If you are subscribed to the Minitex email list, you will receive a notice when the latest issues of all
Minitex publications are available online. If you are not on the list, and you would like notice of the
latest issue of Resource Sharing News, just send an email to the editor at:
c-nels@umn.edu. She can also remove your name from the print copy list
if you prefer to receive just the electronic version.
Del ILLa
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