Genealogy Forum NEWS
February, 1999
Maximize The Use of Interlibrary Loans
How To Maximize The Use of Interlibrary Loans Despite Limitations
Submitted by GFS LindaE@aol.com
Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library.
Using the interlibrary loan process is really very easy. First of all when you are at the library you do a search of your surname and see what comes up on the Cinch Finder. You write down the book title, author's name and Dewey decimal number and take the information to the information help desk.
Now the librarian looks to see if they have it in their archives or if it is on the floor. (My library is very big.) If it is on the floor in the Genealogy section or the History section they send you in the right direction and you get someone in that area to help you if you can't find it.
If my branch of the library doesn't carry the desired book, they do a search by computer to see where a copy of the book is located. When a copy is located they put in a request for the book to be sent to the library. How far away the lending library is will determine how soon you will receive the book. The library takes your name, address, telephone number and your library card number and the wait begins.
When the book is received, you are called and told it is available for pickup. It comes with a large green bookmark in it with the lending library's name and when the book is due back to your library.
You can also call your requests into our library and have the book delivered to your local branch. When it arrives at the local branch, they call you and tell you the book is ready for pickup. You can return the book to any branch library in your system.
The best part is there is no charge for this interlibrary loan. At this time I have a book on loan form the University of Chicago. The books can come from many different sources. I am told that even private libraries sometimes loan out books. I have never gotten a book from a private individual so I don't know if you pay for postage.
The end result is what counts. Interlibrary book loans are easy and hassle free. You usually get to review the book for three weeks. So far all my experiences have been good. The longest I have had to wait for a book is two weeks.
GFS LindaE@aol.com
INTERLIBRARY LOAN
Submitted by GFS Barb@aol.com
One of the resources I use to find the name and author of books I would like to use for references is by using the World Cat System. Lots of the big libraries have this or a system just like it on their computers. I usually use it at the local College library, using what they call the LUIS system. I enter the surname or name of place or event in this system and it gives me, if it finds a match, the name of the book, publisher, author and - BEST of all - what libraries have copies in their holdings and IF they include them in their Interlibrary loan program.
Finding what I want, I check the column that gives the name of the library and WHERE the library is located. This is important to me, because if I want a book about Raleigh, NC, then I figure that the copy in the Archives or State Library is in constant use there, whereas the copy in Seattle, WA, would not be called for as often, so would be more available to borrow. I then order the book from the farthest location from the location of the event the book covers.
Finding this information I then take the information to my local library and request the interlibrary loan be processed. More and more I have discovered that interlibrary loans are not as easily obtained. So many times the service has been abused, and the libraries feel they owe it to their regular patrons to protect the copies they own. In this case have librarian check or give you the addresses so you can request copies of the pages in the book you need, I have found them agreeable to these requests, usually for a small copying and postage charge. Interlibrary Loans have been a great service and one that we should appreciate and use wisely. If you think there are books out there that would help you in your research, order them now before it's too late.
Books I've ordered through Interlibrary loan have been Surname books, Histories of the State or County, Heritage books, Centennial ones for towns and churches, biographies, Military and Civil War books on the regiments and generals, where and when the battles took place. This is just a sampling of what I've used I am sure you will have many more ideas as you see what's available at this World Cat screen.
How To Maximize The Use of Interlibrary Loans Despite Limitations-----Message Boards News and Links
Submitted by GFA Terry@AOL.com
New in the message boards is an ONLINE WORD SEARCH ability! Now, you can type in any words or series of words and search every message for an occurrence of that word. This will make it possible to do very thorough surname searches of all the publicly posted messages. Check it out at the keyword ROOTS.
Some message board topics that might be of interest this month:
Libraries & Research Centers
Books & Publications
Nat. Archives & Records Adm.
City Directories
Local Genealogy Society Information
Family Name Newsletters
Family History Centers
See you in the message boards!
For Further Reading
By GeneBugSue GeneBugSue's AGLL Lecture (COMING SOON). Genealogy Forum News Dec 1996
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