In a previous post, I defined some library terms and interlibrary loan was one of them. I want to explain just what interlibrary loan, also known as ILL, is and how it works.
As stated in the definition, interlibrary loan (ILL) is borrowing materials from other libraries. In Texas, we have the TexShare card that lets us borrow from other libraries so what's so special about interlibrary loan? The TexShare card is great if the library that has the book or article you want is near you but it really stinks if the nearest library is 400 miles away. This is what makes ILL so great, your library can get that item even if it's 2000 miles away! You will have to be patient, though. Even with the Internet, moving items still takes time.
Libraries use the WorldCat database to find out which library has the book you want and through this database, we can request the book. This process may be as fast as 1 week or it may take as long as 2 months. It all depends on who has the book and who is willing to loan it to other libraries. If it's articles you're looking for, then this could take less than a week! That's because unlike books, articles can be delivered electronically and libraries will usually forward them to you via email.
When requesting a book or article, be sure to give as much information about the item you want as possible. For books be sure to include title, author, publisher, and copyright date. This is because there is often more than 1 book with the same title or there are many editions of the book and if you get an old edtion, it may not have the information you need in it. When you're requesting an article, include the full citation information. This means the author, title of the article, title of the journal, volume and issue number of the journal and the date the article was published. The more information you can give the library about the article, the faster the article will get to you. I once had a student ask me to help her locate an article she had requested using the citation she found in her textbook. It turns out the citation had the wrong date but because we had the volume and issue number, we were able to find the article and get it to her.
So filling out those forms may be a pain but they could be the difference between you getting the right article for your research or just settling for what is available.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Libraries vs. the Internet
The growth of the Internet has caused many people to question the role of libraries in the search for information. People remember libraries from when they were children, full of books and librarians shushing you if you talk. Today's libraries are very different. They are no longer quiet places where you can get a book for your research but dynamic centers of learning where you can get up to the minute information on a variety of topics. And one place for information librarians use and recommend is the Internet.
It is impossible to do research without the Internet. In 2001 I started working in an academic library and I had a group of graduate students from the college of education come in looking for journal articles. I pointed them to the computers and told them they needed to get online. They insisted they were not allowed to use the Internet. This was a problem because everything in an academic library that has to do with research is on the Internet! I asked them if they were looking for articles, they said yes so I told them they HAD to use the Internet. I showed them how to search the databases and how to find the journals from the databases in the catalog. The real frustration for me though, came when the students found their articles full text online but wanted the paper copy of that same article. I pointed out that they could print the article for free from the Internet or pay ten cents a page to photocopy the article. They still went and found the paper copy and paid for the photocopies because they COULD NOT USE THE INTERNET!
Libraries facilitate the ability of people to locate information no matter where it is. They are places that have knowledgeable people and resources available that can speed up the research process. With the recession we are in now, we need libraries because of their role as facilitators. Public library usage is up and the Internet is a big part of it. Librarians don't see the Internet as a competitor but as a partner that makes their jobs easier.
It is impossible to do research without the Internet. In 2001 I started working in an academic library and I had a group of graduate students from the college of education come in looking for journal articles. I pointed them to the computers and told them they needed to get online. They insisted they were not allowed to use the Internet. This was a problem because everything in an academic library that has to do with research is on the Internet! I asked them if they were looking for articles, they said yes so I told them they HAD to use the Internet. I showed them how to search the databases and how to find the journals from the databases in the catalog. The real frustration for me though, came when the students found their articles full text online but wanted the paper copy of that same article. I pointed out that they could print the article for free from the Internet or pay ten cents a page to photocopy the article. They still went and found the paper copy and paid for the photocopies because they COULD NOT USE THE INTERNET!
Libraries facilitate the ability of people to locate information no matter where it is. They are places that have knowledgeable people and resources available that can speed up the research process. With the recession we are in now, we need libraries because of their role as facilitators. Public library usage is up and the Internet is a big part of it. Librarians don't see the Internet as a competitor but as a partner that makes their jobs easier.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Translating Library Terms
I have been working in academic libraries for 8 years and the one thing I've learned is that students and librarians don't always speak the same language! I make the mistake of assuming everyone knows what I know and I have to keep reminding myself that not everyone has the same education I do just as I don't have the same education they do. So with that in mind, here are some terms that are commonly used in libraries and their definitions. I hope this helps to make you more comfortable when using the library.
Database
A set of data grouped together in one location in (or accessible by) a computer. A computerized database has been likened to an electronic filing cabinet of information arranged for easy access or for a specific purpose.
Library Catalog
A list of the contents of a library or a group of libraries, arranged according to any of various systems.
E-journals
A periodical or magazine, especially one published for a special group, learned society, or profession available online.
Index
A sequential arrangement of material, esp. in alphabetical or numerical order.
Interlibrary Loan
A system by which one library obtains a work for a user by borrowing it from another library.
Periodical or Serial
A magazine or other journal that is issued at regularly recurring intervals.
Reference
A note in a publication referring the reader to another passage or source.
Resource
Something that can be used for support or help such as a website, book, journal, etc.
Thanks to John Kupersmith's website, Library Terms
That Users Understand, for providing the inspiration for this post!
Database
A set of data grouped together in one location in (or accessible by) a computer. A computerized database has been likened to an electronic filing cabinet of information arranged for easy access or for a specific purpose.
Database (n.d.) The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/database
Library Catalog
A list of the contents of a library or a group of libraries, arranged according to any of various systems.
Catalog (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/catalog
E-journals
A periodical or magazine, especially one published for a special group, learned society, or profession available online.
Journals (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Journals
Index
A sequential arrangement of material, esp. in alphabetical or numerical order.
index. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/index
Interlibrary Loan
A system by which one library obtains a work for a user by borrowing it from another library.
interlibrary loan. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/interlibrary loan
Periodical or Serial
A magazine or other journal that is issued at regularly recurring intervals.
Periodical. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Periodical
Reference
A note in a publication referring the reader to another passage or source.
Reference. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Reference
Resource
Something that can be used for support or help such as a website, book, journal, etc.
Resource. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Resource
Thanks to John Kupersmith's website, Library Terms
That Users Understand, for providing the inspiration for this post!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Welcome
I would like this blog to offer advice and insight on how to use the library. I'll provide tips and suggestions on where to find different kinds of information and hopefully, this will help the readers get what they need and also give me suggestions on what worked for them. Let me start with this very provocative video.
There has been a lot of talk about the value of libraries. With the recession, people are realizing that libraries offer more than just books, they off access to information. That's why this video, An Open Letter to Educators, I came across in a blog aimed at School Librarians was so interesting to me. Although it isn't about libraries, it is about how access to information has changed and that means the way people are educated has to change, too.
An Open Letter to Educators
There has been a lot of talk about the value of libraries. With the recession, people are realizing that libraries offer more than just books, they off access to information. That's why this video, An Open Letter to Educators, I came across in a blog aimed at School Librarians was so interesting to me. Although it isn't about libraries, it is about how access to information has changed and that means the way people are educated has to change, too.
An Open Letter to Educators
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