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Interlibrary Loan
THE END OF AN ERA: COUPONS NO MORE!
The Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group is ending the interlibrary loan coupon program! The program will be phased out according to the following schedule over the next calendar year.
DECEMBER 31, 2008 WILL BE THE LAST DAY TO REDEEM COUPONS! Please read this article!
There has been ongoing discussion in NCNMLG for a couple of years past concerning whether or not the group should continue with the interlibrary loan coupon program. When the program began in the 1990’s, it provided a much needed service compatible with the paper-based technologies of the day. Since that time, however, libraries and interlibrary loan and the means to track and pay for loans have moved into the online, computer-based realm, and the old paper-based technologies have become outmoded. For the past year or more, requests both to purchase and to redeem coupons have dropped precipitately, and it has become evident that the service no longer meets the needs of most former participants. In consequence, the NCNMLG is ending the Interlibrary Loan Coupon Program. All outstanding coupons will be honored if they are sent to the ILL Coupon Manager for redemption before the closing date. Coupons not returned by the closing date will no longer be honored by libraries in the system and will not be redeemable for cash.
How To Redeem Coupons
Please send your coupons directly to the Coupon Manager (to save time and to avoid the need to spend group funds on postage:
David W. Brown, MA, MLS
Library Technical Services Coordinator
Kaiser Permanente
Physician Education and Development
1800 Harrison St, 21st floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Please send your coupons for redemption according to the accompanying schedule (coupons sent early will be handled during the proper time slot according to the schedule; ANY COUPONS RECEIVED AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2008 WILL NOT BE HONORED):
January 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions A - B
February 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions C
March 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions D - J
April 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions K
May 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions L - O
June 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions P - R
July 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions S
August 2008
Redemption of coupons by institutions T - Z
September 2008 – December 2008
Redemption of remaining coupons.
Please be sure to accompany your coupons with the NCNMLG coupon redemption form, which can be found on the Internet at: http://www.ncnmlg.org/programs/coupon_form.pdf
Redemption checks will be made out either to your library as designated on the redemption form or to EFTS (this latter option is for those libraries who would like to use their redemption funds to set up, on their own, an EFTS account with the University of Connecticut Health Center (see below for further information on this). Checks will be returned directly to the redeeming library in either case and without exception.
Alternatives Now Available for Your Use in Interlibrary Loan Transactions
Libraries may wish to sign up for the Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS), a transaction-based electronic billing system for interlibrary-loan (ILL) and document delivery sponsored by the University of Connecticut Health Center. EFTS virtually eliminates the need to create invoices and write checks for re-imbursement for interlibrary loans and document delivery between participants. Among the advantages are monthly detailed transaction based reports, the ability to handle variable charges, and the ability to handle non-DOCLINE transactions. You will find further information about the EFTS option at their website:
The program’s direct contact information is:
Email: efts@uchc.edu
Phone: Toll-Free: 866-561-5045 or 860-679-4500 (8am – 4pm EST)
Facsimile: 860-679-1305.
Alternatively or in addition, libraries may wish to sign up for FreeShare, a cross-regional DOCLINE Library Group whose members agree to fill DOCLINE requests free of charge on a reciprocal basis. FreeShare participants provide free interlibrary loans to any other FreeShare group member. There are no charges for the material, the delivery method, or the service level. The loan is totally free to the requesting library. Any DOCLINE library--except Borrow-Only Libraries --may ask to be added to the FreeShare Library Group by contacting the DOCLINE coordinator in that library's NN/LM region. Participation in this group is by self-selection. There is no agreement form, regional affiliation, or institutional affiliation required.
Here is the link to FreeShare: http://nnlm.gov/rsdd/freeshare/
Your contact is Julie Kwan, Library Network Coordinator, jkkwan@library.ucla.edu, 310-825-5342.
If you have questions about the final closure of the NCNMLG ILL coupon program, please contact the ILL Coupon Manager:
David W. Brown, MA, MLS
Library Technical Services Coordinator
Telephone: 510-625-2369
FAX: 510-625-2342
© 2004 NCNMLG