7.7 Document supply
The supply of photocopies to users who cannot visit the resource
centre, or to other resource centres, is often called document
supply.
Users may need to see articles in periodicals or chapters in
books that are not held by the resource centre. Resource centre
staff can enable them to do this by asking other resource centres
for document supply services. Staff can develop a knowledge
of what materials are available from other resource centres
by providing referral services (see Section
7.8).
Document supply is one of the services that network members often
provide for each other (see
Section 8.3: Networks and networking). This is usually on
the basis of mutual support - resource centres are expected to
supply a similar number of materials to the number that they request.
If document supply is requested from resource centres and libraries
that are not part of a network, they will usually make a charge.
Charges vary, but can be quite expensive - for example, up to
GB£5/US$10 for an article.
To comply with copyright regulations, it is important to keep
records of photocopied materials obtained and supplied via document
supply. Records of requests for materials should include details
of what was requested, who requested it, the date it was requested,
the date it arrived and the organisation that supplied it. Records
of materials supplied to other organisations should included
details of what was requested, the organisation that requested
it, the date it was requested and the date the photocopies were
sent.
next: 7.8 Referral services
top of page
