[PADG:627] Summary -- ILLiad stickers

["Karen E Brown" <KEBrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Message

Dear PADG: I had a few excellent responses to my inquiry about the use of bands, vs. stickers, with ILL materials. While I don't have any hard numbers, I thought I would summarize your input for the list.

• The University of California, Davis does not have specific instructions not to use stickers. If a borrowing institution uses stickers they are asked not to, and usually cooperate. If they do not UC Davis no longer will lend them materials. They feel that it is good to raise this topic periodically because they feel that the use of stickers is on the rise.
• Columbia University uses bands, and their head of ILL has not run into any problems with other libraries. Yale uses bands and their ILL staff feel that most places are using bands. The occasional sticker does come through. The only time they notice little or no damage to their holdings is when the sticker is applied to buckram.
• MI State uses bands with their statewide borrowing system and have specifically asked libraries not to use sticky labels. Like the University at Albany, they have had at least one experience where a borrower has put a sticky label on a book and not removed it, so we know that although we have asked that stickies not be used, they may be used anyway. Again, Southern Illinois University states: ""I would definitely not want another library to use stickers on our materials without our knowledge."
• The Navy War College in RI suggested that the ALA guidelines should specify that sticky labels not be used. Yale also feels that the use of bands should be mandatory. Note that there is the Interlibrary Loan Code for the US that RUSA revised/approved in 2001. Section 4.13 reads "The requesting library should package material to prevent damage in shipping and should comply with any special instructions stated by the supplying library." Southern Illinois University uses bands and said something very smart:  "I feel efficiency is important but not at the 'expense' of a library's materials."

In sum:

• Most libraries seem to be using bands and borrowers are usually cooperative.
• The use of sticky labels should be specifically prohibited and ALA should have this in their ILL guidelines.

Perhaps PARS should work with RUSA on the next update?

 

I hope this is helpful. Please do not hesitate to continue posting your ideas on this topic to the list.

 

Regards,

 

Karen E.K. Brown

Preservation Librarian

University at Albany