MELSA FAX REFERENCE GUIDELINES
| I. | Reference Fax Service |
| A. | Fax machines provided by the regional system have been placed in designated Reference Departments of each of the member library systems of MELSA and in the MELSA office. In addition to this initial support base, fax machines are widely available throughout the MELSA libraries and their respective branches. See complete fax listing in this directory (p.11). | |
| B. | In response to specific reference questions, documents will be faxed from reference departments to respective member systems upon request of requesting library in accordance with objectives and guidelines outlined below. |
| II. | Overall Objectives |
| A. | Provide user with rapid access/documentation in response to specific reference question. | |
| B. | Provide for MELSA distribution of time-sensitive materials to member systems, such as legislative alerts. | |
| C. | Provide for rapid exchange of time sensitive materials between members and third parties (MINITEX, LDS, libraries in other states, etc.). |
| III. | Guidelines (access and use) |
| A. | Ready-reference questions may be requested by telephone. Document delivery is occasionally the result of telephone requests. Resource library will send document(s) meeting guidelines outlined below via FAX to requesting library. The resource library will then begin processing the request immediately. The client library should not formalize and confirm its telephone subject request by sending an additional interlibrary loan request. Each library should establish internal procedures for handling these deliveries. | |
| B. | Requesting reference librarian shall determine the need to use/send material via FAX machine, and the following factors shall be considered in making that decision. |
| 1. | Requests for fax materials identified by a citation should be limited to those instances where the citation results from a specific reference question. | ||
| 2. | The requesting librarian needs to ascertain if requested materials would lose their primary information value to the patron if they were sent via standard ILL channels. | ||
| 3. | The responsibility for determining if the patron's need for obtaining this material quickly warrants the use of fax of the materials rests solely with the requesting reference librarian. | ||
| 4. | Limitations on size and number of pages for document requested: Size 11 x 17 maximum; 18 page maximum. |
| C. | Protocol for fax support of inter-library reference service
Requesting Library System A |
| Step 1. | Branch contacts its own central Reference Department within System A to more completely make use of the local libraryÕs own resources. Central Reference Department within System A determines need to have materials faxed. | ||
| Step 2. | System A Central Reference Department contacts lending System B Central Reference Department or directly contacts branch within System B, identified as holding the requested item. | ||
| Lending Library System B
Holding library faxes materials directly to the original requesting branch. |
| D. | The lending library will make every reasonable effort to fax the materials within the time frame needed by the patron. However, there may be instances where the level of staffing at the lending library does not permit the faxing of materials within the time frame requested. | |
| E. | The primary purpose of the MELSA fax machine is to facilitate the MELSA reference backup network. MELSA systems can use the designated MELSA FAX machines to support other library activity as long as it does not interfere with the primary purpose, including making the FAX available to local government and businesses at rates set by the individual library. |