Closing of libraries

[AmLitHist]

We just got an email today that my CC's libraries are available to faculty, students, and staff--they will mail us books, DVDs, etc. that we request, with those being sent out on Mondays and Thursdays (so presumably a skeleton crew working in the closed libraries on a limited basis).

They also reminded us of their very robust online/phone/chat programs, one-on-one training and help, etc.  And the Missouri ILL services will be back available starting June 15.

(I love our libraries/librarians--easily the best I've ever used, including the two big-name privates and the state uni here in town.)

[Cheerful]

We just got an email today that my CC's libraries are available to faculty, students, and staff--they will mail us books, DVDs, etc. that we request, with those being sent out on Mondays and Thursdays (so presumably a skeleton crew working in the closed libraries on a limited basis).

They will mail these items to your home?  Free of charge?  Any limits on amount and frequency?

[treeoflife]

I am able to get things scanned to me from the library, but there is a few days delay. All and all, it is working fine. I am going over all the primary sources I scanned last year and it is all fine. I am actually writing.

[Vkw10]

Our library is open, intersession hours, card access only. They're scanning articles and chapters for faculty and students. They leased a streaming video for my spring class. Most staff are working remotely, with librarians are teaching classes online.

ILL for physical materials is closed. A librarian friend told me that original plan was to continue ILL, but so many libraries shut ILL down that over 90% of requests couldn't be filled. Same friend told me that our library is on university list for "open with minimal staffing between semesters" so when state designated universities as essential businesses, the university made library the computer access point for students who live locally. That's probably why library stayed open.

[AmLitHist]

We just got an email today that my CC's libraries are available to faculty, students, and staff--they will mail us books, DVDs, etc. that we request, with those being sent out on Mondays and Thursdays (so presumably a skeleton crew working in the closed libraries on a limited basis).

They will mail these items to your home?  Free of charge?  Any limits on amount and frequency?

No charge, and usual limits (i.e., unlimited for faculty, and limited checkout times for students).  Our librarians have always been pretty good about pushing to have a lot of materials and resources available for us (currently we have 196 subscription databases, which is amazing for a CC).  I'd imagine that their decreased PT and student salaries while they've been closed is being used to fund the mailings, at least in part.

[Wahoo Redux]

I've posted this before, and it may not be entirely legal, but you can often find entire books (10 years old or older) posted somewhere on the Internet by putting the book title with "PDF" into Google.  I've located a number of downloadable academic monographs that way.

If I need something on the fly, or if I need to decide if something is worthwhile, I often go to JStore or Academic Search Complete and look up a book review.  These often include the most relevant quotations.

Good luck.

[mamselle]

And I believe J-Stor's offer of 100 free downloads during quarantine is still good, yes?

M.

[delsur]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

[Caracal]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

Some stuff is available to everyone free of charge. The Emergency National Library has a lot of books that are more than 15-20 years old.

[mamselle]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

Are there any colleagues in your field teaching at that school now? (Or former instructors?)

Could one of them get the materials out and scan a few pages for you?

M.

[Vkw10]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

Some stuff is available to everyone free of charge. The Emergency National Library has a lot of books that are more than 15-20 years old.

The Emergency National Library is going to reduce/stop providing books soon due to lawsuits and libraries beginning to re-open. I think June 15, but I deleted the email.

I asked librarian friend about alumni access to online databases last year. She said it would cost many thousands to add alumni to just one database, because the database companies charge extra for alumni.

I've heard that some databases are temporarily free without going through library. Just go straight to database website and try. My librarian friend calls this the drug dealer marketing technique - get people hooked with temporary freebie, so they'll pay or pressure library to pay when the freebie ends. Worth trying if you don't have library access.

[delsur]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

Are there any colleagues in your field teaching at that school now? (Or former instructors?)

Could one of them get the materials out and scan a few pages for you?

M.

Yes, I have some colleagues and I will have to turn to them at some point! I'm at a stage where I still have to locate my key materials so what I really need to do is a lot of browsing.

[Myword]

I am interested in where you guys are located? I am from Chicago area.


By the way, while I understand the need for safety, smaller colleges and universities could work out a compromise logistically, to permit ILL and keep the library open for limited hours and students.  This could be done without much problem. It's about saving money and it is much easier simply to close doors to everyone. The bottom line becomes first priority.

[delsur]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

Some stuff is available to everyone free of charge. The Emergency National Library has a lot of books that are more than 15-20 years old.

The Emergency National Library is going to reduce/stop providing books soon due to lawsuits and libraries beginning to re-open. I think June 15, but I deleted the email.

I asked librarian friend about alumni access to online databases last year. She said it would cost many thousands to add alumni to just one database, because the database companies charge extra for alumni.

I've heard that some databases are temporarily free without going through library. Just go straight to database website and try. My librarian friend calls this the drug dealer marketing technique - get people hooked with temporary freebie, so they'll pay or pressure library to pay when the freebie ends. Worth trying if you don't have library access.

Thank you!

[polly_mer]

I'm struggling with this. My institution's library is useful for my research only because of its amazing ILL staff. Like others have mentioned, however, ILL is now only limited to scannable materials but not physical books. I usually pay a fee as a community member at a university library near me which allows for in-library reading. Of course, this is no longer possible and probably won't be until the end of the year. I've noticed on that university's library as well as my Ph.D institution's that they now how access to many more electronic materials than before thanks to different services and presses offering them. My library, sadly, has no such offerings due not subscribing to them or simply being a small/unknown institution. This situation exacerbates the unequal access to resources and knowledge between elite institutions and the rest. I was lucky enough to get a research leave next semester but I am worried I will not have access to the necessary materials.

I actually wrote to my Ph.D. institution asking whether they would consider extending online library access to alumni. Of course, they politely declined.

To whom did you write at your PhD institution and did you just ask for alumni or did you try to work out a courtesy appointment that includes borrower privileges?

Your graduate advisor or other mentor might be able to get you a limited-term courtesy appointment (i.e., no money paid to you)that includes a temporary staff card that allows you standard borrowing privileges.  You might have to jump a couple hoops to be right with the official paperwork, but it may be a possibility.

I've been extended temporary access for weeklong workshops at larger places, so the mechanism likely exists.

Is your library a member of any consortia?  I remember being able to check out a limited term visitor's pass from one small library that was good at the state flagship several hours' drive away.  That visitor's pass also allowed me to have limited access to electronic materials for the term of the "visit".  The pass was necessary because the small library was only allowed a handful of exported visitors at a time under the consortium agreement.

You may also want to search for additional community borrowers programs that are farther away to see if any of them allow remote access or have better access.

If you have any contacts at the small library, then I would ask if any of them can get you a special favor at a larger library to have limited access to electronic materials.  It's sometimes possible for special borrower privileges to be extended under little-used agreements that aren't widely advertised.

If you have any contacts as a regular community borrower at the larger library, then it might be worth asking if there are any special programs for an additional fee that you could get electronic access.