Kudzu-Ops Mailing List: Re: ASERL Board Decision: No-Go on students returning your library items to nearest library

[Hotchkiss, Valerie (valerie.hotchkiss]

Dear John,

 

This is very disappointing.  I would like to know what the ASERL Board of Directors rationale was. As anyone who has ever worked in ILL understands, we have a general agreements that every department mails books from other libraries back to each other when they get returned to the wrong place (which happens with some frequency).  This arrangement sought to formalize what we’re all already doing and will continue to do. It would have been a lovely gesture of support for our students and a feather in ASERL’s cap had we been able to do this as a group. 

 

Regards,

Valerie

 

Valerie Hotchkiss

University Librarian

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

 

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From: John Burger <jburger [at] aserl.org>
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 1:20 PM
To: "Email list for participants in the ASERL-WRLC Resource Sharing Agreement." <aserl-ill [at] aserl-lists.org>, "'kudzu-ops [at] aserl-lists.org'" <kudzu-ops [at] aserl-lists.org>, Kudzu Courier Users List <kudzu-courier [at] aserl-lists.org>
Cc: "Hotchkiss, Valerie" <valerie.hotchkiss [at] vanderbilt.edu>, Mark Jacobs <jacobs [at] wrlc.org>, "jevans [at] memphis.edu" <jevans [at] memphis.edu>
Subject: ASERL Board Decision: No-Go on students returning your library items to nearest library

 

ASERL Resource Sharing Friends:

 

During the past week I’ve talked with some of you about a proposal that is floating around:  Libraries would agree to accept items from students living nearby and return the items to the students’ ‘home’ institutions as a courtesy service.

 

After much debate by ILL librarians and the ASERL Board, the Board decided not to support this proposal.  ASERL will not be asking our libraries to undertake this effort under the ASERL banner, due to unknown costs, re-opening schedules, and other complexities.  Please undertake plans to retrieve items from your students and faculty according to your needs.

 

My thanks to everyone who contributed to the debate about the merits of this idea.  Your constructive feedback is welcome.

 

Take care and stay safe.

 

 

--jeb

 

John Burger, Executive Director

Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)

c/o Robert W. Woodruff Library

540 Asbury Circle, Suite 316

Atlanta, GA  30322

 

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