Photocopies

You can fill out an online PER-Blank Form, or a paper Periodical Request Form. Online forms are easier to read, leading to fewer errors, and they arrive at Mid-York a little faster.

Even faster and easier, if you can find the exact article you want in the Firstsearch Medline or Articlefirst databases, you can do the same as if the article was a book, hit "request outside system", fill out the short patron info form, and all the periodical information (author, article title, date, page numbers, etc.) will fill in automatically. If you can't find the exact article you need, though, this will not work. Many articles pre-1985 cannot be found this way.

Frequently, long journal titles are abbreviated in citations. We would love to have the full correct journal name, but if you don't know it, just give us the abbreviation you have, along with the other information.

Copyright is a consideration with photocopies. Copyright law states that "a substantial portion" of a journal cannot be copied free. We interpret that to mean we cannot request more than two articles from one issue of a journal. If more than two articles from an issue are needed, the patron must make arrangements to buy the issue or view it at a holding library.

If the patron requests more than 5 articles from the same journal within the most recent 5-year period, we must cancel the request. Copyright law prohibits photocopying "...such aggregate quantities as to substitute for a subscription of such work." If patron agrees to pay the copyright fee (fees vary very widely), then we can get the copy even if it is the sixth article within the 5-year period.

Copyright law also requires a library to keep the most recent three years plus the current year of filled journal requests. If you have any questions about this, or about copyright law in general, please call or email the ILL Dept. at Mid-York.

Fees are more common with photocopy requests than with books. Many libraries, both in New York State and out of state, will copy pages free. If they do not, fees vary greatly between libraries--some still charge .10 per page, some charge flat fees of $20 even though you need a 2-page article. We will never incur a fee without first getting permission from the library. Most libraries ask their customers if they are willing to pay the fee.

On the other hand, photocopies never need to be returned, so there is no return postage fee. Also, photocopies are sent First Class Mail, so you should receive them within a few days of the owning library agreeing to send them.

Medical articles are a special category. All medical libraries charge fees, usually a standard $11 per article, no matter how long or short. But we have a way, through New York State, of paying for them so your customer doesn't have to. For this reason, you will not be informed of a medical article's charge. When you get a bill for a medical photocopy, send it to the ILL Department. We need to have the bill in order to pay it!

Keeping Statistics. CLRC Delivery Locations.

Introduction. Books. ILL Request Form.

Information for Outside Agencies