I'm certainly not an apologist for 'N.Y.State Library Policy makers,' but
would point out that the Standard requiring all public libraries to have
fax machines by this year was issued (if memory serves) about 1993. And it
does relate to ILL of periodical articles as faxing articles from the
lending library to the borrowing library speeds up the process
considerably. Survey after survey of library users identifies ILL as one of
the most important system services and speed as the number one problem with
ILL.

Beyond that, use of microfilm scanning programs is rapidly increasing.
Using such a system, the lender scans the requested document and either
makes a paper copy, attatches the image to an email (either to the
borrowing library or directly to the borrower), or makes an electronic copy
(floppy disk, CDR, zip disk, whatever).

Of course, this all assumes that you know what you want and where it is
located. It precludes 'shelf reading' or browsing.

But back to your basic point: libraries without microfilm readers. It IS
absurd. And I say this as a librarian and trustee of a public library
system. The vast majority of libraries have extensive holdings of
magazines, rare books, census, and other materials in film or fiche or both
formats. It's relatively cheap, lasts a long time, and takes up little
space (the original reason for its popularity). Eileen should embarass her
local library in public: write a letter to the editor, attend a Board of
Trustees meeting, start a petition drive, something. It sounds like some
wrong-headed pseudo-techno whiz had a bad dream.

Wayne Miller

gilbertsville free library writes:

> Eileen:
>
> Credit for that discarded microfilm reader lays right at the feet of the N.Y.State
> Library Policy makers who changed the N.Y.Library STANDARDS C 1999 from
> the requirements that all libraries (chartered by the N.Y. State regents ) have
> Microfilm Readers to read that all libraries are required to have FAX machines
> ........................go figure?
>
> Leigh C. Eckmair, Historian
> Town of Butternuts &
> The Local History Collection
> THE GILBERTSVILLE FREE LIBRARY
> e-mail:[log in to unmask]
>
> On Monday, November 27, 2000 3:12 PM, [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] wrote:
> > In a message dated 11/27/00 11:50:14 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
> >
> > << Often it is the mechanical application of these rules across the board,
> > instead of the examination of a situation by a thinking human being, that
> > causes the unthinkable to happen.
> >  >>
> >
> > I am a member of the NY Public Library and my nearest branch is in a corner
> > of the NE Bronx.  They relocated a few years ago from a small storefront to
> > an elaborate new building a few blocks away.  When I asked to use their
> > microfilm reader, they looked at me like I was an alien from another planet.
> > They told me that their microfilm reader was discarded because it was no
> > longer needed, as they now have computers.  How ridiculous is that?  I had
> > asked about an inter-library loan for newspapers and was told that newspapers
> > could not be sent by mail  Hello? Don't they know that films are
> > sent?........I guess not; that would require a film reader. I purchased a
> > reader, since then but it is worthless if I can't take the film out of the
> > library...a catch 22.
> >
> > Eileen in NY