USING DOCUMENT DELIVERY TO OBTAIN ARTICLES OVERNIGHT Rapid Access To Journal Articles Not Held in a Local Library Document delivery is a special service offered by some libraries for the quick acquisition of articles not available in the immediate resources of the patron's usual library. Document Delivery is similiar to Interlibrary Loan, except that delivery to the patron is faster (usually 24 to 48 hours), and the service is more expensive. Following is a description of our service and a small list of Frequently Asked Questions. If you already know the procedures, you may go directly to our online Document Delivery form. Document Delivery Procedures at Spalding Library For every article requested, the patron must fill in the Document Delivery request form completely. The form is now available online and may be filled out and submitted from any computer connected to the Internet. Click here. This includes a daytime phone number, the patron's signature under the copyright statement or clicking the submit button to show agreement to the copyright statement, and maximium amount you would pay for the article. The Library staff may refuse to process any request not completely filled out plus your request will be delayed while we contact you for further information. After filling out the form and submitting it, it will be sent to the Assistant Librarian for Technical Services' e-mail automatically. It will be processed the next working day. When your article arrives (often within 24 hours), the library will contact you by e-mail or telephone, letting you know it has arrived and the charges assessed. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about Document Delivery Q: Can books be obtained through Document Delivery? A: No, the service is limited exclusively to journal articles. Q: Are all items requested actually obtained? A: Most are, but some are so rare that no document delivery vendor has them. Some publishers also will not allow a document delivery vendor to obtain articles from them at any price. Q: How much does it cost for an article? A: The average charge is $13. It could, however, be more or less, depending on how much the publisher of a given journal charges as a copyright fee. Copyright (royalty) fees can vary widely from journal to journal. This is why it is very important that we have a daytime phone number; if charges exceed what a patron has stipulated as the maximum amount he/she will pay, the library needs to know whether or not to continue with the acquisition of the article. NOTE: When you come in to pick up your article(s), you must bring payment with you. The library cannot release articles without payment of fees at the time of pick-up. Q: When would I use Document Delivery instead of Interlibrary Loan? A: When an item is needed sooner than the two-three weeks it takes for Interlibrary Loan, or when the items requested cannot be obtained through Interlibrary Loan because of copyright restrictions. Q: How long will it take to receive an article through Document Delivery? A: Usually 24-48 hrs. after the request has been processed. Q: If something I've requested comes too late for me to use, do I still have to pay charges for it? A: This would rarely, if ever, happen with Document Delivery, since you would know at the time it is ordered when to expect it. If it does, you must still pay for the material, since the Library will be charged. If you have any other questions or need additional information, please contact the Assistant Librarian for Technical Services, Janice Poston, by email or phone (502) 585-7130.