Librarian's Helper - Lewis & Clark Library System

Page33collection. Libraries are encouraged to have their own interlibrary loan policy, detailing how thelibrary perceives and provides the service. In Illinois, all members of the Regional LibrarySystems participate in interlibrary loan via the ILLINET Interlibrary Loan Code. The ILLINETInterlibrary Loan Code is posted on the State Library’s Web site.(http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/who_we_are/ill_code.html).Interlibrary loan is also supported by an immense delivery service that covers the RegionalLibrary Systems, the Illinois State Library, and the academic community. Material requested onMonday can be in your library by Friday.CatalogingMany people forget that cataloging is an important service offered by libraries. Withouta systematic method to retrieve items, a library’s collection is worthless. Items added to thelibrary’s collection are assigned a specific classification number, usually a Dewey Decimalnumber. This assigned number is used to shelve the item next to other similar items—forexample French language books are grouped together. The staff and patron locate the item bybrowsing the shelves or by using the library’s catalog to locate an item’s location.This catalog may be paper format on a 3” by 5” card (the familiar card catalog fromchildhood) or held within a computer database. Many libraries automate their catalog to lessenthe time consuming process of cataloging an item for circulation. These automated catalogsmay be stand-alone or consortia such as GateNet (http://webcat.lcls.org). The stand-alonecatalog will contain only the holdings of that specific library. The consortia catalog will containthe holdings of a number of libraries. A consortia catalog has a major impact on the library’sinterlibrary loan service.Children’s ServicesFor many patrons, the library’s children’s services are extremely important and popular.Children’s services include programs to encourage reading, homework help, gaming, andreader’s advisory all aimed at patrons 18 years and younger. Public libraries traditionally hostsummer reading programs for area children to encourage reading during the summer months.Illinois has the world renowned iREAD program (http://www.ila.org/pub/iread.htm) which usesa different theme each year.ProgrammingIn addition to the summer reading program, libraries host reading programs throughoutthe year. Children’s Book Week in November and National Library Week in April are twofavorite times. Other types of programs include book clubs, antique appraisals, retirementplanning, scrap booking, genealogy and local history. Recently, library-sponsored gamingprograms have gained popularity with area youth and senior citizens.