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Re: Email & Increased Research Requests



I think that if we let researchers know up front if there will be delays, we
do them more good than by letting them blow fuses by finding out the hard
way. If someone has an honest-to-goodness emergency (I've encountered
lawsuits, machines breaking down at critical times, and publisher's
deadlines) I'll do all I can to accomodate them. Otherwise, I'm clear about
the delay and the reason why - I do this by myself. If a delay in service is
a problem, I'll send researcher wherever I can for faster assistance, and
I'm blessed with a number of members in our Association who are very happy
to offer help from their personal collections and experiences. I've never
had a complaint.

Best wishes,

Thomas Berry, Archivist/Web Editor
Historical Construction Equipment Association
16623 Liberty Hi Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Phone 419-352-5616
Fax 419-352-6086
tberry@hcea.net
http://www.hcea.net



----- Original Message -----
From: "Erin Foley" <efoley.cwm@BARABOO.COM>
To: <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 4:37 PM
Subject: Re: Email & Increased Research Requests


> We first began answering questions by e-mail in April 1999.  We had 267
that
> year (11% of our total reference questions), 915 in 2000 (37%), 984 in
2001
> (43%), and are currently up to 770 through July 2002 (52%).  We also have
> developed a large backlog, primarily of e-mail questions.
>
> Our total reference numbers keep going up. Although some of the e-mail
> questions replace those we would have answered formerly by phone, mail, or
> in person, we seem to be getting lots of the "oh, yeah, let's e-mail
Circus
> World to see if they have anything" questions, questions that normally
would
> not have been asked due to time constraints, or from general lack of
> interest in pursuing a question in all of its many possible directions.
> Many of these people seem to be angry that we do not provide answers the
> same day.  And they do want "everything" copied for them.  Of course, none
> of our indexes is online, nor the sources the indexes cite.  We do a lot
of
> photocopying.
>
> Actually, I think a 3-week delay is downright minimal.  Good for them that
> they let people know upfront.
>
> Erin Foley
> Archivist
> Circus World Museum
> 550 Water Street
> Baraboo, WI  53913
>
> 608-356-8342, ext. 3283
> fax 608-355-7959
> efoley.cwm@baraboo.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Denman, Joan" <JDenman@WW2.FSU.EDU>
> To: <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 3:08 PM
> Subject: Email & Increased Research Requests
>
>
> | In earlier emails, Rick Barry and Peter Hirsch, wondered if the example
of
> the Bentley Historical Library's three weeks delay in responding to
> reference requests is portending the future. I think it is.
>
> ....It is becoming more apparent that numerous people expect your complete
> collections to be online or for you to provide them with extensive
research.
> What is the experience of other repositories?
> |
> | --
> | Joan E. Denman
> | Senior Archivist &
> | Archival Manager
> | Institute on World War II
> | & the Human Experience
> | Department of History
> | Florida State University
> | Tallahassee, FL 32306-2200
> | 850-644-9033
> | Email: jdenman@ww2.fsu.edu
> | Institute's Email: ww2@ww2.fsu.edu
> | Institute's webpage: www.fsu.edu/~ww2
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
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>
> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>