Changes to Document Delivery Policy June 1, 2009

The Walden Document Delivery Service will be restructured starting June 1, 2009.  Document delivery costs have risen 458% over the past year due to increased costs for articles and book chapters (an average of $40 each) and increased demand. Thirty percent of the requests for document delivery are for articles and book chapters already owned by the library. The library doubled the amount of full-text scholarly journals and purchased access to over 14,000 ebooks in the past year. In light of this information, the Walden Library will make the following changes to our Document Delivery Service.

PhD students. If the articles and book chapters requested are not owned by the Walden Library, the articles and book chapters will be requested through our suppliers.

Master’s students. Requests will be reviewed by the librarians who will determine if the item is owned by the library or if sufficient materials on the topic are in the library collection. Master’s students working on research intensive projects such as theses and capstone projects will be put through to the document delivery queue once need is determined.

Undergraduate students. Undergraduates are encouraged to contact the library for help finding what they need. Undergraduate projects generally have a shorter turnaround time than can be met by document delivery. Our expert librarians can help undergraduates find what they need fast.

There will be new forms for Document Delivery Service. Students who have signed up for an ILLiad account will not need to sign up again. Turnaround time is 10-14 days. The 25 requests per month and $50 per article cost limits will continue to be in effect.

All students are encouraged to contact the library about their research needs. Our experts can help you strategize your literature review for a dissertation, show you how to locate peer-reviewed articles and book chapters for classes, and search the Walden databases more efficiently. We have recently expanded our hours of reference service later into the evening so students working late or who are in various time zones can benefit from contact with our professional staff. Thank you for helping the library keep a cap on costs so we can continue to offer you more content and services.

FAQ

Will the service continue to be free?
Yes, we will continue to provide this service at no charge to the student. The library pays our suppliers an average of $40 per article (adding up to thousands of dollars per week.). Students are asked to be sure they need an article before making a request through Document Delivery Service.

How can I make sure my requests get through quickly?
Check the Walden A-Z list first for the journal. If we own it, you can save lots of time by using the full-text available to you for free, immediately on your desktop.

What if I can’t wait 10-14 days?
You can go directly to the publisher to purchase an article. Be sure to check the Walden  Library first so you aren’t buying something we already have! The librarians can also assist you in locating materials at your local library.

I’m a master’s student writing a thesis. How is this going to work for me?
Your request will be sent to a reference librarian who is a specialist in your field of study. The librarian will contact you to discuss your research needs and whether the library might have other resources for your topic. If the librarian determines that specialized resources outside of the Walden library are needed, he or she will add your request to the front of the Document Delivery Service queue.

How will you know if I’m a master’s student or an undergraduate?
The Document Delivery Service form requires this information and student status will be checked before any requests are made to our suppliers.

What can I do with articles and book chapters or book chapters I get from Document Delivery Service?
You may only use articles and book chapters for your own personal use. According to U.S. copyright law you are not allowed to redistribute the article (i.e., send it to other students in your class or anyone else for that matter), record an audio version of it, make paper copies and distribute it, or otherwise transfer it into another medium and distribute it. You may keep an electronic copy for yourself or one paper copy for your own use.

I am a student with disabilities. How will this affect me?
Students with disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Services to make their needs known. The library works with the office to provide materials to students who have special vision or mobility needs.

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