A bunch of Zetoc alerts arrived this morning, conveniently, because I'd planned a reading day today, although my "to read" pile is very high already.... Two papers in different journals attracted my attention so I checked the library catalogue to get access to them.
The first is in a journal I read regularly but, when the issue came up on the EBSCO web site, the paper I wanted was missing. I checked the email again: it was definitely listed there. I went to the publisher's web site and it was definitely there too. So to sort out the mystery I had to email our subject librarian who only works part-time so won't get the message until next week. I have become so used to getting material at the click of a mouse that a failure in the system is very irritating, especially as the topic of the paper is something I want to read about NOW.
The solution to this problem may well be to submit an inter-library loan request but...
The other paper is in an economics journal I'm not familiar with. Apparently we have access but there is a one year embargo. The solution to this problem is definitely an inter-library loan request. The online system for making ILL requests is straightforward and I submit it quickly but, instead of being directed to the usual copyright declaration form which has to be sent to the library in hard copy, I find I am now required to get the signature of the budget holder.
ILLs are expensive so some form of control is not unreasonable. But, as Open Access kicks in, the prediction is that publisher embargoes will get longer. This is likely to lead to more ILLs and more forms for the budget holder to sign. Has anyone thought this through?
So now I need to find out who the budget holder is...
