[NHCOLL-L:3244] Re: Electronic Loans

[ann molineux]

We have filled several digital loan requests and have handled the 
requests in a similar manner to a regular loan. A printout of the 
email is used as documentation following verification of the person 
and their institutional affiliation. In the database the loan is 
tagged as 'digital' in the 'comments' field, and the image file names 
are used as the specimen numbers. These are archived images and thus 
in theory we could re-send precisely the same image to another 
borrower. We require that the borrower credit the image if it is used 
in publication, or if it forms important reference material.
Our aim is to have an on-line form that must be completed and similar 
requirements for standard loan requests.
If we have no current image we take an image specific to the request 
in a similar manner to our procedures for any actual specimen loan.
We do not charge for the image unless the request is for commercial purposes.
In some instances a digital loan is the only way that we are willing 
to 'lend' the specimen; international loans of very large specimens, 
or any loan of fragile specimens for example.
I'd also be interested in how others deal with this growing area of 
loan transmittal.

Ann

At 02:57 PM 11/10/2006, rjb at ou.edu wrote:
>NHColl:
>
>We have received several requests for electronic loans from our 
>collection. These loans consist of taxonomic quality images of 
>specimens in standardized views. I am curious how many other 
>institutions are receiving requests for electronic loans, how the 
>paperwork is handled, and if any problems have arisen.
>
>We have an active NSF supported database grant for our collection 
>which includes imaging the specimens for the in-house database, 
>distributed database and web, so at least some of the specimens are 
>already imaged and the remainder will be imaged over the next couple 
>of years. I definitely see the merits of electronic loans, no 
>specimen loss or damage in shipping, less wear and tear on objects 
>that never leave the collection, no loss from mishandling or 
>misplaced objects, researchers leaving, natural disasters, etc.
>
>I have been working with our Registrar to formulate a better way of 
>tracking this type of loan. Currently, we have used copies of email 
>or other correspondence, but I think tracking the loans in a way 
>similar to physical loans is needed. Any experience or suggestions 
>would be appreciated.
>
>Roger J. Burkhalter
>
>Collections Manager, Invertebrate Paleontology
>Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
>University of Oklahoma
>Norman, Oklahoma
>http://www.snomnh.ou.edu/
>

**********************************************************************
Ann Molineux, Ph.D.
Collections Manager
Non-vertebrate Paleontology
Texas Natural Science Center
University of Texas
Austin, TX 78705

e-mail:annm at mail.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 232-5384
Fax: (512) 471-6090

Web: NPLpages: http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/npl/
http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/npl/mineralogy
http://www.texasnaturalsciencecenter.org


Mailing address:
Non-vertebrate Paleontology Lab, Bldg122
J. J. Pickle Research Campus
10100 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78758   
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