We often get requests from patrons who cannot come to the library and want us to do research for them. The most common request is to search for an article or obituary in a Georgia newspaper on microfilm.
We do not have the staff to do research for all the non-affiliated remote patrons who contact us. People needing something from our microfilm have several options:
- Do they know the exact newspaper, date, and page numbers? Refer them to their local ILL. See next bullet if ILL is not an option -- patrons outside the U.S. may not have access to ILL.
- Do they know the newspaper title and approximate date? Refer them to Jay Ergle in Copy Services at Main, ergle@uga.edu. He will do quick look-ups and send a limited number of scans.
- Do they have more extensive research to do? Refer them to the Georgia Newspaper Project's list of independent researchers for hire. Patrons may also purchase reels of many newspapers from the GNP.
Other remote researchers may request a scan of a page from our print collection or ask us to verify information from a specific source. Often they cannot wait for an ILL or are somewhere without access to ILL. If the source is not available at a library near them, assist as best you can, especially when you are not being asked to do extensive research.
Final note: We want to assist with research that draws upon our unique resources. The problem occurs when patrons -- most commonly genealogists -- come back to the same librarian with request after request. It is important to:
- Limit expectations at the outset, e.g., "We don't have the staffing levels to do research for people, but I will see what I can find."
- Set boundaries when one patron is monopolizing too much of your time, e.g., "I can look up one more page for you, but after that I need to help other patrons" and refer them to the independent researchers list.
