I worked at my local public library when I was in high school. I did lots of things there, including shelving, basic reference, checking items in and out, and registering patrons. One thing I didn't do though was interlibrary loan. I filled out the form and dropped it in the back to Vivian who made the magic happen.
I had no idea what Vivian really did. She was one of the few staff members who had a computer at her desk, and yet she spent a lot of time at the typewriter. However she did it, Vivian was able to get pretty much any book you asked for. They would come from all over the country, filling patron requests for titles so rare that they surely weren't held at the Rhinelander District Library.
Here in Pendleton, we do the same thing. And honestly, it still blows my mind when our reference librarian, Christine Bellessis, gets books from all over the country. The intricate network of borrowing and lending orchestrated over a computer database is a thing of beauty. Or maybe I'm just a big library nerd.
Either way, the materials on our shelves merely scratch the surface of all that is available to you via interlibrary loan. All you need to do is fill out a request form, and we'll handle the rest. Don't be shy. Give it a try, and let Chris do her magic!
Lynn Hobbs
PCL Director
