FAX POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Telefacsimile technology is available to provide a speedy, alternative method
for the delivery of requests for periodical articles and requests for specific and
brief ready-reference information

This service will be provided to Chelmsford Library users and to other
Massachusetts libraries--including school libraries--whenever the library
staff determines it is the most appropriate way of handling a request.

GUIDELINES FOR REQUESTING MATERIAL:
  (a) Requests for materials from periodical articles should be submitted on
the NMRLS or BPL fax form.

(b) According to NMRLS policy, verified requests with complete citations
will be answered within a 48-hour framework.

(c) The Library will accept no more than 3 requests per patron per day with
a limit of 30 pages per citation.

(d) There will be a 10 cent per page charge for the materials requested. Patrons
will pay for the material when they pick it up.

(e) The patron will be notified by telephone when the material is available.

(f) The Chelmsford Public Library is not responsible for the failure of another
library to respond to a fax request.


GUIDELINES FOR LIBRARY TO LIBRARY FAX USE:
  (a) Materials will be sent over the fax machine in response to requests from
other libraries.

(b) Periodical requests should be submitted with complete citations either by
phone or on the NMRLS fax request form.

(c) Subject requests will be limited to ready-reference requests. Materials to
be faxed in response to reference requests will be limited to information
contained on a printed page from a book, periodical, or index. Materials will
not be gathered from a variety of sources and faxed.

(d) The Library will accept no more than three request per library per day with
a limit of 30 pages.

(e) The Library will respond to fax requests within 24 hours, excluding holidays
and Sundays.

(f) The Library will accept rush requests, i.e. under 4 hours response time.

(g) The Library will notify the requesting library as soon as possible if it is
unable to fill the request.

(h) There will be no charge for this service to other libraries.


RESTRICTIONS:
  The telefax service is available only for library-related matters. For other needs,
patrons will be referred to private services within the community.