BISON: At Your Service

The University at Buffalo Libraries are offering many new electronic services for your convenience. Whether you are at home, in your office, or anywhere there's a PC, you can now request a variety of library services via the Electronic Forms page http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/forms/ on BISON, the UB Libraries Web site.

In addition to updated forms for renewing a book, course reserve submissions, purchase recommendations, catalog services, interlibrary loan and document express, we now have three new electronic services: Recall/Hold, Reference Question, and Disability Services.

Circulation services include an updated form for renewing items when you want to keep them longer. There is also a new Recall/Hold form to complete if you want an item that the UB Libraries catalog says is already checked out. We can put a hold on the item at the Circulation desk, so when it is returned, you will be contacted.

Disability Services is another new electronic service being offered by the UB Libraries. If you are registered with the UB Office of Disability Services and would like photocopy, book retrieval, or reference services, you need only fill out a short form and we'll do all we can to meet your needs.

If you are a member of the UB community and want to ask a brief, factual reference question, just fill out a brief questionnaire on the Ask a Librarian form. Reference services also extend to recommending a book or periodical for purchase by the libraries. The Purchase Recommendation form will go to the appropriate campus library for review by a collection development librarian. You then will be advised of their decision.

Course Reserve submissions, as in the past, can be found on the Electronic Forms page. With this form instructors can place their course reserve material requests for the semester. Articles placed on reserve can now be read online by connecting to the Web version of our catalog http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/bison/ and selecting the course reserve link.

If you need a book or journal article that is not listed in the catalog, Interlibrary Loan is the form to complete to retrieve the item from another library. In addition, if you're on the North or South campus and the item is on the other campus, Document Express is for you.

Catalog services includes two forms: the UB Libraries Catalog and Problem Reporting Form. The first form is for when you check the catalog and find that the item is "In Process," "On Order," "Incomplete Issue," "Damaged Book," "Repaired Item," or "In Storage." Complete this form, and you'll be contacted when the item is available for your use. If you discover an error in the UB Libraries Catalog, such as a typo or discrepancies in authors, call numbers, etc., all you need to do is fill out the Problem Reporting Form and we will correct the mistake ASAP.

There you have it, the many electronic services for your convenience offered by the University Libraries! We hope that you will use these forms and find them helpful, convenient and easy-to-use. If you have any questions or suggestions for future electronic forms, please contact Gemma DeVinney, the UB Libraries Web Coordinator, at a libweb@buffalo.edu or 645-5946.

For information on connecting to the World Wide Web via University at Buffalo computer accounts, contact the CIT Help Desk at 645-3542.

-Sue Neumeister and Lori Widzinski, University Libraries