Before you send an interlibrary loan request to MINITEX (or to your central library), it is important to verify the request.
This means that you double check to be sure that the patron's information is accurate. You check the title, author and other publishing information.
It is very common for information as first given to be wrong. Even slight errors can mean that the item won't be found. For example, in a large library, the authors SMITH and SMITHE will be found far apart in the author authority list. In automated catalogs even one incorrect letter may mean that the item will not be retrieved.
You should always attempt to verify items before sending them on. If you can't verify a request before you place an interlibrary loan request, you should try to pass along all the information you can about the request, and when possible let your central library know where you have looked. Central libraries definitely need to have verified requests before they request them from another library.
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