For Interlibrary Loan department staff in LORI library
Requests to the Statewide Reference Resource Center at Providence Public Library

Below is a list of questions to help solicit the information needed to completely understand a patron's request.  The better the question is defined, the quicker an appropriate search strategy can be formulated and material sent to your library.   Please summarize the question using the guidelines listed below.  Attach an additional sheet if necessary.

Define the Question - Be as specific as possible.  Requesting "information on" a topic is generally vague.  What aspect of the subject is the patron interested in?  What is the actual question?

Identity the Content - Where did he/she get the information?  What is he/she trying to accomplish?  Describe the circumstances which prompted the question:


Record the Specifics - What does the patron already know about the topic?  Include names, dates, time periods, movements, nationalities, countries, or variant spellings.   If an artwork, describe the work, the medium, where purchased or seen, and anything else the patron knows about work or artist; if a collectible, give as specific a description as possible.
 

Describe the Level of Difficulty - For a child or young adult, specify grade or reading level.  If subject is technical, can professional materials be used if that's all that's available?

Sources - Already checked by patron/librarian, e.g. CLAN, HELIN, FirstSearch