----------------------------Original message----------------------------

Many of you requested a copy of the electronic access policy I drafted for my
practicum in an art museum library. Unfortunately, the demons ate some of the
e-mail I was saving and I no longer have the addresses of all of the people who
requested a copy. I am cross-posting this to ARLIS-L and MUSEUM-L, and hope
everyone who wanted a copy gets it. I have left blanks to protect the
innocence of the museum at which I am working.
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                                ELECTRONIC ACCESS POLICY

In support of the Museum's mission to serve an educational role through
exhibitions, publications and programs devoted to the study of ___________
(American, European, Asian, Contemp., whatever) art, the ________ Museum
Library is pleased to answer questions about the Museum's collection and
related topics. Priority will be given to queries directly related to the
collection.

Patrons may send reference questions and other information requests to the
Library via the form provided and an automatic reply will be forwarded upon
receipt of the question.

It is the policy of the ___________ Museum Library to check incoming requests
once per day and to respond promptly. A minimum number of photocopies may be
provided free of charge at the discretion of the Library. If the number of
photocopies required is such that a fee is necessary, the requestor will be
notified and must approve the charges before the copies are made.

                                INFORMATION REQUEST FORM

The ______________ Museum Library contains an extensive collection in the field
of ____________. This service allows users to submit questions to the Library
staff and is designed to answer short, fact-finding questions of a general or
academic nature pertaining to the Museum's collection. The collection includes
books, periodicals, exhibitions catalogs, auction catalogs, and reference
sources and indexes. As a member of the Research Library Group, the Library's
holdings are included on the Research Libraries Information Network.

Please state your quesry clearly and completely as possible, and be sure to
provide a valid e-mail address for your reply.

[Here blocks are set up for patrons to fill in their name, address, telephone
and fax numbers, e-mail address, question, and date by which they need a
response. We ask if the patron is a student and, if so, to indicate their
grade level and school. We also ask for the patron's permission to include
his/her query among our FAQs.]

                          AUTOMATIC RESPONSE

Your request has been received by the ____________ Museum Library. Every
effort will be made to answer your question within your indicated time frame.
Requests may be forwarded to another department for response, if appropriate.
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PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep in mind that this is a DRAFT, but I think that it
will give those of you who need one a boilerplate from which to work. Let me
know if you have any questions, or if you have any ideas about how to improve
this policy.

Polly Trump
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