Some of what someone wrote: :> When you submit a call slip, it could take days : > for the item to arrive. The staff are generally swamped and cannot offer : > personal attention. At the time of ordering a book the online catalogue shows whether or not the book is housed on site. If it is, the target is around 40 minutes - at busy times it can be more, to which you have to add queueing to retrieve the order, at non-busy times it can be much quicker. Some offsite repositories can deliver the next day (though not first thing as far as I can remember) but Boston Spa, in Yorkshire, takes longer. I find the reference staff very helpful. The situation in the new library is infinitely better than in the revered old library. It's joy to work in, except that the magnificent seats are non-adjustable, which I commented on at a readers' forum a coupleof years before opening, but of course they had been designed, made and delivered by then. John Weiss A devoted BL user before and after the move To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html