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[threepoint14]

Now, as a student, I'd feel not in the least bit guilty making requests for obscure scientific journal articles relating to my unrelated technical hobby.  Is this the kind of thing that would raise eyebrows for post docs / research staff?  Obviously the library doesn't know/care what my real work is, but I know that it must cost somebody money in the end to have something PDF'd remotely for my use.  Or is there some nuance to the library system that makes this reasonable?

Thoughts?

[sciencephd]

Is the PI getting the bill for it ?  If not, and it is a general library expense, I would probably not worry about it.  If it is getting paid for from a grant, that is a different story, because the grant should support the general field of research, not unrelated items.

[threepoint14]

Is the PI getting the bill for it ?  If not, and it is a general library expense, I would probably not worry about it.  If it is getting paid for from a grant, that is a different story, because the grant should support the general field of research, not unrelated items.

Thanks - This is exactly what I'm pondering - while I know it doesn't go to PIs, I'd still be concerned if it were even paid through the department rather than some mysterious library fund (which is how it worked at my last University).  I guess if this varies by institution, then I'll just need to ask my boss what the story is.

[collegekidsmom]

Depending on the state of the university's library collections, interlibrary loan is a big expense to the library. It's supposed to be spent on the research needs of the faculty. Library staff must find a source for the material, and there is a cost for every article ordered. The staff time in processing requests is significant. Of course libraries would prefer not ordering a lot of unrelated stuff for people with university/library funds. Some would probably be OK depending on the library and how stressed the department is. Libraries that are net borrowers have to spend a lot on material. Cancellations are adding to the woes of ILL.

Library funds are not mysterious. In this economy, funds are extremely limited and librarians often try to make sure that interlibrary loan is cut last due to how important it is that researchers are able to get their research-related books and articles. So, in universities I have worked in, it is hoped that ILL is used most often for university-related research.
So, to say the library doesn't care is not correct; every request has a definite cost to stretched library budgets. So, a few unrelated things might not be a problem; more than that may have a negative impact.

[threepoint14]

Well, as it seems, another university in the state has the articles, so I could just drive there... but in reality I'll bribe a friend at my grad U to pdf them for me.  I do have a great personal need for this archaic knowledge, though, and will be quite unfulfilled if I cannot dig up some of these papers.  I debated just joining a few of these random academic societies so I could get journal access online, but the cost is completely prohibitive for non-students.  :sigh:  There are so many non-obvious perquisites to being a grad student at a huge university, many of which that I did not fully appreciate.

[reader2]

I hear you, threepoint14!

Still, at risk of beating a dead horse, this is what open access publishing is intended to solve. The more that we publish in free, open access journals that anyone can read, and/or deposit our author versions of articles for toll-access publications in institutional or disciplinary repositories, the greater the number of peer reviewed scholarly materials will become accessible online, available to our colleagues at less well-endowed institutions - not to mention to the developing world. Who knows who will read your work if it is freely available online? And who knows what amazing things they will go on to do with it? And what do we lose by this? Nothing!

[grasshopper]

Do it and feel no guilt. The university is saving money by hiring adjuncts. The costs associated with ILL form part of the university's operating budget. It's not like you're stealing staplers. You're making use of services available to you.

[new_bus_prof]

If its your guilty conscience over using a work service for something non-work related, then simply make an annual donation to the library...$50 or $100 or whatever your budget allows. Then, you can ease your guilty conscious that you will have indirecly paid for your non-work related usage.

Honestly, it depends on the institutional culture for things like this. Does the university forbid personal phone calls, personal internet usage, etc? Or, does the institution value that you are a well-rounded person with outside interests?

[watermarkup]

If you're a postdoc in the sciences, and your hobby is technical, why are you even wondering about this? You're a scholar and a scientist. You don't know when you'll make a connection that will be important for your research. Didn't Feynman make some discovery based on watching how a frisbee spins? Go order the articles.

[collegekidsmom]

Yes, people can order the materials that they need within reason. Certainly some books and articles would be fine- It can be expensive to the library-that was the only point I meant to make. As long as it is for your own research, and not some company or something , that is fine. Too bad budgets are so tight-I hope ILL remains free in most cases.

[tee_bee]

One more idea: is your institution a public institution? Many public universities do provide services to the general public, as part of outreach and engagement, or as an obligation. Still, I like the idea of donating some funds to the library--more than what your library might incur in ILL fees. Then, you'll cover your costs, be a "Friend of the Library" (as our group is called here), and you'll be stone cold absorbing knowledge. Which is, I think, what libraries are for!

[jeffahall]

You were granted library privileges as a benefit of your employment.  It's a major reason that scholars take lousy jobs at low pay.  If the university had offered you a position without library privileges, you would likely not have accepted the position, or asked for considerably more money. 

Unless you think that your pay and other compensation is too high, I think that you can research whatever you feel like to your heart's content without guilt.

[renji]

Do it and do not think twice about it.

Your readings do not need to have a direct link to your field/research to be worthwhile. It is impossible to know what connections you might make until after you have read the article/book.

I have many publications that are outside of my discipline. Several were sparked by hearing a talk or reading a paper outside of my area.