Interlibrary Loan Assessment: Assessing Services in a Small Private College Library's Interlibrary Loan Department

Assessment is a required component of strategic planning and decision making in any library. Interlibrary loan surveys can provide data regarding user satisfaction levels for accuracy, thoroughness, convenience, and turnaround time. As interlibrary loan librarians at D'Youville College, we believed that our patrons were satisfied and impressed with the library's recent service improvement initiatives. However, we did not have any concrete data that would help drive future strategic decisions. We were short on staff time and resources and wondered how a small library staff could create an assessment tool and then analyze the results.     

Interlibrary Loan Interoperability Experiment: A Nontechnical View

Accessing interlibrary loan requests from various resource-sharing software systems through a single interface has long been a promise of vendors—a promise not often implemented. Our region of New York State chose VDX for its hundreds of libraries, while the State University of New York at New Paltz, the major lender, is a participant in OCLC via ILLiad. Our staff required training and updates for both systems. This article describes our successful efforts to implement interoperability and the steps and missteps encountered to achieve compatibility between VDX and ILLiad.     

Developing a Data Narrative: Analyzing Trends in an Academic Interlibrary Loan Department

Between 2010 and 2015, interlibrary loan request rates at Albertsons Library at Boise State University were observed to be in decline. This study details the efforts to explore this trend and to determine a cause using existing data available through the OCLC Atlas ILLiad Web Reports interface. A simple but effective method to analyze these substantial reports is presented and practical examples of analysis conducted at Albertsons Library are discussed. By looking at factors such as usage patterns, new user registrations, and cancelation language, the decrease in borrowing and lending requests was confirmed and attributed primarily to decreases in graduate student ILLiad registrations and a lending ebook deflection implemented in 2015. Additional, focused qualitative assessment and updates to user interfaces were recommended as a result of the study.     

Interlibrary Loan Satisfaction Survey at the University of Evansville

The University of Evansville Libraries conducted an assessment to determine if interlibrary loan users were satisfied with the service. Patrons completed a survey online that gauged their levels of satisfaction with nine components of the University of Evansville Libraries’ interlibrary loan service. Overall, patrons were very satisfied with the service but offered concrete ways to improve the interlibrary loan experience, which were then implemented.     

A Case for Integration of Interlibrary Loan and Reference

The ongoing debate of whether the Interlibrary Loan Department (ILL) should be autonomous or a function of other departments is revisited in this article. Though much of the literature on this topic advocates ILL merging with the Reference Department, early surveys show mixed findings. The authors reveal results of a recent survey from 324 participants that includes library personnel from public, academic, and special libraries throughout the United States. The outcome of the survey supports the literature that ILL personnel strongly believe that their work is more closely related to reference than that pertaining to circulation or technical services.     

Meeting Evolving Research and Curriculum Needs: A Survey of Interlibrary Loan and OhioLINK Borrowing at an Academic Law Library

The research goal was to study the law faculty's interlibrary loan and OhioLINK borrowing activity to assess current subject gaps in the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library's collection. The authors analyzed and collated faculty research interests. The results indicate that additional purchases are required to support international law and health law, two curriculum areas currently under development at Cleveland-Marshall.     

Cooperation in a Multi-Faceted Reference Department: Blending Resources,Personnel, and Services of Reference,Instruction, Interlibrary Loan,and Government Documents

SUMMARY

Cooperative reference is a valuable approach to serving patrons as well as a means of expanding one's professional knowledge. Members of the reference unit actively participate in cooperative reference for answering patrons' tougher queries, bibliographic instruction, and reference collection development. The cooperative efforts of our unit have expanded our ability to find better information faster. Cooperative reference extends to all librarians within the University Library as each librarian serves in a rotation to staff the reference desk on nights and weekends. Some of the benefits of practicing cooperative reference are the following: providing a balanced and sometimes more complete answer to a reference question; increasing the knowledge of the reference staff by sharing experiences; and increasing morale and support for the reference staff. All of this is accomplished by doing what librarians do best: sharing. Successful cooperative reference relies upon good communication within the department, respect for colleagues, flexibility, and commitment to serving our patrons.     

Aiding Faculty Research Through Convenience in the Interlibrary Loan Department

The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Department at Murray State University has developed convenient methods to aid faculty members in their research. Various means of communication and programs, such as Campus Delivery, Document Delivery, and “Free ILL,” have allowed faculty members to see the wide variety of research resources that are available through interlibrary loan. These methods have been used as key public relations tools to promote library resources and services, and have strengthened the relationship between faculty members and the Interlibrary Loan Department at Murray State University.     

Reflecting Usability Engineering Goals in Interlibrary Loan User Interfaces

Many interlibrary loan services have an online Web presence, ranging from a page of policy information to an entire Web-based system dedicated to providing interlibrary loan services. This article summarizes key themes and works in user-centered design theory and suggests ways to apply usability engineering goals to designing interlibrary loan online interfaces.     

Applying Organization Theory to the Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Department

Abstract

Anticipating and adapting to change can prove challenging to interlibrary loan units. By incorporating organization theory into interlibrary loan operations, however, interlibrary loan practitioners at all staffing levels can discover new and more effective ways to respond to change. This article explores five organization theory topics as they apply to interlibrary loan: change, communication, culture, leadership, and motivation.     

Interlibrary Loan Fill Rates: The Audiovisual Conundrum

To execute an effective marketing campaign, especially one featuring a complex process, the library must combine marketing ideas with technological improvements that lower barriers to entry. In conjunction with the University Libraries’ Communications and Marketing Department, Texas Tech's Document Delivery Department embarked on a project to raise user awareness of Document Delivery and the services it offers. This case study examines how Texas Tech's Document Delivery Department lowered its barriers to entry for services and branded the service in order to raise awareness.     

Interlibrary Loan Patron Use Patterns: An Examination of Borrowing Requests at a Midsized Academic Library

The results of a recently conducted study of interlibrary loan fee-based borrowing requests are presented in this article. The study examined 3,074 borrowing requests completed over a three-year period from January 2007 to December 2009. Statistics were analyzed to understand patron behavior in submitting requests and the types of materials being requested.     

Interlibrary Loan in the United States: An Analysis of Academic Libraries in a Digital Age

The primary focus of this study was to determine the effect of digitally held full-text articles on interlibrary loan (ILL) rates in American academic libraries. A second focus was an examination of how the size of print journals and monograph collections affect ILL activity. Finally, the study looks, in a preliminary fashion, for any effects on ILL rates due to the presence of an MLS-holding librarian as head of the interlibrary loan department. The study investigated American academic libraries and gathered ILL statistics for the period from 1997–2008. It was found that there was a general increase in ILL activity since the 1990s, with an increase in ILL non-fulfillment during the period. There was a strong correlation between print journal and monograph collection size versus ILL activity. There was positive correlation between the presence of databases and ILL activity. The presence of a link resolver was also correlated with increased ILL activity. Finally, the study found there was no overall reduction in ILL department personnel in the last 5 years and that the presence of a professional librarian as head of the department was also positively correlated with ILL activity.     

以实践评析BALIS馆际互借服务体系——以中国传媒大学图书馆为例

以中国传媒大学图书馆的BALIS馆际互借工作实践为基础,借助工作中的学习成果,以具体工作实例为切入点,总结分析了BALIS馆际互借服务体系的优势,并提出了BALIS馆际互借服务体系目前存在的待改进之处。     

Developing a Web API for Interlibrary Loan Copyright Payments

Wayne State University Libraries (WSUL) pays copyright royalties for Interlibrary Loan (ILL) copy requests that exceed National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) guidelines. Prior to 2011, submitting requests to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) required harvesting the necessary data from ILLiad and Innovative Interfaces’ Interlibrary Loan systems, validating the requests, and submitting a combined spreadsheet to CCC. A 2010 announcement from CCC indicated that they will no longer accept spreadsheets for invoicing. The alternative method of submitting requests involves using their web submission interface—which is time consuming and places a heavy burden on staff resources. In response, WSUL developed a .Net web-based application that automatically harvests, validates, and submits requests to CCC using their private application programming interface (API). The system interfaces with multiple ILL systems and submits payment lists automatically, removing the need to manually enter copyright orders. Initial estimates suggest a yearly reduction of over 500 hours in staff time when compared to the web submission method.     

Interlibrary Loan Meets Six Sigma: The University of Arizona Library's Success Applying Process Improvement

In 2004, the University of Arizona Library Document Delivery Team embarked on a strategic project to assess the service quality and cost of filling interlibrary loan journal article borrowing requests. The Document Delivery Team utilized a Six Sigma Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control process improvement method. Improvements that were implemented as a result of this study led to increased satisfaction, decreased turnaround time, and lower cost per delivered article. Customer satisfaction surveys were utilized to discover customer expectations and requirements and to evaluate the effect of improvements on the customer experience. Measurement of internal business processes and cost analysis tools were used to determine cost savings.     

An Unmediated Consortia Interlibrary Loan Service: The Data and Discovery of CSU+

Abstract

In July 2017 the California State University system of twenty-four libraries started an unmediated interlibrary loan service for print materials, known as CSU+. This paper examines four years of interlibrary loan data, from two years before CSU+’s launch to two years after, to explore the impact of the new service on interlibrary loan usage. The data shows that CSU?+?dramatically increased interlibrary loan use across the California State University system.     

Interlibrary Loan Tsunami: Investigating the Rising Tide of Borrowing Requests at a Small Private University

Interlibrary loan borrowing statistics at Foley Center Library at Gonzaga University far exceeded those at other institutions in its affinity group. This study details an effort to explore the disparity by examining policies, statistics, and trends. A review of affinity group institutions’ interlibrary loan Web sites and a follow-up survey revealed minimal policy differences. Other factors examined included increases in electronic databases, enrollment, and usage patterns. The increased usage of interlibrary loan was warranted, yet workload management was still an issue. Subsequent procedure modifications resulted in a 23% reduction in article borrowing requests over a six-month period.     

The Electronic Library Information System as a Source of Interlibrary Loan Requests

The term Electronic Library Information System is used to describe the Wallace Library Computer Access System at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a copmuter system that not only allows patrons to search the library's catalog but also remote online databases, the Internet, and a Logicraft CD-ROM server. The sources of 892 Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request citations processed between January 1 and March 31, 1992 were studied to determine how patrons used this increased acces to electronic resources. Information on source of request, patront type, material type, and fill rate was collected. Particular attention is paid to how ILL patrons are using the Internet. The impact of this technology on ILL, and areas for further research are discussed.     

The Assessment of Patron-Initiated Collection Development via Interlibrary Loan at a Comprehensive University

Patron-initiated collecting via interlibrary has been examined regularly in the literature over the past decade, with articles examining the topic at public libraries, liberal arts colleges, and large doctoral institutions. This paper examines a patron-initiated collection development program at Grand Valley State University, a comprehensive university with an enrollment of 24,000 students. It compares Grand Valley State University's experiences with those at other types of institutions. The paper also discusses the different models used to assess the success of these programs within the literature and how Grand Valley State University used WorldCat Collection Analysis, circulation statistics, and peer comparisons to assess its program.