A Purchase-on-Demand Pilot Project at the University of Arkansas,for the Proceedings of the Materials Research Society Symposiums

In fiscal year 2004–2005, papers published in the Material Research Society's Proceedings series were the fifth most requested interlibrary loan item submitted by faculty and students at the University of Arkansas. This prompted the authors to determine if a purchase-on-demand scheme for items in this series, made without any subject specialist input, would allow the library to increase the strength of its collection at a price that was no greater than or lower than the real cost of traditional interlibrary loan. The study analyzes and describes the parameters of the data. Results suggest that this type of plan might be useful for libraries lacking a designated selector.     

馆际互借系统发展趋势研究

通过对当前馆际互借标准和系统的分析调研,结合图书馆馆际互借现状,试图对馆 际互借系统的发展趋势进行探索。     

Overnight Document Delivery Service

ABSTRACT

In these times of growing journal prices and shrinking budgets, alternative methods of information access are a necessity. Document delivery services have become an important alternative to providing information access beyond traditional interlibrary loan services. This article analyzes the effect the “unmediated” EbscoDoc document delivery service had on traditional interlibrary loan in a medium sized academic library. Access to the service was provided to faculty members at Wichita State University for a period of approximately two years. Use of the service varied from faculty members who ordered one article to the “super” users who ordered from 100 to 400 documents. This study indicates that while the few “super” users had a strong impact on document delivery, the presence of the EbscoDoc service did not reduce the use of interlibrary loan as the majority of the registered faculty continued to use traditional interlibrary loan.     

Book-Buying Through Interlibrary Loan: Analysis of the First Eight Years at a Large Public University Library

Purchasing recently published books rather than requesting them through interlibrary loan provides rapid service to patrons and builds the collection with relevant materials that circulate at least as much as books purchased through traditional methods. This article is a case study of how Joyner Library at East Carolina University has used interlibrary loan to purchase requested titles from 2006 through 2014 and provides an analysis of the results. The mechanics, changes, and successes along the way of the eight years of the service are discussed.     

Just-In-Time: A Case Study of Buying Instead of Borrowing at the University of North Texas Libraries, 2014–2017

There is a trend among academic libraries to increase collaboration between interlibrary loan and collection development to improve patron access to materials and build library collections. Instead of borrowing returnable materials, interlibrary loan may initiate purchases that will become part of the library's collection. This can mean anything from an organizational change combining interlibrary loan with the acquisitions unit or creating new workflows to facilitate purchasing. At the University of North Texas Libraries, the Interlibrary Loan office is a unit of the Access Services Department. Buying instead of borrowing for the ILL unit began with a Demand Driven Acquisitions (DDA) program and has expanded with the establishment of the University of North Texas Libraries' access-based collection development policy. Interlibrary Loan provides “Just-In-Time” (JIT) access to materials not available through regular interlibrary loan sources and adds relevant materials to the Libraries' collections.     

Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Difficult ILL Borrowing Requests: Using a Working Group and a Wiki for Knowledge Sharing

Interlibrary loan borrowing staff at the University of Arizona Main Library, who handle difficult interlibrary loan requests, are taking a collaborative approach to obtaining unique, difficult-to-locate materials. A working group within the document delivery team meets weekly to share examples processed during the preceding week to increase the fill rate of challenging interlibrary loan requests. The group also established a wiki for the purpose of sharing resources that have been used to solve difficult requests. The wiki serves as an advanced interlibrary loan training resource that can be accessed by a greater number of staff, enabling them to gain the skills necessary to process difficult requests.     

Streamlining Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan Services for Distance Learners

Abstract

Technological advances in the processing of interlibrary loans have enabled libraries to deliver materials electronically to users. Delivery is especially beneficial for distance education students for whom typical interlibrary loan services are often not a viable option. The author conducted a survey of libraries that serve distance education students to determine which systems and processes, used in traditional interlibrary loan, are transferable to the delivery of materials from the “home” institution to off-campus students. To complement the survey, the results of a case study of experiences at Western Michigan University (WMU) are presented. WMU uses ILLiad and SFX systems to facilitate the request and delivery of interlibrary loan and document delivery requests to students both on and off-campus students.     

The Role of an Operations Manager in Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services

Abstract

The goal of this study is to define and discuss operations management and its applicability to interlibrary loan and document delivery. The model describes an organization that includes an operations manager and a librarian to manage interlibrary loan functions. It is the intent of this article to ascertain whether operations management improves an interlibrary loan operation.     

Managing Interlibrary Loan Staff in Distributed Work Environments

Abstract

Virginia Commonwealth University has interlibrary loan staff members who work in a variety of locations. A review of library and business management literature and an informal survey of interlibrary loan managers was conducted to assess the extent and practices for managing interlibrary loan and document delivery staff members who work in separate locations. Data was collected to highlight common problems and challenges faced by managers who deal with this situation, and to consider the best practices used by the managers. The practices of interlibrary loan managers were very similar to those of managers found in management literature, indicating that library managers, particularly in interlibrary loan, can benefit from reading business management sources regularly.     

Usage of electronic journals and their effect on interlibrary loan: A case study at the University of Nevada, Reno

As libraries increase their electronic journal collections, would dependence on interlibrary loan decrease? This paper reports a case study at the University of Nevada, Reno, University Libraries (UNR) focusing on the usage of the Elsevier online journal package and interlibrary loan (ILL) borrowing activities. It analyzes four-years' worth of UNR usage and ILL statistics, gathered between July 1999 and June 2003. It also provides observations and explanations from a perspective beyond statistics, at the level of library services and the campus demographic and research environments.     

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.     

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.     

Usage of electronic journals and their effect on interlibrary loan: A case study at the University of Nevada,Reno

As libraries increase their electronic journal collections, would dependence on interlibrary loan decrease? This paper reports a case study at the University of Nevada, Reno, University Libraries (UNR) focusing on the usage of the Elsevier online journal package and interlibrary loan (ILL) borrowing activities. It analyzes four-years' worth of UNR usage and ILL statistics, gathered between July 1999 and June 2003. It also provides observations and explanations from a perspective beyond statistics, at the level of library services and the campus demographic and research environments.     

Little Changes to Interlibrary Loan Services Make a Big Difference at a Small Academic Library

Over the past five years, McGrath Library at Hilbert College has made its interlibrary loan services more convenient, efficient, and beneficial to both students and faculty. As a direct result, use of ILL has increased. This article discusses what small changes McGrath Library has made to improve interlibrary loan services and how these changes benefit both students and faculty. Just a few little changes have added up to a big increase in interlibrary loan use at McGrath.     

Scientists and the Journal Article: Choices for Access

ABSTRACT

Researchers must choose between many sources when obtaining journal articles. University of Toledo faculty and graduate students in the sciences, pharmacy, and engineering were surveyed to ascertain their preferences in journal article formats and features, and their awareness, frequency of use, and preference ranking of four services: traditional interlibrary loan, electronic journals, and faxes from either a storage depository or the UnCover document delivery service. Speed and print quality topped the desired features; faxing was the least desirable format. Electronic journals and interlibrary loan were the most used services, though there are indications that interlibrary loan is used reluctantly.     

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.     

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.