Scan by Numbers: Interlibrary Loan Lending Statistics Shape Digital Initiative

In 2004, the Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services Department at the University of Central Florida Libraries began forwarding requests to Special Collections for review and potential lending. After compiling three years of data, an evaluation of the requests showed 23% of the requested items were in the public domain. Interlibrary Loan (ILL), Special Collections, and Digital Services began collaborating to digitize ILL requests on demand and create a digital collection of materials requested via interlibrary loan.     

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.     

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.     

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。     

Unnecessary Requests: Examining Patrons’ Reliance on Interlibrary Loan for Electronically Owned Items at an Academic Library

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Library analyzed 4,567 interlibrary loan borrowing requests for articles and other non-returnables. From 2017–2018, nearly 44% of requests were for items that the library owned electronically. Patrons could have accessed the full-text immediately but submitted interlibrary loan requests instead. This prevalence raises questions about user behavior and deficiencies in discovery tools.     

Always Yes,Never No

ABSTRACT

The “difficult” requests submitted by the research library users prove document delivery vendors could hardly replace interlibrary loan librarians. “Difficult” requests ask for the “grey literature” not traded commercially and not kept in libraries. They require the special attention and professional knowledge of the interlibrary loan librarian. Besides usual bibliographic and reference tools, the Internet, e-mail, and the search engines have to be employed to solve them. The help of those responsible for the production of the literature in question is significant. In tackling “difficult” requests, interlibrary loan librarians may further add value to their services by facilitating sharing between scholars or researchers. Five actual cases are presented to illustrate how the “difficult” requests were tackled and solved.     

许可协议中馆际互借和文献传递条款研究

对数据库引进中所签订的56份许可协议和国外6种主要数字资源许可协议模型进行调研,重点分析其中与馆际互借和文献传递相关的条款,并寻找国际公约和版权法中的法律依据,旨在为国内图书馆在数字资源环境下的馆际互借和文献传递工作提供借鉴。     

Annotations of Interlibrary Loan Process

This study presents an examination of the annotations, comments and notes written by Interlibrary Loan Borrowing (ILLB) staff and interlibrary loan patrons. Interlibrary loan requests were submitted on index cards, and later using the electronic interlibrary loan system (ILLiad). The research attempts to determine how the interlibrary loan process was transformed from the analog-to-electronic progression. Analysis of the notes, annotations and comments on 2,000 interlibrary loan cards and 1,975 ILLiad transaction records suggests that consolidation and synthesis of different components in the interlibrary loan process has resulted in increased efficiency. Patrons using the electronic service are more motivated to communicate with ILLB Staff via the “Notes” field embedded in the interlibrary loan request submission form.     

A comparison of interlibrary loan requests received by the National Library of Medicine: 1959 and 1984

In 1962, an analysis of interlibrary loan requests for serials filled by NLM in 1959 was published. In the twenty-five years following 1959, important changes occurred in the biomedical library community, which had a significant impact on interlibrary loan activities, including the development of MEDLARS and online searching, the Regional Medical Library (RML) network, and union listing for serials. To describe NLM's current interlibrary loan request traffic for serials and to identify any significant changes in traffic between 1959 and 1984, a comparative analysis of 1984 serial loan requests was performed, primarily by manipulation of automated request records. The changes in request traffic strongly suggest that the efforts to strengthen regional document delivery through the RML program have been successful and that NLM's collection is now used primarily as a last resort.     

Document Delivery at a Veterinary Medical Library

The purpose of this study is to assess the use of document delivery services provided for primary clientele of the Veterinary Medical Library at Auburn University. This study describes and quantifies external library use patterns of the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students, for a twelve-month period, though an analysis of the library's courier and interlibrary loan services. Three hypotheses are tested: (1) the majority of courier and interlibrary loan requests are for serials; (2) most serial requests are for nonveterinary journals; and (3) the demand for interlibrary loan and courier services follows a non-random pattern of distribution, i.e., the numbers of requests per month are unequal. The first two hypotheses are confirmed. Of the 2,376 requests for library materials external to VML, 2,197 (92%) are for serials; of the serials requests 1,608 (73%) are for nonveterinary journals. The third hypothesis is also confirmed. The chi square predicates a nonrandom distribution of requests by month. This study defines the nature of veterinary research as interdisciplinary. Findings identify collection weaknesses and requirements for new acquisitions.     

Electronic Media in Libraries

This article is a report of the uses of electronic media, such as the Internet, by librarians in academic, public, school, and special libraries. Their utilization includes searching databases, the retrieval of documents, locating materials for requests through interlibrary loan, and conducting the work of committees.     

Taking Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery to New Frontiers Using Relais ILL

Abstract

Relais International Inc. would like to take this opportunity to introduce our latest product, Relais ILL. Instructional technology stands out amongst the array of products we have to offer as this product has been designed with the smaller library and interlibrary loan department in mind. Relais interlibrary loan combines the sophistication and automation of Relais Enterprise with ease of installation and implementation. Relais interlibrary loan is ideal for a wide range of libraries that are looking to streamline and automate their interlibrary loan operations.

For a cost-effective and integrated solution to your request management needs, use Relais ILL.

Use Relais ILL: to automatically search a range of catalogs via Z39.50 and use the results to automatically build a routing list; requests are sent out automatically, as ISO interlibrary loan transactions to libraries in the order you specify; stay in touch with patrons using predefined messages or create your own message on the fly.

The task of delivering documents between sites has always been a staff intensive undertaking for libraries due to physical distance, searching for locations for the requested document, availability of the requested document, as well as many other potential obstacles. Relais International Inc. is striving to overcome these barriers by offering swift and efficient Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan. Relais ILL's features include high levels of automation, tracking of requests, patron communication, and a plethora of possibilities to help simplify the interlibrary loan process.     

A Narrative History of Resource Sharing in the State of Maryland

ABSTRACT

The evolution of statewide resource sharing and reciprocal borrowing for Maryland public libraries is discussed. Beginning in the 1950s, the Enoch Pratt Free Library assumed responsibility for filling interlibrary loan requests for the state due to the size of its collection. In 1971, Pratt became the State Library Resource Center and its interlibrary loan responsibilities became formalized. Through a series of technological advancements in library catalogs and interlibrary loan systems, Maryland has arrived at the MARINA system to facilitate sharing resources throughout the state. The state has a long-standing philosophy of cooperation, which makes the MARINA endeavor possible.     

Helping patrons find locally held electronic resources: An interlibrary loan perspective

The University of North Texas Libraries provide extensive online access to academic journals through major vendor databases. As illustrated by interlibrary loan borrowing requests for items held in our databases, patrons often have difficulty navigating the available resources. In this study, the Interlibrary Loan staff used data gathered from the ILLiad interlibrary loan management system to investigate why patrons request locally available materials. This study resulted in recommendations for the Libraries' linking strategies in EBSCOhost databases. Several user education needs were identified and communicated to the Libraries' Subject Liaisons.     

When the Pilot Is Over: Picking the Program and Making It Stick,Purchase on Demand at the University of South Florida

In 2008 the Interlibrary Loan department of the University of South Florida, Tampa, began a Purchase on Demand program, using interlibrary loan requests to supplement Collection Development practices. After three years the program was analyzed for effectiveness and compared to other programs currently in operation. To achieve a complete evaluation, interlibrary loan patrons were surveyed on their awareness and use of the Purchase on Demand program. This article combines the analysis of USF's program with recommendations gained through administration and evaluation of Purchase on Demand.     

Impact of DOCLINE on interlibrary loan service at the National Library of Medicine

In March 1985, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) began implementation of DOCLINE, its automated interlibrary loan request routing and referral system. By the end of fiscal year (FY) 1987, over 1,400 biomedical libraries in all seven regions of the Regional Medical Library network were using the system. This report summarizes the findings of an analysis of the interlibrary loan (ILL) requests received in FY 1987, comparing the results with a similar analysis done in FY 1984 to describe any changes in the requests or service which might be attributable to DOCLINE implementation. DOCLINE has had a substantial impact upon ILL loan service at NLM. An increase in the number of ILL requests (35% over FY 1984) can be attributed to the speed and ease with which requests may be routed to NLM through DOCLINE. Requests which cannot be filled by local or regional libraries are automatically routed by the system to NLM as the library of last resort. NLM's fill rate for serial requests has declined, however, from 78% filled in FY 1984 to 67% filled in FY 1987. Some of the decline results from the 11,000 requests that NLM did not fill because the borrowing libraries were not willing to pay the NLM charge for filling the loans.     

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.