Telefax Protocol and the “Nouveau Faxe”

Abstract

Forty U.S. and Canadian medical libraries are electronically transmitting interlibrary loans to the Eastern European Medical Library of Latvia. This resource sharing initiative is an outgrowth of a pilot project of the International Cooperation Section of the Medical Library Association. The interlibrary loans are sent free of charge using the National Library of Medicine's DOCLINE system. This article will discuss the success of this program and how it started.     

On Our Own: Starting an Interlibrary Loan Service From Scratch

In August 2009, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Medical Library opened its doors to students, faculty, and staff. One of the many challenges before opening the library was developing a unique and autonomous interlibrary loan service for its patrons. This article examines the decisions in choosing the best document delivery system, the management of funds, and the selection of holdings for a new medical library. Along with these decisions, there is discussion on the significance of costs, turnaround times, and challenges going forward.