Interlibrary Loan In Academic And Research Libraries

A dramatic increase in interlibrary loan (ILL) in academic and research libraries in the last five years, combined with a changing office environment, is forcing reassessment of the relationship between the volume and cost of loans to service quality. In the spring of 1988, a survey was sent to 116 member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to gather data about workload, professional and non-professional staffing levels, use of bibliographic utilities, fillrates, and perceptions about staffing adequacy. This report uses the 76 responses received to present an overview of ILL staffing patterns, test assumptions about workloads and fillrates, and suggest some guidelines for libraries to follow in the analysis of their own efficiency and effectiveness. In conclusion, it is suggested that the importance of professionals in ILL may be underestimated, and that increasing ILL activity may be causing a reduction in the quality of service in borrowing operations. Six tables highlight survey responses. Appended are a copy of the survey and cover letter; a self-analysis workform showing median productivity levels for libraries found to be effective and efficient in ILL operations; and linear and quadratic correlations and a chart for monthly analysis of unfills. (11 references) (NRP)

The study profiles the interlibrary loan efforts of nine leading American colleges: the University of Texas at Arlington, Tulane University, the University of Minnesota, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Brigham Young University, the University of Tennessee, Colorado State University, Oberlin College and Stony Brook University. The libraries interviewed shared their thoughts on a broad range of topics including but not restricted to: workflow management, productivity measures, departmental organization, budgets and spending trends, service to distance learning students, copyright and licensing issues, measures for special collections, automation and software use, use of institutional repositories and open access publications, shipping costs and procedures, and many other facets of academic interlibrary loan management. The purpose of the report is to define and diffuse best practices by profiling measures taken by nine leading institutions of higher education. Although the report contains much useful quantitative information, especially relating to budgets and employment, the focus in this report is on a journalistic narrative explaining departmental goals, procedures and practices and evaluating results.

The perfect introduction to interlibrary loan! Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery in the Larger Academic Library is primarily a practical handbook for library staff members who are new to interlibrary loan, the suggestions and resources it contains will also be valuable to experienced interlibrary loan staff. With the tremendous changes and innovative new technologies that have been introduced in the past few years, this essential book fills an urgent need in the library literature for an up-to-date interlibrary loan manual. Based upon the policies and procedures of the interlibrary loan department at Rice University in Houston, Texas, this handy desk reference provides a case study of an actual ILL department as well as general suggestions for organizing and operating a modern ILL department. Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery in the Larger Academic Library: A Guide for University, Research, and Larger Public Libraries provides you with: the latest, most up-to-date treatment of interlibrary loan available a patron's perspective on ILL--what users want and expect from ILL services an extensive list of resources for copyright information and updated information on copyright law as it applies to ILL an extensive list of interlibrary loan resources practical examples based on the real operation of an ILL department helpful appendices and flow charts of the ILL process an annotated bibliography and list of resources for further exploration Designed primarily for librarians with little to no real practical experience in interlibrary loan, this book will educate readers about ILL and to provide a basic framework for evaluating an existing ILL operation or establishing a new one. It will also be a valuable reference for supervisors with responsibility for the ILL department, reference librarians, and experienced interlibrary loan librarians looking for expert, up-to-date information.

Guidance on how to do ILL efficiently and effectively, with advice on being a considerate borrower and lender.

University campuses and their academic libraries are increasingly interconnected. A major sign of this is the transformation of interlibrary loan into resource sharing. The emergence of resource sharing has brought with it new challenges for the university library. These challenges can be overcome, and the university library can emerge a stronger institution, more connected with the patrons and community it serves. To accomplish this transformation, libraries need to learn from the past in order to take a leading role in developing future technology to meet the needs of their patrons. Resources Anytime, Anywhere explores the transformation of interlibrary loan into resource sharing by looking at the ideas that have motivated the library-developed technologies that have changed the way resource sharing is conducted. Resources Anytime, Anywhere illustrates how academic libraries can take an active role in developing technology to meet the needs of their patrons. Through designing our own products and sharing them with other libraries, we can join the lessons of the past with the technology of today to create a more interconnected library that can meet the future needs of library patrons. Describes the theoretical underpinnings of interlibrary loan Explores how interlibrary loan has evolved to resource sharing Presents new ways of organizing and developing resource sharing staff Examines the technological developments within resources sharing Reconsiders the idea of collaboration and cooperation among libraries Considers new innovative technologies that can transform how resource sharing is conducted Provides recommendation and future directions of how libraries can apply these methods at their institution

This book contains the results of the first and only multi-institution study of interlibrary loan and document delivery customer satisfaction among academic library patrons. By examining customer perceptions and ILL/DD activities, Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction: Strategies for Redesigning Services allows library administrators and managers to better understand service needs and shows them where to best allocate resources. The volume includes current reports on workload and staffing in ILL, analysis of current ILL statistical software packages, reports of on-site software development, and suggestions for the future of ILL/DD services. As ILL and DD are the fastest growing services in academic libraries, having a tool that provides so much comparative data on service quality, efficiency, and effectiveness is crucial for librarians in search of solutions to an array of ILL/DD problems.Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction is a valuable resource for academic librarians, public and special librarians struggling with ILL/DD issues, DD providers (commercial or otherwise), and students in the field of library and information studies. Readers become immersed in the issues as this book: describes the development of local software to reduce the tedious tasks involved in request fulfillment, freeing office personnel to tackle more difficult requests analyzes how important delivery speed is to academic ILL/DD requestors and suggests when investing additional resources in improving delivery speed may be a waste of money provides comparative data on how many requests can be processed by the typical ILL office staff member debunks some long-held assumptions about delivery speed sets guidelines for efficiency and effectiveness proposes two strategies for redesigning ILL services to incorporate new developments in technology and innovative approaches toward long-standing, traditional servicesInterlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction is useful not only to administrators interested in redesigning ILL and DD, but also to other libraries interested in comparing the speed and effectiveness of their service with some positively evaluated services provided by high-volume libraries. The software review helps providers implement the best choice of software for their offices and provides in-depth discussions about the strategies needed to further develop one’s own software to reduce workload. At a time when the tenets of Total Quality Management and customer satisfaction are the focus of many managers, interlibrary loan and document delivery are transforming from peripheral services to primary services in the academic library. Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction reflects the convergence of these trends and provides a great snapshot of services provided by a representative group of academic libraries.