A review of interlending and document supply in France: 2010

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to review recent developments and projects of academic interlibrary loan and document supply in France – particularly the Science, Technology and Medicine sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a literature survey, conferences and interviews.FindingsRecent laws and court decisions in France tend to strengthen the position of publishers; but a new shift to more realism and to mutual agreements can also be observed. The institutional landscape is undergoing a profound transformation towards (probably) greater coherence between research entities, resource‐sharing projects and task sharing. Academic interlibrary loan and document supply activity has decreased steadily since 1997, with an annual average downward trend of 8 per cent to 10 per cent. To survive as a document supplier, INIST has reinforced its position as a “one‐stop shop”, steadily moving from a library to a broker strategy; in 2010, INIST launched a new platform called Refdoc. Open archives have undergone significant development but are not integrated into traditional interlending and document supply services and as yet do not offer a real alternative.Originality/valueThe paper presents the results of a five‐year follow‐up study. It is the only synthetic overview of the specific scientific and technical information market sector in France.