Analysis of Interlibrary Loan at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Library: lessons learned

Abstract

PurposeThe paper seeks to study whether process and cost‐effective improvements could be made to the Interlibrary Loan and Internal Document Request services at NIST.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze the usage data from the automated management system over a two‐year period.FindingsHeavy users, types of materials and journal titles were identified as well as process improvements. Anticipating rising costs remains elusive.Originality/valueThe paper gives valuable insights into the workings of document supply in a major research institution in the USA, particularly in relation to costs.