Interlibrary Loan Tsunami: Investigating the Rising Tide of Borrowing Requests at a Small Private University

Abstract

Interlibrary loan borrowing statistics at Foley Center Library at Gonzaga University far exceeded those at other institutions in its affinity group. This study details an effort to explore the disparity by examining policies, statistics, and trends. A review of affinity group institutions’ interlibrary loan Web sites and a follow-up survey revealed minimal policy differences. Other factors examined included increases in electronic databases, enrollment, and usage patterns. The increased usage of interlibrary loan was warranted, yet workload management was still an issue. Subsequent procedure modifications resulted in a 23% reduction in article borrowing requests over a six-month period.