Perceptions of High School Library Media Specialists Toward Interlibrary Loan

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was twofold: to identify perceptions of high school library media specialists toward the psychological, political/legal, communication, planning, and funding aspects of interlibrary loan (ILL); and to compare perceptions of high school library media specialists who participate in ILL with perceptions of high school library media specialists who do not participate in ILL. Methodology. The subjects were 383 randomly selected high school library media specialists and V167 library media specialists identified by the Online Computer Library Center as ILL users. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey designed with a Likert scale. The data were analyzed using descriptives. Hotelling's T Squared test, profile analysis, and multi-variate discriminate analysis. Results. A 64 percent return yielded 346 responses which revealed that high school library Media specialists perceived the psychological aspects of ILL as the dominant influence. Media specialists were undecided about the influence of the funding-political/legal, communication, and planning aspects of ILL. Significant differences (Chi square (17) = 174.58, p < .01) in perceptions were noted between media specialists who participated in ILL and those who did not. ILL participants perceived that borrowed materials were returned on time, that processes existed for delivery of ILL items to schools, and that students could only satisfy ILL needs through formal procedures. Non-participants perceived these areas as deterrents to ILL. Conclusions. Findings of this study revealed that media specialists who actually participated in ILL had more favorable perceptions of its practicality in a high school. ILL non-participants perceived problems that in actuality did not exist. More familiarity with ILL increased the perception of ILL as valuable to high school students.