THE ABILITY OF THE BRITISH LIBRARY LENDING DIVISION TO SUPPLY BRITISH PUBLICATIONS ON LOAN TO OTHER COUNTRIES:

Abstract

Of the 377,000 requests per annum which the British Library Lending Division receives from overseas, some 21,000 are loan requests and the remainder are for photocopies. This paper reports the results of a study of the loan demand during six weeks in March/April 1977. Of the requests received during that period 77% arrived through the post and 23% by telex. Although most requests were for English language material only half were for British items. Of these 56% were for monographs and about a third were for humanities material (compared with a figure of only 11% of total demand on the Division). Most requests (73%) came from Europe, especially Scandinavia, and in this respect the distribution is quite different from the overseas photocopy demand, of which less than 50% comes from Europe. 51% of all requests are satisfied from stock, with a further 20% being passed to other libraries in the UK. The figures are 50% and 33% for British publications, where the Division is under more of an obligation to search throughout the country.