Document Delivery Project Research Articles

Implementing Electronic Document Delivery in Small Hospital Libraries

In July 2003, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Southeastern/Atlantic (SE/A) Regional Medical Library (RML) offered select member hospital libraries the opportunity to participate in a pilot electronic document delivery project. Awards of up to $2,000 were available for NN/LM SE/A DOCLINE-active hospital libraries. Funding supported the purchase of software and scanner imaging equipment. The smallest of libraries, and those without collections, needed receiving software only. After several rounds of Electronic Document Delivery (EDD) funding, statistics collected indicated a pattern of increased electronic borrowing and lending and shortened turn-around times for requested material. A by-product of the project was the development of an electronic-only, free sharing group in the Region, named ESEA (Electronic Southeastern/Atlantic Region), and adoption of clearly delineated electronic document delivery etiquette. Electronic document delivery rejuvenation in small medical libraries contributed to marked improvement in users' perceptions of hospital libraries as places of rapid, electronic information service, and of the librarians who provide these services.

The Future Library Consortium in Ghana

This paper looks at the major goal and objectives set by Ghanaian academic libraries for the formation of a multipurpose consortium different from the Ghana Interlibrary Lending and Document Delivery Project (GILLDDNET). It also discusses the challenges that will be faced in achieving the stated goals and objectives and suggests what librarians can do to make a success out of the proposed consortium.

The Maine Electronic Document Delivery Project

The article discusses an Ariel(r) document delivery project with seven Maine hospital libraries, the University of Massachusetts Medical School Library (UMass), and the New England Regional office of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Funding was awarded to six network members to purchase equipment or Ariel(r) software. UMass served as a document provider. During the test, libraries received documents from UMass via Ariel(r) or via the Web as a PDF document. This form of document delivery was faster than standard service with better quality of delivered articles. The column describes the project and outlines possible future steps.

3D: The Paperless Document Delivery Project at the Prior Health Sciences Library

ABSTRACT This article describes the investigation, pilot test, and results of implementing electronic document delivery in a paperless processing environment at The Ohio State University. The Prior Health Sciences Library Document Delivery Unit conducted a twelve-month pilot test from September 1999 to August 2000 to determine the best method for desktop document delivery and the paperless processing of requests. Participants completed a survey and provided insightful feedback on the request form and overall process. Special programming was required to implement desktop delivery and manage client requests. The result of desktop delivery was successful. The results of paperless processing were mixed. Future possibilities to complete the “paperless” environment are suggested.

EASY ‐ Electronic Article Supply

The Electronic Article Supply “EASY” is a document delivery project, setting out to test a system to satisfy inter‐library loans from publisher’s digital versions of articles. A user’s request for an ILL is screened against digital holdings in ingenta, if it is found there, for a fixed standard fee the request can be satisfied by the system, directly or subject to approval by a librarian.

Freeing Ariel: The Prospero Electronic Document Delivery Project

ABSTRACT Prospero is an electronic document delivery project initiated by the John A. Prior Health Sciences Library at The Ohio State University resulting in a software program that provides patron access to documents that are transmitted using the Ariel system. Using Prospero, documents no longer have to be manually printed out, packaged, and distributed. Patrons no longer have to come to the library to pick up documents or wait for them to be delivered. Documents can be accessed from wherever patrons have Internet access. This paper provides an overview of the Ariel system, background on the evolution of electronic ILL services, and details the development and features of the Prospero system.

Japanese document delivery project

Japanese document delivery project

Project EDDIS: an approach to integrating document discovery, location, request and supply

Provides an introduction to EDDIS, a document delivery project of the UK Higher Education Funding Councils’ Electronic Libraries Programme. Describes EDDIS from the viewpoints of a project, a service and a business.

The North American interlibrary loan and document delivery project: improving ILL/DD services

Describes the goals and background of the North American Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery (NAILDD) Project. Summarizes current ILL/DD pressures and trends in North American libraries. Details the Project’s three technical priorities, including the work of the ILL protocol implementors group. Also highlights related ARL initiatives in interlibrary loan and document delivery.

LAMDA: questions and some answers

Considerable interest is being expressed in a new UK document delivery project known as LAMDA. Answers some of the questions that have been asked about LAMDA (London and Manchester Document Access). It is hoped that a fuller account will appear in Interlending & Document Supply next year, when some of the longer‐term questions about the future of the LAMDA service can be answered.

News

Users of electronic information came under the spotlight at the OCLC Users Council meeting in February. The council comprises librarians from networks and other partners who contribute to the OCLC Online Union Catalog, and as well as representing the interests of OCLC member libraries it advises OCLC on strategic direction. One of its resolutions was to encourage OCLC's continued contributions in support of the North American Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Project, the goals of which are to maximise access to research resources while minimising the costs associated with that access.

Seeking the 99% chemistry library: Extending the serial collection through the use of decentralized document delivery

Libraries are successfully seeking, developing, and testing new ways to broaden their collections with materials that are neither cataloged nor stored for anticipated need. Instead, these acquisitions are purchased on demand, ordered and received online, by fax or overnight mail, and delivered to the requestor. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Chemistry Library, a document delivery project was established to study how this type of acquisition could be mainstreamed into everyday collection development as a traditional user service. A 6 1/2-month pilot project was conducted that provided free document delivery for articles, patents, and conference proceedings, which were available through the Chemical Abstracts Document Delivery Service, a commercial vendor. This pilot study tested the feasibility of decentralized document delivery in a branch library; a follow-up questionnaire was used to gauge user response to the service. Data from the study were also used to evaluate the serials collection and previous serial cancellation decisions. Results showed the decentralized document delivery service (DDS) was a cost-effective way to extend the serials collection; the user survey results showed a high level of user satisfaction associated with the service.

Converting the OCLC M386 microcomputer into an electronic interlibrary loan workstation: methods of selecting hardware and software

Describes the PC‐Fax‐Scan Interlibrary Loan (ILL)‐Document Delivery Project, highlighting the advantages of using the newly developed system. Briefly discusses the necessary hardware and software for the conversion and how to select it.

Project Hermes

In 1981 the National Physical Laboratory and Pira undertook for the Department of Industry a project definition study for a document delivery project to be known as Hermes. The prime aim of the project was to give a practical demonstration of how Teletex (n.b. not Teletext) technology may be applied to publishing activities. The aim of this paper is to describe in outline the system proposed by this study. Recently (November 1982), detailed planning of the first phase of the project has been initiated by the Department.