Document Supply Service Research Articles

Interlending and document supply: a review of the recent literature; 94

Purpose This paper aims to review the current library and information science (LIS) literature for document supply, resource sharing and other issues such as open access (OA) that have an impact on the service. Design/methodology/approach The approach is based on the scanning of about 150 journals, reports, websites and blogs. Findings OA continues to grow and, hence, the impact of document supply. Improvements in the Interlending and Document Supply service are satisfying. Originality/value This paper is the only regular review of LIS literature in this subject area.

UK theses and the British Library EThOS service: from supply on demand to repository linking

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the transition of EThOS, the British Library’s E-Theses Online service, from its original role as a transactional document supply service to the service seen today where it forms part of the UK’s network of institutional repositories, open access and still-developing research funder mandates. Design/methodology/approach – The constituent parts of the EThOS service are described, and an analysis is given of the development of open access repositories, electronic theses and the way that PhD theses have become an important resource for cutting-edge research content for researchers worldwide. Findings – The value of doctoral theses for researchers continues to grow and be recognised. Many UK institutions have moved to mandatory open deposit of electronic theses, and many are digitising their older print thesis collections. Public funders are starting to track open deposit of the theses they fund; and research organisations are analysing the full UK metadata collection to understand trends in PhD research areas.

Use of Document Delivery Services through J-Gate@UGC-INFONET - A Case Study of IGM Library, University of Hyderabad

The University Library & Information Centers are playing a prominent role in procurement, organization, preservation of resources and providing access to the research scholars. These centers are the basic source of information for present and future generations. This paper explains the importance of Inter Librarian Loan facility in University Libraries and also discusses about J-Gate@UGC-Infonet (http://jgateplus.com). Finally it analysis the document supply service of IGM Library, University of Hyderabad.

Developing responsive Resource Sharing services at an Australian regional university: University of Wollongong Library

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an update of Resource Sharing services at the University of Wollongong (UOW) Library two years after a complete review was undertaken to provide a financially viable service relevant to the research support needs of University clients. This paper provides an update of the service two years on. Design/methodology/approach – The UOW Library has been attentive to global changes in the resource sharing industry and document supply services. Unmediated resource sharing options are growing and assuming an increasing portion of requests received from clients. UOW’s involvement in new services has focused attention on the value of its collection, particularly the last national copy of a publication. By ensuring these unique titles remain in the collection indefinitely, they can be shared with other libraries through resource sharing arrangements. Ensuring staff workplace health and safety during the ongoing transformation in the delivery of services is an important element in the continued viability of resource sharing at UOW. Findings – The 2011-2013 review of UOW Library Resource Sharing services has resulted in a viable and relevant service that is adaptable to the changing needs of UOW clients and institutional directions into the near future. Unmediated requesting continues to assume a greater share of the requesting workload, though staff expertise is equally important in supporting this service. A future challenge for the UOW Library is the rising cost of postage for the sharing of loans across institutions. Originality/value – This case study demonstrates how an academic library can transform its resource sharing service for ongoing relevance and cost-effectiveness. Taking a holistic view of the service, in terms of people, costs and services, is important to ensure the overall viability of the service.

British Library Document Supply: an information service fit for the future

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to describe how the British Library Document Supply Service (BLDSS) is responding to changes in the provision of research content, redefining its services to suit varying audiences’ requirements and building on a flexible technology platform. Design/methodology/approach – This study is descriptive in nature. Findings – The British Library is responding well to the current competitive environment for Inter Library Loan (ILL) and document supply. Originality/value – This study includes an up-to-date assessment of the BLDSS and the changes, driven by the changing landscape, that are taking place.

Current developments in document delivery in Germany

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to give an overview about the framework of copyright law and licences as well as the development of German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB) full-text supply services within that framework. The change of German copyright law in 2008 posed a challenge to TIB’s full-text supply services. While TIB can deliver on the basis of a statutory limitation any document to customers within Germany via mail and fax, there are restrictions for electronic delivery. Design/methodology/approach – The article describes the framework of German copyright law and licences for document delivery as well as activities of TIB to continue servicing customers in a best possible way within the existing framework. Findings – Licence agreements with publishers or intermediaries such as Rights Reproduction Organizations are now in place to allow delivery of electronic documents on a wide scale. Within this complicated framework of licence agreements, digital rights management (DRM) systems are a challenge for customers and the delivery service. However, it can be noted, that a simple watermark suffices nearly all publishers in agreements covering pay-per-view delivery of generic digital article files, and only 25 per cent require strict DRM for document delivery scanned from the print. At the same time, TIB looks for more customer-friendly DRM systems. Also, TIB is looking for ways to cooperate with partners to raise efficiency gains and to offer a more convenient service to its customers. Finally, TIB experiences that inadequate copyright law still poses a major hindrance for the international exchange of scientific information being part of its collection. Originality/value – The article describes the development of document supply services of the major TIB publications. It also shows the barriers which inadequate copyright law poses to the exchange of scientific information.

Construction of a one-stop document supply service platform

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed overview of the China Academic Library and Information system (CALIS) document supply service platform (CDSSP) – its historical development, network structure and future development plans – and discuss how its members make use of and benefit from its various components. Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide a first-person account based on their professional positions at the CALIS Administrative Center. Findings – CDSSP comprises five application systems including a unified authentication system, Saas-based interlibrary loan (ILL) and document delivery (DD) service system, ILL central scheduling and settlement system, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) service system and a service integration interface system. These systems work together to meet the needs of member libraries, other information service institutions, and their end users. CDSSP is widely used by more than 1,100 libraries based on a cloud service strategy. Each year more than 100,000 ILL and DD transactions are processed by this platform. Originality/value – The development of CDSSP makes it becomes true for CALIS to provide one stop information retrieval and supply service. At the same time, it promotes the resource sharing among member libraries to a great degree.

Transforming Resource Sharing Services at an Australian Academic Library: The Case of the University of Wollongong

In 2011 the University of Wollongong Library undertook a significant review of its Resource Sharing services. This was prompted by constraints in the systems supporting this service, changes to the Library's key suppliers, Infotrieve Australia and the British Library Document Supply Service, and the need to deliver effective library services within a defined physical and budgetary environment.As a result of the review, the existing Millennium Interlibrary Loan and Ariel software hosting the service were replaced by the Relais ILL system. The most cost-effective and relevant methods for supporting the research needs of the university were achieved through subscriptions with networks characterized by strong unmediated requesting functionalities, including ArticleReach, BONUS+, and RapidILL. To expand the Library's access to international collections, a subscription to OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing was begun.UOW Library now processes approximately 50% more requests, 76% of which are now processed to some degree without library staff mediation.

Innovation during evolution: Document Supply Service digitises library collections

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of digitisation practices at the National Library of Australia Document Supply Service, its convergence with similar efforts in the Library's Digitisation and Photography Branch, and how the Library used Relais to manage and report on its digitisation activities. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a case study approach and their own personal experiences with implementing these services. Findings – Digitisation based on ILL/DD user demand contributes to building a library's digital collections and helps to preserve valuable collections. Libraries are encouraged to seize opportunities that help to achieve its strategic goals, experiment with new and different approaches and technologies, persevere in the face of obstacles or slow uptake of ideas and solutions, and never stop looking for opportunities to improve user services. Originality/value – This paper was originally presented at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress, 79th IFLA General Conference and Assembly, 17-23 August 2013, Singapore, Session 200, “Strengthening Access to Information: The Future of Resource Sharing”.

A practical guide to e-journal and e-book supply – a UK perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on current interlending and document delivery of e-books and e-journals in the UK and analyse the challenges encountered in such practices, using the experiences at King's College London as an example. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses a case study approach. Findings – Most UK libraries and higher education institutions negotiate the usage terms for their e-resources through Jisc's NESLI2 model license agreement. While the terms of this agreement work relatively well for document delivery of e-journal articles, allowing for secure electronic document transmission under prescribed circumstances, the interlending of e-books remains problematic. Research limitations/implications – The paper provides insight into how UK document supply services can better use electronic holdings to offset the costs of requesting. It discusses the dilemma of e-books and potential solutions. Practical implications – This will enable UK library professionals to better use e-resources in a legally compliant way for the purpose of document delivery. It will explain to non-UK library professionals how supplying from e-resources works in the UK. Originality/value – The paper provides insight into how UK document supply services can better use electronic holdings to offset the costs of requesting. It discusses the dilemma of e-books and potential solutions.

Interlending and document supply: a review of the recent literature: 84

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature concerning interlending and document supply. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the reading of over 130 journals and related material. Findings – Some interesting findings on document supply including an important Outsell report on document suppliers and some research showing that whilst users expect and often make do with what is immediately available, nonetheless over half of the responders use document supply services. Some substantial pieces are reviewed on Big Deals including the dramatic growth in deposits as a result of toughening up the NIH mandate and some further articles on the UK Finch report on open access. The significant developments in Open Access are reflected once again in a lengthy section in this review. Originality/value – The paper represents a useful resource for librarians and others concerned with interlending and document supply as well as such related matters as resource sharing and open access.

Access- the Millenium fix? The role and performance document supply services in a Higher Education library.

As one of the ongoing University of Liverpool Library
 developments along the'hybrid continuum' investigations
 into the effectiveness, efficiency and economic
 implications of document delivery services were.
 undertaken. Evaluation and analyses looked at both
 qualitative and quantitative aspects of the services: both
 established and new services were reviewed. The
 evidence from the analyses to date indicates that the
 'access versus holdings' debate will continue well into the
 millennium.

Feasibility study of digital document supply services in Iranian research institutes and academic libraries

PurposeThe paper's aim is to study the feasibility of establishing digital document supply services in libraries of research institutes and universities in Isfahan province.Design/methodology/approachThe research is of a descriptive survey type. The population under study included librarians working in academic and research institute libraries in Isfahan province. The data were collected via a researcher‐made questionnaire using a five‐point Likert scale.FindingsThe study indicates that the feasibility of establishing digital document supply services in academic and research institute libraries in Isfahan province is less than average, which is not desirable.Originality/valueThe paper provides information about the state of document supply services in Iranian academic libraries and research institutes.

A global perspective on ILL: is it in good health and will it survive?

The state of inter-library lending (ILL) in the world today is placed in the context of the still developing electronic publishing environment: in particular the impact of the big deals, open access and retrospective conversion of serial back-files which have contributed to the dramatic decline in ILL over the last ten years. The factors that influence developments in ILL are identified and analysed. The robust state of ILL and document supply in the US, or American ‘exceptionalism’, will be considered briefly. The continued importance of the inter-lending and document supply service is stressed, given the background of reduced library budgets, increasing serial prices and increasing demands from more researchers for material not held locally. Reference is made to developments in various countries, especially the UK, Denmark, the US and The Netherlands.

Inter-Library Loans and Document Supply Services in Italy Appear to Supplement Journal Subscriptions Rather Than Replace Them

Objectives – To examine patterns of Inter-Library Loans and Document Supply (ILL) in a large network of libraries over a period of five years, in order to establish whether ILL services are being used to replace journal subscriptions. The authors also aimed to establish which journal titles were most requested in their network, to inform future acquisitions policy. 
 
 Design – Longitudinal study using transactional data collected from the Italian Network for Inter-Library Document Exchange (NILDE) for the period 2005-2009. 
 
 Setting – The Italian library sector.
 
 Subjects – Member libraries of NILDE, which is the largest ILL network in Italy with several hundred libraries. These consist primarily of university libraries, but also hospitals and health research institutions, public research institutions, and not-for-profit and public organisations. 
 
 Methods – ILL request data collected from the NILDE network software were analyzed. Figures were retrieved for the number of different journal titles requested per year of the study overall and by individual institution. Further analysis was undertaken on requests for more recent articles, those published up to five years prior to being requested. This involved creating a list of the most requested titles for each year, and then compiling a core collection of journals that were requested 20 or more times in each year of the study. These core titles were analyzed for trends by subject and publisher, and for any significant correlations between either Impact Factors (IFs) or citation counts and ILL requests for particular journals.
 
 Main Results – The data revealed that the number of ILLs processed through NILDE increased every year during the period of the study. The majority of journals were only requested a small number of times in the five year period of the study, with 60% being requested five times or less. In the majority of instances, institutions were not borrowing the same title regularly. Analysis of the core collection of journals revealed that these repeated requests of the same title were mainly in the biomedical sciences and science and technology subject areas, and that these journals were often produced by smaller publishers who were not included in consortia purchasing. There was no correlation between journal impact factors (IFs) and ILL requests, but there was a statistically significant correlation between citation counts and ILL requests. 
 
 Conclusions – ILL numbers are increasing despite big deals and consortia purchasing. The majority of requests are for articles that are two years old or older, and the authors suggest that this indicates that ILLs do not influence journal subscriptions. The authors suggest that ILLs may have increased during the course of the study (and may continue to do so) due to the current global financial crisis and its impact on library acquisitions.

A review of interlending and document supply in France: 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to review recent developments and projects of academic interlibrary loan and document supply in France – particularly the Science, Technology and Medicine sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a literature survey, conferences and interviews.FindingsRecent laws and court decisions in France tend to strengthen the position of publishers; but a new shift to more realism and to mutual agreements can also be observed. The institutional landscape is undergoing a profound transformation towards (probably) greater coherence between research entities, resource‐sharing projects and task sharing. Academic interlibrary loan and document supply activity has decreased steadily since 1997, with an annual average downward trend of 8 per cent to 10 per cent. To survive as a document supplier, INIST has reinforced its position as a “one‐stop shop”, steadily moving from a library to a broker strategy; in 2010, INIST launched a new platform called Refdoc. Open archives have undergone significant development but are not integrated into traditional interlending and document supply services and as yet do not offer a real alternative.Originality/valueThe paper presents the results of a five‐year follow‐up study. It is the only synthetic overview of the specific scientific and technical information market sector in France.

Interlending policy and OCLC strategy in the National Library of the Czech Republic

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the document supply service of the Czech National Library and its use of OCLC in supporting the service.Design/methodology/approachThe service is described in detail and placed in the context of the Czech Republic.FindingsThe use of OCLC has increased the use of the National Library internationally in terms of both requesting and supplying material.Originality valueThe paper is one of the few articles in English to describe the work of the Czech National Library and provides a good insight into the use of OCLC's WorldCat for international document supply.

The development of document supply services in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the background to Chinese libraries and the general development and new trends in document supply in China.Design/methodology/approachThe service operation, copyright protection and management mechanisms of document supply in China are described. New challenges to it and the responses are also identified.FindingsThe role of document supply in China is recognized as important and is developing rapidly as economic constraints on purchasing increase.Originality/valueThe paper will be of interest to all document supply librarians interested in developments in China.

Lowering the barriers from Discovery to Delivery: a JISC funded EDINA and Mimas project

PurposeThe paper aims to describe the context and the progress with the UK Discovery to Delivery project.Design/methodology/approachHaving set the scene for Discovery to Delivery, the paper describes how the project work was divided into four separate but interlinked strands. The methodologies for each strand are described and the outcomes are critically assessed.FindingsThe project was successful in demonstrating that services created separately by different organisations could be enhanced to provide a seamless approach from discovery to delivery for users. It had been planned to develop a link to local document supply services, but investigation revealed that further investigation would be required before such a service could usefully be supplied.Originality/valueThe project is an example of inter‐working between the national data centres with services that have already been established.

The National Library of Australia's document supply service: a brief overview

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the role of the National Library of Australia in the Australian interlibrary loan environment, not just in terms of providing access to National Library collections through the document supply service, but also in providing infrastructure to support interlibrary loans across Australia.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the various roles the National Library plays in the interlibrary loan/document delivery environment in Australia. It covers the document supply service and the Libraries Australia service, which provides the infrastructure that supports interlibrary loans/document delivery in Australia, and briefly reports on the evaluation of services currently being undertaken.FindingsProviding access to library collections is complex and constantly changing. Client expectations are increasing, and libraries need to change traditional practices to meet user needs.Originality/valueThe paper covers the services offered by the National Library of Australia in supporting interlibrary loans/document delivery. Very few papers cover this topic.