Loan Department Research Articles

How One Part-Time Library Staff Member Can Provide Interlibrary Loan Service

Interlibrary loan is an integral part of library service, but it is a time and resource consuming endeavor. This article presents several time and cost-saving policies and procedures that will provide interlibrary loan service in very small interlibrary loan departments.

Supervision and Staff Problems in Interlibrary Loan Departments

Supervision and Staff Problems in Interlibrary Loan Departments

Using Interlibrary Loan Student Workers During Slow Times: An Untapped Resource

Scheduling enough student workers to handle the busiest times of the semester in interlibrary loan departments may result in too many students during slow times. Rather than simply sharing their time with other departments, there are many specialized and creative projects student workers can perform that will directly benefit the interlibrary loan department.

Managing Employees in Interlibrary Loan, Circulation and Reserves: Supervision in a Production Environment

In a production environment, strategies for dealing with personnel problems are critical. Two of the most challenging staff problems that an interlibrary loan manager can confront are: (1) How to keep up with work when employees are absent and (2) Employee productivity problems. Interlibrary loan departments face the unique paradox of a workplace that is constantly changing and becoming more efficient due to the influence of technology on daily processes, yet still relies heavily on the daily labor and productivity of the staff. Additionally, interlibrary loan departments face almost constant time pressures, both from internal and external customers. The challenge is magnified when personnel issues arise, and the time needed to problem solve seems nonexistent. In particular, absenteeism and worker productivity can have disastrous results on interlibrary loan service quality, as well as a negative effect on departmental morale.

Comparison of Summit Union Catalog Borrowing and Interlibrary Loan Returnables at Eastern Washington University

ABSTRACT In 2000, Eastern Washington University became part of the Cascade Consortium and participated in consortial borrowing through the Cascade Union Catalog. In 2003, the Orbis and Cascade consortia merged into the Orbis Cascade Alliance, which manages the Summit Union Catalog. In fall 2004, the Pickup Anywhere option of Innovative Interfaces' INN-Reach module was implemented, allowing patrons to pick up consortial materials at many of the member libraries, not just their own institution's library. Since 2000, Cascade or Summit consortial borrowing has increased while other interlibrary loans of borrowed returnables has decreased. It is too early to tell if Pickup Anywhere will have an effect on Eastern Washington University's Interlibrary Loan department. The problems library staff reported regarding Pickup Anywhere are also examined.

Turnaround Time Between ILLiad's Odyssey and Ariel Delivery Methods

Interlibrary loan departments are frequently looking for methods to reduce turnaround time. The advent of electronic delivery in the past decade has greatly reduced turnaround time for articles, but recent developments in this arena have the potential to decrease turnaround time even further. The ILLiad interlibrary loan management system has an electronic delivery component entitled Odyssey. Odyssey has a setting that allows articles to be sent to patrons without borrowing staff intervention. Using the tracking data created by the ILLiad management system, the turnaround time data for two delivery methods, Ariel and Odyssey, was captured for two different academic institutions. With the Trusted Sender setting turned on, Odyssey delivery was faster than Ariel for the institutions studied.

Reference as an Access Service: Collaboration Between Reference and Interlibrary Loan Departments

ABSTRACT Academic libraries increasingly rely on Interlibrary Loan (ILL) departments to obtain research materials. This adds to the workload of ILL at a time when many libraries are experiencing budget cuts and dwindling staff. Collaboration between ILL and Reference can assist ILL by providing searching expertise. Collaboration is facilitated by the paperless environment provided by ILL management software. Patrons benefit from increased fill-rates and reduced turnaround time for ILL requests. Reference benefits by exercising creative searching for difficult-to-find materials and gaining exposure to new reference sources and online catalogs. These benefits are explored through analysis of fill-rates, sources from which materials were ultimately obtained, sources used by the Reference Department, and interviews with staff.

Chapter 5. Copyright in the Interlibrary Loan Department

All members of the Interlibrary Loan department need to be aware of current copyright law and related guidelines. Within the past ten years, there have been significant changes to the copyright laws (Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, Digital Millennium Copyright Act, TEACH Act, etc.), which have had an impact on the provision of library services, including ILL. Chapter 5 provides extensive background on the provisions of copyright law applicable to interlibrary loan, and also provides practical examples of how those laws and regulations are applied on a daily basis within the ILL department.

Chapter 6. Management of the Interlibrary Loan Department

Many new ILL department heads are often new to supervision, and in addition to the challenges of managing a busy ILL service, new managers must also learn how to best supervise their most valuable resource—their staff. Supervising others can be one of the most daunting tasks a librarian has to face. Real-world strategies for hiring, motivating, and evaluating talented staff are discussed, along with practical guidance on budgeting, determining ILL costs, and quantitatively measuring ILL activity.

Taking Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery to New Frontiers Using Relais ILL

Relais International Inc. would like to take this opportunity to introduce our latest product, Relais ILL. Instructional technology stands out amongst the array of products we have to offer as this product has been designed with the smaller library and interlibrary loan department in mind. Relais interlibrary loan combines the sophistication and automation of Relais Enterprise with ease of installation and implementation. Relais interlibrary loan is ideal for a wide range of libraries that are looking to streamline and automate their interlibrary loan operations. For a cost-effective and integrated solution to your request management needs, use Relais ILL. Use Relais ILL: to automatically search a range of catalogs via Z39.50 and use the results to automatically build a routing list; requests are sent out automatically, as ISO interlibrary loan transactions to libraries in the order you specify; stay in touch with patrons using predefined messages or create your own message on the fly. The task of delivering documents between sites has always been a staff intensive undertaking for libraries due to physical distance, searching for locations for the requested document, availability of the requested document, as well as many other potential obstacles. Relais International Inc. is striving to overcome these barriers by offering swift and efficient Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan. Relais ILL's features include high levels of automation, tracking of requests, patron communication, and a plethora of possibilities to help simplify the interlibrary loan process.

Interlibrary Loan and Licensing

Licensing agreements can profoundly affect the operation of interlibrary loan departments. How do academic libraries cope with the variety of ILL clauses included in database licenses? This article examines the avoidance approach (lend nothing from electronic sources) and the reactive approach (maintain files on which databases permit which types of loans), but recommends a proactive approach in which licensing negations include local interlibrary loan requirements from the start. Included are recommended resources for developing negotiating skills.

Israeli college interlibrary loan practices: implications for Israeli universities

The recent establishment of academic colleges in Israel not only has affected the make‐up of Israeli higher education, it also has affected university libraries, particularly the interlibrary loan (ILL) departments. This article describes a study that characterised the ILL borrowing practices of Israeli college libraries in general and, in particular, those of libraries that send the majority of their requests to universities. It also identified the disciplines of college library ILL requests and determined that there is a connection to the disciplines prevalent in their own collections. In addition, it identified the Israeli university libraries that received increased requests between 1997 and 2001, assessed the effects on them and identified changes implemented in interlibrary loan departments in order to deal with the increased demand.

Clio Use at Colorado State University-Pueblo

Abstract Colorado State University-Pueblo, Interlibrary Loan Department has used Clio software for nearly seven years on a variety of network and client operating systems. The department has integrated Clio functions with WebZap and WebView electronic request and article delivery software, as well as the request features offered through OCLC's FirstSearch databases. An ongoing project is the interoperability of Clio-Request with the ILL request forms offered by the Ebsco databases. Originally purchased to automate copyright claiming, Clio has more than proven its flexibility and usefulness over the years.

Interlibrary Loan User Behaviors in an Academic Library

Abstract The article is a case study of Interlibrary Loan behaviors at the University of Mississippi Libraries. In reviewing a year's worth of data, the author investigated behaviors associated with user status, disciplines, and paper or web delivery preferences. The data was gathered using the libraries' new automation system, ILLiad. The most pronounced differentiation between user statuses was that faculty, staff and undergraduates preferred web delivery, whereas graduate students preferred paper delivery. Overwhelmingly, users preferred e-mail notification concerning their requests. Also included is a comparison of ILLiad's first year of requests and the previous two years by user status. Based on the current adoption rate of web delivery, the University of Mississippi Interlibrary Loan Department decided to change the setting for web delivery of articles to “yes” by default.

Distance center students deserve main campus resources

As universities attempt to expand access to higher education through the establishment of distance centers, it is important that those distance students receive library services equivalent to those offered on the main campus. The author describes how Southeast Missouri State University is attempting to serve these non‐traditional learners through innovative techniques and resources. By making use of both subscription and freely available online databases, providing document delivery through the interlibrary loan department, recycling still valuable reference materials, and developing a list of recommended materials that each distance center should have available in its own collection, the library is fulfilling its mission to these students.

Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Interlibrary Loan Department

Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Interlibrary Loan Department

Chapter 8: Copyright Considerations for the Interlibrary Loan Department

Chapter 8: Copyright Considerations for the Interlibrary Loan Department

Calming the Tempest: The Benefits of Using Prospero for Electronic Document Delivery in a Large Academic Library

ABSTRACT To effectively supplement a library's collection, Interlibrary Loan departments must strive to produce materials quickly. As libraries acquire more online databases, ILL departments experience a reciprocal increase in article requests submitted. Facing increased demands, how can ILL departments improve and maintain timely and efficient service? The Information Resource and Retrieval Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign responded to this challenge by integrating Electronic Document Delivery to the benefit of library users. This article describes University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's decision to use Prospero for EDD and the trials and triumphs of Prospero's successful implementation.

MBTI® and Interlibrary Loan Personnel in a Small Sampling of Alabama Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) was administered to both professional librarians and paraprofessional staff from Inter-library Loan departments of several of the academic libraries in the state of Alabama. Some had worked in interlibrary loan for many years and some were new to the experience. The MBTI® is a standardized questionnaire developed by Katherine C. Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers and published by Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. It measures individual preferences in collecting or receiving information, interacting with other people, and making decisions. The compilation of these MBTI® results shows 11 of the 16 possible types, with preponderance toward one type. This article examines the results from a small sampling of individuals. It illustrates the different types found, the temperaments of the prevalent MBTI® types found, and why these attributes may contribute to the successful performance of interlibrary loan work. The author administered the MBTI® as she is certified...

Customer In-Reach and Library Strategic Systems

Libraries have walls. Recognizing this fact, the Interlibrary Loan Department at Virginia Tech is creating systems and services that enable our customers to reach past our walls at anytime from any where. Customer in-reach enables Virginia Tech faculty, students, and staff anywhere in the world to obtain information and services heretofore available only to our on-campus customers. ILLiad, Virginia Tech's interlibrary borrowing system, is the library strategic system that attains this goal. The principles that guided development of ILLiad are widely applicable.