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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the value and benefits from newly developed relationships between the University of Alberta Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan Department and other institutions through the delivery of new services.Design/methodology/approach The paper is a descriptive review of the new services provided, including a centralized interlibrary loan service for members of the NEOS Consortium and an article delivery service for Can Tho University Library (Vietnam), an overview of the implementation of the services and a discussion of the value and benefits created.Findings A single-point of intake for interlibrary loan requests for a group of academic libraries can be implemented successfully with few drawbacks, providing benefits to all the participants. An article delivery service to an institution that provides no interlibrary loan services provides value through access to new resources and demonstrates not to be a burden on the provider; yet, this paper demonstrates that the primary value is in learning about their patrons’ needs.Practical implications Other institutions could replicate these services and relationships.Originality/value Single-point of intake for interlibrary loan in academic consortial environments has neither been demonstrated in the literature nor has any component of interlibrary loan been described to support international initiatives to assist libraries in disadvantaged countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to present updated statistics demonstrating the value of cataloging free Internet resources and the challenges of batch loading, vendor records, electronic resource modules and discovery tools, as an update to the 2008 paper in this journal Design/methodology/approach – Updates the statistics from the URL redirection system for tracking user access to freely available Web publications. Findings – With more projects and bibliographic records included within the scope of the project, users still find and use the links to outbound content. New technologies and management methods support the cataloging of free Web content, even if, at times, cataloging standards are compromised. Originality/value – Several studies have focused on US federal document clickthroughs from the library catalog, but this is the only study to exclusively track clickthroughs to freely available Web content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to update information on ReadCube Access and briefly reviews its history. The study also reports on the use of ReadCube Access by five US academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach – A series of questions was distributed to selected academic libraries using ReadCube Access. Survey recipients were asked to describe the library and the institution served, how long ReadCube Access has been in use, how many journals from Nature Publishing Group (NPG) were licensed and how many journals were being provided using ReadCube Access. Participating libraries were also asked to provide information about the purchase options offered to end-users, were asked to report on ReadCube Access usage and were requested to compare that usage to interlibrary loan (ILL) requests for NPG journals. Finally, the libraries were asked to share any comments about ReadCube Access they wished, including end user feedback and comments from library staff. Findings – ReadCube Access is shown to be cost-effective and more heavily used than interlibrary loan. End-users are enthused by the instantaneous delivery of articles, and most libraries are generally pleased with the sustainability of this unmediated service. Some end-users are confused and annoyed by the differences in using ReadCube Access compared with the familiar use of subscriptions. A failing of ReadCube Access is that it only offers content from one publisher. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need for an update on ReadCube Access and a study on the experiences of various libraries using it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the document delivery service according to user perception, and a usage analysis was done to inform collection building and refining. This is especially important in a high-calibre research community, where the usage, interests and research groups and disciplines are still evolving. Design/methodology/approach -- To collect the responses of document delivery service users, an online questionnaire was used with 12 multiple-choice questions and two open-ended questions. The questionnaires were sent only to the users of this service, and the responses were collected anonymously. Two surveys were conducted, in 2010 and 2013, with the same questions. The responses are displayed graphically prepared to compare the results. There were 71 responses in 2010 and 95 in 2013. Findings -- In both surveys, the majority of users rated the service, staff behaviour, speed, quality, etc. with a high satisfaction level. Document delivery order statistics are a major decision-making tool, in addition to usage analysis, for developing a better, economical and highly utilized collection in brand new libraries. Originality/value -- This is the first published study of user perception of document delivery in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify contributing factors, both internal and external, that will ensure a successful collaboration between Omani academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research approach was adopted, and 23 individual interviews were conducted with representatives from participating libraries. Findings – Collaboration among Omani libraries is a complex situation and its chances for success are dependent upon a host of factors, including the participating libraries' staffing, management, financial resources, and available technology as well as support from university administrators. Originality/value – This paper presents the findings of original research conducted by the author and reports on the nascent stages of library cooperation in Oman and in a region that is not often covered in library literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and assess the first five years of BALIS interlibrary loan service and propose directions for future service development. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a case study approach to review the consortium's service offerings and clientele, assess challenges encountered in the first few years of service, propose service improvements, and make recommendations for the development of future strategic alliances. Findings – There are some shortcomings of the system that limit the expansion of interlibrary loan services such as the low satisfaction rate and the high shipping costs. Originality/value – This paper updates an earlier study of BALIS ILL services published in 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which focuses on the use of I-Share domestic monographs as a collection assessment at College and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI). The study employed Voyager system for shared online catalog equipped with patron-initiated borrowing. Results revealed that the numbers of copies purchased by I-Share fell into the categories including low overlap with low use, high overlap with high use, and a middle area with a high number of copies with low to middle use.

Purpose -- The purpose of this survey is to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of interlibrary loan (ILL) at the RBI Library in Croatia. Design/methodology/approach -- Various indices were measured including: the percentage of fulfilled ILL requests, the difference between copy and loan requests, the difference between requests fulfilled free of charge and fee-based and also to calculate the document delivery time. The analyzed data on received ILL requests were gathered via an in-house-developed application for ILL called SEND, via which RBI researchers submit their ILL requests to the RBI Library. Findings -- This survey showed a high percentage of fulfilled ILL requests (94.6 percent), but there was also a surprisingly high percentage of cancelled ILL requests, because RBI Library owned the requested documents (21.8 percent). Most ILL requests were copy requests and the analysis of the gathered data showed a trend of acquiring more documents free of charge. Delivery time has decreased in the period of the survey, and in 2008 it was less than six working days for copy requests and approximately ten days for loan requests. The delivery time was shorter for fee-based requests. Originality/value -- This paper presents a systematic analysis of the ILL service at the RBI Library for a six-year period (2003-2008). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this study is to identify and examine the factors that affected the scale of ILL photocopy requests between Japanese university libraries from 1994 to 2008. Design/methodology/approach -- Based on the newly developed conceptual framework to interpret the rise and fall in ILL, more than 10 million requests, sent through a nation-wide system called NACSIS-ILL from 1994 to 2008 were quantitatively analyzed. Findings -- The number of photocopy requests for articles in foreign journals started to decrease in 2000, due to the dramatic increase of e-journal titles made accessible through "Big Deal" contracts that came into effect in 2002 as well as other similar trials prior to it. On the other hand, requests for articles in domestic journals, mostly written in Japanese, continued to increase until 2006. The main factor for this increase was the expansion of journal title coverage in bibliographic databases, which enabled users to retrieve more references. However , requests decreased in 2007, because of advances in digitization in the Japanese academic environment. Research limitations/implications -- This research proposes a conceptual model to understand document demand and service patterns observed in nation-wide ILL services. It also successfully draws a comprehensive picture of ILL in Japanese higher education institutions, based on more than 10 million request records over 15 years, and it shows how the number of ILL requests correlates with the availability of requested journals in electronic form. Originality/value -- This research proposes a conceptual model to understand document demand and service patterns observed in nation-wide ILL services. It also successfully draws a comprehensive picture of ILL in Japanese higher education institutions, based on more than 10 million request records over 15 years, and it shows how the number of ILL requests correlates with the availability of requested journals in electronic form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to describe the development of one transactional access/pay-per-view model and its current and anticipated impact on ILL at one US university. Design/methodology/approach -- The services at Murray State University (MSU) are described and the impact of one year of PPV implementation assessed. Some general implications are explored. Findings -- It found that PPV has not yet had a correlative impact on ILL at MSU but this is likely to change as PPV expands. Originality/value -- The paper shows this to be one of a number of empirical studies which are valuable in assessing the impact of PPV as an alternative to the conventional ILL supply of articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to offer a comprehensive description and analysis of electronic reserve services in academic libraries in China. It also seeks to describe possible solutions for libraries to build multi-functional e-reserve services in order to face the challenge of the vast expansion in both academia and the economy in modern China. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper reviews the recent literature on the practices of e-reserve services, and analyses the results of the online surveys conducted in the 112 key university libraries in the China 211 Project, especially the top 15 university libraries. Findings -- The paper reveals that three-level (national, regional, and campus-wide) e-reserve resource systems have been developed jointly or individually by Chinese academic libraries. Their development, implementation and implications are discussed; existing problems and possible solutions are identified. Originality value -- The paper provides insights into the recent development of e-reserving services in Chinese academic libraries, offers useful information about e-reserving resources for students and faculty, and recommends solutions to libraries for e-reserve services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to describe inter-library access services in Hong Kong academic libraries and to discuss means of improving the services. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper takes the form of a narrative with suggestions for further development. Findings -- The introduction of the EasyRegister service has been a success. Originality/value -- The paper presents a detailed description of how the physical access of users can be facilitated between universities. This will be useful for all librarians concerned with this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to describe major developments at Copac, including changes that facilitate use for interlibrary loan activity, introduce the Copac Collections Management project and look toward future developments in the context of the UK’s National Monograph Strategy. The Copac service gives access to the merged catalogues of 95 UK and Irish national, academic and specialist libraries, and is still growing. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a descriptive account. Findings – This paper identifies and describes some of the implications of the reengineering of Copac; addresses the role and benefits of the Copac Collections Management project; and looks ahead to forthcoming development areas. Originality/value – This paper is a valuable update on the service provided by Copac, as well an overview of the forthcoming Copac Collections Management tools service, and an introduction to future developments within the National Monograph Strategy context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe document delivery services between Texas A&M University Libraries (TAMUL) and Texas A&M University at Qatar Library (TAMUQL) from 2003 to 2008. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides insights into the development of the new service provided by main campus libraries from College Station, Texas to the new branch library in Doha, Qatar. Findings - Document delivery is a popular, accurate, prompt, and well appreciated service for students, faculty, researchers, and staff to obtain needed curriculum and research materials unavailable at TAMUQL due to space limitations. Originality/value - This research provides useful and practical information for administrators and librarians planning to establish document delivery and interlibrary loan services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to substantially update a presentation made at the 2007 IFLA Conference. It intends to describe the RESPOND project, a partnership between OCLC and the AMICAL consortium to enhance library resource discovery, and to report on initial outcomes. Design/methodology/approach - The paper describes the background for RESPOND, its key features and interesting challenges, and some of its expected direct and indirect benefits for the discovery and sharing of resources at AMICAL libraries. Preliminary statistics for group library holdings in WorldCat and OCLC ILL system use are examined. Findings - The time required for implementation and adoption of services was greater, and effective training more difficult to organize, than expected. Resource-sharing performance improvements still need to be measured, and many libraries are just starting to implement the project's services, but cooperation appears to be increasing between consortium members. The potential benefits for resource discovery and delivery remain great, and interest and participation in the project have spread to include nearly all AMICAL consortium members. Originality/value - AMICAL is an atypical consortium because of its geographically dispersed and highly international membership, but the challenges and results described here may be relevant to other efforts at international resource sharing and cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper is an analysis of user demographics in the Borrow Direct resource sharing service. The paper looks to determine who uses the service and to what extent. Design/methodology/approach – Five years of user data was culled from the system and analysed by user status and number of transactions. Findings – Borrow Direct is a core service for supporting graduate level research across the twelve partner institutions. Originality/value – This analysis indicates that resource sharing remains a vital resource, particularly for graduate level research, even at top-tier academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of scholarly electronic journals at the Indian Institute of Science. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper examines the methodology and results from a questionnaire-based survey of networked electronic services in India at the Indian Institute of Science (llSc) libraries, serving a variety of disciplines. A random sample of the main cohort was selected and, during five months from January 2004 until May 2004, 700 copies of the questionnaire were distributed among 40 departments of IISc; 397 completed and valid questionnaires (56.7 per cent) were received. Findings -- The results showed a growing interest in electronic journals among the users at liSt. Electronic journals were mostly used for research needs and PDF was the most preferred format. The fact that users have free access to electronic journals at all hours from their own computers seems to be the most appealing feature. Research limitations/implications -- There are many factors that may affect the use of scholarly electronic journals. An attempt is made in this study to see how these resources are being used in a multi-disciplinary institute in India. Limiting its focus to one institute, this paper provides useful empirical evidence for library staff and the research community. Practical implications- - The results of the study will be useful for library staff at IISc and similar institutes in India. Originality/value -- The paper provides original data from Indian end users regarding their use of scholarly electronic journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Documents Direct project’s aim was to investigate the feasibility of offering user-initiated unmediated requesting and delivery of documents, as an alternative to traditional periodical holdings and conventional ILL. The project’s initial user group involved four science and engineering schools at the University of Leeds. The project’s trial demonstrated, with both quantitative and qualitative analysis, the value of the service and the project became a trial service 12 months after its inception. This article examines the initial trial and evaluates the trial service. The Documents Direct project at the University of Leeds in the UK started in March 1999. Its aim was to investigate and evaluate new mechanisms for the discovery and delivery of full-text journal articles and similar material to academic staff and researchers of the University. More specifically, it intended to assess the costs and benefits of on-demand single article supply to the desktop at the point of need as an alternative to full subscriptions to journals. In short, offering unmediated document ordering and delivery to researchers and academics within the University. The University of Leeds has a large research library with a substantial periodical collection, which has developed over time to support the research needs of the University. The Library currently subscribes to and pays for approximately 6,000 titles. As with all libraries, it offers an inter-library loans (ILL) service (recently renamed Document Supply to reflect the changing focus of the service), which costs all its users £2 per request. The Library therefore combines both a traditional holdings policy and an access policy, in the form of inter-library loans. A number of issues have meant that this model needs to be reconsidered. In addition, the Library has undergone cultural change in recent years, which has seen the development of outreach activities and put an emphasis on its role in supp... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research libraries in the UK are considering the development of a highly developed form of collaborative purchasing for print material, the distributed national collection. The distributed national collection may have the potential to deliver benefits to libraries and their users, but there are a number of problems that will hinder the implementation of such a programme. The most significant of these are the attitudes to collaborative collecting held by some senior library managers, which emphasise collection goals that are short term and local at the expense of longer-term national goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]