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Data on interlibrary loan transactions occurring during July and August 1979 were analyzed to determine comparative turnaround and delivery times for 5 Quebec and 11 Ontario universities. The numbers of working days of positive responses for loans and photocopies and the numbers of positive and negative responses for combined loans and photocopies were calculated by subtracting the date that a request was made from the date when the request item or negative response was received. It was found that there is a considerable difference in turnaround times between Quebec and Ontario universities and for photocopies and loans; negative responses constituted 25.7 percent of the replies to requests made to Quebec universities and 27 percent of the requests to Ontario universities. Discussion of the findings includes suggestions for the improvement of interlibrary loan services, and four tables of data are appended. (RBF)

The study reported was conducted at Concordia University after using the CAN/DOC ordering system to procure documents in the sciences directly from the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) to assess the efficiency of interlibrary loan (ILL) procedures using this system. This study focuses on the relative turn-around times and costs of CAN/DOC and possible alternatives. Present ILL procedures are described, a detailed breakdown of the average delays and cancellations is given, and costs are analyzed. The costs of four alternative models for the ordering of requests available at CISTI are outlined. It is recommended that requests of scientific documents available at CISTI be ordered via Telex, with CAN/DOC used only in special circumstances, because of the 50 percent saving in cost per document ordered; that preference be given to ordering from CISTI over Quebec or Ontario university libraries because of the faster service provided by CISTI; that the use of CAN/OLE for document verification be continued; and that efforts be made to encourage CISTI ILL and government officials responsible for its operation to improve the interlibrary loan service. Data are presented in five appended tables. (RBF)

The database contents, search features, and costs of two services offered by UTLAS (University of Toronto Library Automation Systems) are compared to determine which of the two should be used for interlibrary loan (ILL) processing at Concordia University. A review of studies of CATSS (Catalogue Support System) is provided, as well as a description of the search facilities common to CATSS and REFCATSS (Public Service Support System), and a comparison of the costs of interlibrary loan searching on the two systems. It is recommended that, in virtue of the greater suitability of REFCATSS for ILL use and the dubious cost advantage of CATSS given the anticipated level of use, that REFCATSS be used for ILL searching. Also discussed are arrangements for access to terminals on the three campuses to avoid the high cost of registering an additional terminal for ILL use, and the costs of setting up and training for REFCATSS. Estimates of one-time and ongoing costs are provided, and procedures for implementing the use of the system are outlined. Seven references are listed. (RBF)

A description of various activities of the Programmed Learning Committee of the Concordia University Libraries precedes sections on computer assisted instruction (CAI) applications for computer facilities in the library, other computer applications, and space and environment implications of these applications. The first section addresses such topics as CAI applications; CAI courseware; networks, focusing on the Health Education Network and its available systems such as the SDC PLATO and EDUNET; CAI at Concordia; planning for the future; the role of the library; and physical facilities required. Included in the section on other computer applications are discussions of numeric and bibliographic databases. The concluding section presents a summary of CAI applications and describes facilities required in terms of terminals and microcomputers for specific library areas, and recommends furnishings and the proper environment. Listed are three references and a 17-item bibliography. (RBF)