Consortial monograph interlending in the UK: a case study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to summarise the outcomes of the one‐year Monograph Interlending Project jointly funded by CURL and the British Library in 2004‐2005.

Design/methodology/approach

The article presents the main features of the BookNow model – a blueprint for a consortial monograph inter‐lending service, as developed by the Project, and discusses the issues it has brought to the fore.

Findings

The BookNow model, which was developed with a view to testing the viability of the BLDSC‐Plus option recommended by the 2003 consultancy report, Monograph Interlending for the Higher Education Research Community, is a radical and innovative customer‐focused system for the delivery of inter‐library loans (ILL) across the UK. However, initial business planning indicated a very high cost to both the British Library and higher education libraries, were the service to be developed. In addition it is unclear whether this level of investment is necessary within the context of more recent initiatives which are fundamentally transforming the library and information landscape, in particular, the Google digitisation programme and the potential for developing services based on revealing content through Amazoogle strategies. The Project has nevertheless highlighted a number of areas where CURL and the British Library could usefully work together and in cooperation with other partners within the library and information community to improve current ILL practices for the immediate future.

Originality/value

This is an original piece of research identifying ways of improving the delivery of ILL across the UK.

Citation

Shoebridge, M., Détraz, M. and Evans, J. (2006), "Consortial monograph interlending in the UK: a case study", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 24-28. https://doi.org/10.1108/02641610610649554