Engineering to the rule, not the exception: an interlibrary loan case study at The University of California, Santa Barbara

Abstract

Purpose

During the implementation of a new interlibrary loan management system, Virtual Document eXchange (VDX), the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) analyzed all aspects of its operation to gain processing efficiencies and improve its service. This paper attempts to quantify the gains achieved from the implementation and to offer explanations for the improvements measured.

Design/methodology/approach

Six months before implementing VDX, UCSB participated in the Association of Research Libraries' “Assessing ILL/DD Service Study” conducted in spring 2003. The results from the spring 2003 study were used as a benchmark for measuring the improvements observed after implementing VDX. To assure the validity of the results, an equivalent study using the same protocols prescribed in the 2003 ARL study was carried out in spring 2007.

Findings

The findings confirmed that turnaround times and fill rates had improved after implementing VDX, despite an overall workload increase of 19 percent. Other findings revealed: automating end‐user requesting methods improves turnaround time; automating the creation of brief bibliographic records in the local circulation system reduces labor costs; and adjusting local policies and procedures to conform with a new ILL management system is essential to an implementation's success.

Originality/value

ILL practitioners will find this case study useful, especially if they are implementing a new ILL management system or are evaluating their current operation and hoping to improve its efficiency.

Citation

Johnson, G. (2009), "Engineering to the rule, not the exception: an interlibrary loan case study at The University of California, Santa Barbara", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 37 No. 1, pp. 4-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/02641610910938569