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Examines problems and prospects for document supply in Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary, Poland Romania and the former Yugoslavia. Details national patterns of demand, acquisitions problems, interlibrary communications and methods of transmission of documents. Notes problems of payment and proposes a voucher scheme. Considers future possibilities and suggests action by Western libraries to assist the Eastern European region. Concludes that much effort will be needed in the region to provide services comparable with those of the West.

A summary of a report to UNESCO with the results of a study examining various aspects of interlending and document supply throughout Europe. Examines the size and nature of collections available for interlending, the state of union catalogues and the use of new technology. Concludes that there is considerable disparity in practice and development throughout Europe with differences in financial and professional practices and uneven development of union catalogues.

Discusses the arguments for and against the trend of charging for interlibrary loans. Considers the costs of interlending, sources of information, the charging situation in the United Kingdom, Europe, former USSR, USA and Canada, and Australia, as well as the reasons for not charging: transaction size, political reasons, income retention/use and moral objection. Concludes that the trend towards charging is likely to widen the gap between those who can afford to pay for documents and those who can′t, to the detriment of library co‐operation.

Interlending & Document Supply has had a chequered history in terms of its title but almost unparalleled stability from an editorial point of view. Various political and organisational changes within the British Library have caused changes in the journal and transfer to a commercial publisher had a major impact, but its place as the leading international journal in the field of document supply remains unchallenged.

Report of a seminar and workshop held in Buenos Aires on the issue of access to information. Publication output, acquisition, retention and conservation policies, interlibrary loan and national planning were among the topics discussed.

Argues that interlibrary lending has not changed significantly in the year 1988/89. Claims that demand within regions rose slightly as did use of British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC). Shows a number of changes in operational methods at BLDSC. Discusses the impact new legislation may have on Regional Library Bureaux status and on interlending, and implications for audio‐visual materials.

Interlibrary supply has been about sending photocopies or actually lending books, but there is increasing demand for images of three‐dimensional objects as they really are. Original objects cannot be delivered, but technology allows delivery of images from museums and galleries as well as archives and libraries and users can often find these on the Web. There are no “rights” in many of these materials which allows unlimited image creation, sharing and downloading. The two major factors to consider are whether what is supplied is a true image of the object requested and second, the de‐contextualisation of the image from the collection where the object is housed.

The review begins with a look at the interlending of audiovisual materials. The main obstacles in this area are fear of damage in transit and packaging problems, costs of transportation, copyright and contractual restrictions, the lending/reference conflict, and problems of incompatibility of technical equipment. The general problems are discussed and also the situation in the United Kingdom and Australia. The interlending of music is examined with a critical look at an ambitious scheme for combining ILL and publication on demand by using telefacsimile. A continued growth in the volume of interlending traffic is detected by analysing figures from Canada, the USA, the German Democratic Republic, and the UK. The administration of ILL systems is critical for their efficiency and the questions of staffing and finance are examined. The nature of ILL work has changed so as to require more qualified staff and it is necessary to look at all the components of interlending work to estimate what elements, if any, should be charged to the system itself and what are overheads for general library use. Finally the value of grandiose networking schemes in Third World countries is questioned in the light of experiences from the Arab World, India, and Brazil.

Considers the particular challenges of training staff for interlending work in libraries. Discusses the need for interlending as part of the concept of publication availability, the problems of setting up a training course, aims and objectives of training, the trainees and trainers, and techniques and training materials. Concludes that the problems posed by the co‐operative nature of interlending demands a structured training programme to ensure its success.

Looks at recent revisions of copyright in countries around the world. Discusses proposals in the European communities for harmonization of copyright law; member countries have introduced new laws of their own; the UK allows some copying freedom by individuals and libraries, but the allowances are much more carefully regulated. Details Spain′s new law which introduces fair dealing for the first time; new legislation in Singapore and Korea which allows library and private copying while protecting publications from other countries. Reviews changes in the United States, Canada and Australia and in some developing countries. Concludes that there is tremendous pressure on those countries outside the framework of international copyright treaties to reform or introduce law so that they can join.