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An assessment is needed of the factors that contribute to the cost of obtaining material on interlibrary loan. The main internal library resource involved is staff time, which must be used effectively as well as efficiently. The internal costs per loan at the British Library Lending Division are less than at other libraries, which would not benefit from competing with the Lending Division, though groups of libraries might supply ‘easier’ requests among themselves, through on‐line union lists or core collections of periodicals. Interlibrary loan systems should also be able to provide an urgent service for special cases, but it is not easy to reconcile the demands and the actual needs of users. Despite economic arguments for free distribution of information, some level of charging is a useful means of regulating interloan demand. Document delivery can be effected by acquisition for stock, referral to another library, or interlibrary loan, and costs and benefits vary for each method. It is concluded that libraries should be able to operate a cost‐effective interlending service by concentrating on items that users really need and by assessing carefully when interloans are most beneficial. At the same time, it is necessary to assess the effects of new procedures and technologies at local level on the scholarly and scientific communication system as a whole.

This paper aims to propose a technical solution to rapidly access and locate the nearest interlibrary loan resources using OpenURL in the services of a local library.

First, the paper creates knowledge bases of “nearest access” services, which can automatically identify the nearest library and rapidly locate the resources in the target library. The knowledge bases consist of information about the nearby libraries and a rapid location rule for resources in these libraries. Second, the paper designs “nearest access” algorithms that allow users to identify and select the nearest interlibrary loan resources from the knowledge bases of “nearest access” services.

Through these steps, the paper establishes an architecture for accessing resources in the nearest library that are based on a combination of knowledge bases and “nearest access” algorithms, providing users with a convenient and rapid method to access interlibrary loan resources.

The innovation of this research lies in the ability of the proposed architecture in providing accurate, agile and personalized access to digital interlibrary loan services. Through this work, users will finally possess a tool to rapidly locate the resources in the nearest library using OpenURL.

This paper aims to describe and promote the interlibrary loan and document delivery services between North American and Japanese academic libraries. An overview of the overseeing bodies, the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources and the Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Committee, is also described.

A descriptive approach is taken to explain the library‐focused programs supported by the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources.

Access to Japanese language resources is increasingly higher in demand. The National Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources has fully supported libraries by providing interlibrary loan/document services between Japan and North America.

This paper provides step‐by‐step instructions for interlibrary loan practitioners whose libraries participate in the Global ILL Framework (GIF) program.

Information transfer involves several agents and costs are incurred at various stages of the process. Although interlibrary loan practices were established on the basis of reciprocity among institutions, the imbalance between net lenders and net borrowers has been causing concern about the costs of such a service and who should bear them. Interlibrary loan charges are one means of distributing among libraries the actual costs of the information transfer process. On the other hand, it is in the public interest to allow access to appropriate information banks and interlibrary loan facilitates resource sharing schemes and therefore better use of those resources. Charging can be seen as a rationing mechanism: negative in effect and against the public good.

The paper aims to show how using a resource-sharing service can help you provide more resources to your users.

This paper discusses interlibrary loan challenges and opportunities, specifically with reference to WorldShare Interlibrary Loan.

This paper describes the service that connects libraries to the largest cooperative resource-sharing network with more than 10,000 borrowing and lending libraries worldwide, the possibilities for the future, facts and figures and how libraries around the world have used the solution successfully.

This paper looks at how WorldShare Interlibrary Loan can help libraries overcome the challenges that they face regarding resource sharing.

This paper aims to describe the role of the National Library of Australia in the Australian interlibrary loan environment, not just in terms of providing access to National Library collections through the document supply service, but also in providing infrastructure to support interlibrary loans across Australia.

The paper describes the various roles the National Library plays in the interlibrary loan/document delivery environment in Australia. It covers the document supply service and the Libraries Australia service, which provides the infrastructure that supports interlibrary loans/document delivery in Australia, and briefly reports on the evaluation of services currently being undertaken.

Providing access to library collections is complex and constantly changing. Client expectations are increasing, and libraries need to change traditional practices to meet user needs.

The paper covers the services offered by the National Library of Australia in supporting interlibrary loans/document delivery. Very few papers cover this topic.

This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of the Group Interlibrary Loan Best Practices instituted by the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA) Libraries in 2002 and to examine whether these best practices are still viable today. The authors aims to provide an updated discussion on current best practices in both GWLA and other highly effective library consortia.

The authors use a case study approach to identify areas where interlibrary loan best practices have improved service amongst the GWLA Libraries. In addition, the practices of other high performing consortia are included to further the discussion.

The GWLA Libraries found that the best practices implemented in 2002 improved service by decreasing turnaround time and increasing patron access to alternate format types. Other library consortia are also using similar group best practices that improve resource sharing.

This article focuses mostly on the beneficial outcomes of the best practices and limits discussion of the problems and pitfalls encountered.

Readers will gain an understanding of how instituting group best practices can improve interlibrary loan service and recognize the benefit of library groups.

To report and analyze transaction data over a four‐year period for patron‐initiated borrowing via the Cascade union catalog as well as transaction data for traditional ILL in a consortium of six academic libraries in Washington State.

Transaction data for patron‐initiated borrowing via the Cascade union catalog were gathered from statistics produced by the Inn‐Reach software. Data for ILL were collected via a survey of libraries’ staff. Data for returnables and copies were analyzed at the consortium and institutional level.

In the third year of patron‐initiated borrowing, traditional ILL transactions for returnables had decreased 21 per cent consortium‐wide, the total number of transactions for returnables had increased 271.9 per cent, and the transactions for copies remained steady. Although the borrowing and lending patterns at the six libraries varied, each loaned and borrowed more returnables via patron‐initiated borrowing than via traditional ILL.

This study describes activity at a single consortium of only six libraries. Since the Cascade libraries have now merged into a larger consortium, the Orbis Cascade Alliance, it would be interesting to collect and analyze new data from the larger group to see if patterns have changed.

The increased volume of returnables delivered to users in this consortium suggests that patron‐initiated borrowing is an effective method for resource sharing. Traditional ILL remains a necessary alternative for copies and books not available within the consortium.

This is the first study to examine consortium‐wide transaction data for both patron‐initiated borrowing and traditional interlibrary loan for a sustained period of time.

International interlibrary loan remains a persistent and sometimes vexing topic in US libraries. Technology's advance allows libraries and library users to easily identify resources from across the globe. This ease of discovery belies the difficulty of delivery. To contribute to the conversation, the ALA RUSA STARS International Interlibrary Loan Committee conducted a survey of US libraries regarding international interlibrary loan activity. The survey uncovered elements impacting ILL success and failure and identified opportunities for US academic libraries global ILL participation. Issues that concern the survey's participants included communications, copyright, customs, payment methods, shipping, and language barriers. US interlibrary loan librarians seek cooperative responses to these problems. This paper seeks to address this issue.

This paper discusses the current climate of international interlibrary loan from a US perspective and highlights efforts to use STARS survey results to inform international ILL programs and best practices.

To expand international interlending, STARS can build on today's extra‐OCLC resource sharing strategies and leverage survey results to focus programming and promotional efforts. At the same time, librarians must improve communications and foster international resource sharing communities which contributes to the international dialog essential for interlending success.

The paper presents a new initiative from the major professional association for North American librarians dedicated to resource sharing.