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The British Library Lending Division came into being in 1973 when the National Central Library was integrated with the stock and services of the National Lending Library for Science and Technology at Boston Spa. The original buildings have been added to by specially designed accommodation. The loan/photocopy service, based on the use of a pre‐paid three‐part request form, has been supplemented by computer requesting, links through database operators such as DIALOG, and the telephone for urgent requests. Road/rail transport links with many parts of the country have been introduced and now account for over half of all items dispatched. A rapid growth in demand in the first seven years was followed by a decline and then a levelling off in 1982/83. The proportion of demand accounted for by International Services increased from 9% in 1973/74 to 21% in 1982/83. The Division has developed close connections with IFLA and the European Communities. As a result of a British Library Ad hoc Working Party on Union Catalogues, which reported in 1982, the Division's stock records and union catalogues are being automated. The British Union Catalogue of Periodicals ceased to be issued and its bibliographic function was replaced by Serials in the British Library, issued by the Bibliographic Services Division from 1981. Certain libraries with large or important stocks were designated to serve as backup collections; from 1979 more requests went to backups than were provided with locations. The British Library Reference Division has not only supplied photocopies as a backup but begun to lend items held in the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books and the Science Reference Library. Close relations have been maintained with users and with relevant organizations. The acquisitions policy established in 1973 has changed little, though music scores were added in 1974, and rationalization of resources with Reference Division has resulted in a small drop in the number of serials acquired. The British National Book Centre activities of the NCL were merged with the donations activities of the NLLST to form the Gift and Exchange Section. Until 1982 the service was free but economies on staff and resources led to a restricted and priced service. Courses in the use of the scientific literature were extended to other subjects but had to be terminated as an economy measure in 1980. For similar reasons the ad hoc translating service was discontinued at the end of 1981. The cover‐to‐cover translations of (mainly Russian) scientific and technical journals sponsored by the NLLST have continued as part of the Division's extensive publication programme, which now recovers all its costs. Cost recovery increased from a quarter to a half of all expenditure over the period. The Division has kept up with relevant developments in automation and electronic publishing.

This research aims to address the transformative service research (TSR) agenda by examining the issue of caste-based financial exclusion in microcredit lending services in India. To do so, it draws on statistical discrimination theory from labour economics to develop and test a multi-level prosocial service orientation framework.

Survey data come from 238 loan officers and 250 lower caste loan applicants across 43 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India. The data are analysed using hierarchical linear modelling, a method appropriate for investigating micro- and macro-level organisational variables.

At the micro level, the service orientation factors of social dominance orientation and algorithmic-driven lending decisions affect financial exclusion of lower caste bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) vendors. At the macro level, the service orientation mechanism of inclusive service climate reduces caste-based financial exclusion, while the level of lending risk to reduce discrimination receives no support.

Research in other contexts is warranted to confirm the prosocial service orientation model. Methodological challenges at the BoP also present avenues for insightful work.

The study shows the importance of an inclusive service climate and reassessment of algorithmic-driven lending decisions to eliminate caste-based indicators in lending decisions. It also recommends policy reform of caste-based affirmative action at the macro- and micro-levels of lending decisions.

This research extends the TSR agenda to include caste-based discrimination in prosocial services. It takes a multidisciplinary perspective on services research by incorporating statistical discrimination theory from labour economics to extend understanding of service orientation.

Given the large global investments made in FinTechs and the context of Brazilian credit (which has been suffering from the effects of the crisis in the last decade), the purpose of this paper is to study the propensity of consumption of credit services offered by FinTechs of loans. In order to discover the factors that influenced the propensity to apply for FinTech loans, a theoretical model was designed, which was tested by means of a survey given to individuals who might contract loans.

The final sample consisted of 507 individuals whose data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM), with estimation of partial least squares.

From the results of the research, it was possible to draw a profile of the FinTechs of Brazilian loans and also to estimate the antecedents of the propensity to utilize this type of service.

The model proposed in this work was developed to measure the propensity to consume in relation to the credit services offered by lending FinTechs.

The consumer should intensify the use of these channels to shape financial products and services to their needs, thereby democratizing access to credit, which is often restricted in quantity and quality by policies of institutions that dominate the Brazilian lending market.

Aspects such as trust, personal innovation, perceived utility, ease of use and social influence, as well as the constructs that precede them like privacy, stigma and transactional distance, explain 41.5 percent of the propensity to use services from lending FinTechs in Brazil.

This paper aims to highlight the existence of illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) lending in Indonesia, unethical practices of P2P lending operators to borrowers, regulatory weaknesses and offer recommendations to reduce unethical practices.

This paper is a general discussion through desk research using secondary data from journal papers, research reports, books and papers online.

There are regulatory weaknesses in regulating illegal P2P lending. There are no strict legal sanctions for P2P lending operators who act unethically to borrowers.

This paper discusses the unethical actions of P2P lending operators and the inability of regulations to take legal action against illegal P2P operators.

This paper discusses the pressing need for British Council libraries and information services in Italy to respond positively to British and international forces for change. Social, economic, cultural, and technological developments over the past 20 years mean that lending libraries are no longer an appropriate or effective model for the British Council when serving the information needs of priority groups in Western European countries. It is argued that the restructuring of the Council’s information services in Italy has become a necessity. It is suggested that marketing concepts and technique are relevant both to non‐profit making services in general and to British Council information services in particular. The marketing implications of a range of possible alternative services for non‐user priority groups are considered and, recommendations made for the British Council to adopt a marketing orientation when planning and implementing the future of its information services in Italy.

In retrospect, the process of merging the National Central Library with the National Lending Library for Science and Technology might appear to have moved with clockwork precision and with little dissent. Logic and far‐sighted planning might now seem to have been inexorable.

The Lending Division handles over three‐quarters of all interlibrary loan requests from British libraries. Demand was 4% higher than in 1976/77 — a lower growth rate than hitherto. Overseas demand continued to grow faster (9% more requests than 7976/77) than British demand (3% more). The back‐up system, which was rationalised during the year, dealt with nearly as many requests (5%) as the locations service (5.5%), which showed an improved performance. The pilot transport schemes in London and the North West were completed, and plans were made for the extension of rail/road services over the whole country. Over £1,800,000 was spent on acquisitions, and the number of current serials acquired rose to 49,300. The Gift and Exchange Section became able to receive large quantities of material direct, rather than being notified on cards. Work started on a new building with 40 miles of shelving, due for completion in 1979. Increased funds were spent on conservation, for which a long‐term programme is being prepared. Other aspects covered are translating services, MEDLARS, courses and seminars, research and computer applications, publications, and publicity and visitors.

Innovation in digital technologies has been the main force in promoting growth and inclusion. However, the impact of such innovations remains ambiguous. Within this context, this study aims to analyze the distribution of digitally empowered peer-to-peer (P2P) lending in Indonesia.

This study uses a quantitative approach to estimate the impact of technological innovation in promoting economic development. In particular, this study employs empirical panel data from 135 financial technology (FinTech) companies from 2015 to 2019 and use the dynamic panel threshold regression approach. This study collects secondary data to build the estimated model.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, this study’s evidence suggests that there is a delayed effect between the contribution of P2P lending by FinTech firms on economic growth in the country. While the immense growth of FinTech seems promising, the findings indicate that FinTech is far from its optimal point. This study calculates the optimal combination between productive and consumptive lending and between Java and non-Java. In view of this finding, this study proposes strategies to effectively distribute lending and bring about the expected benefit to the economy.

Since the contribution of P2P lending on economic development has not reached its optimum, the findings expose the limitation of current technological innovation in the financial sectors. In this sense, P2P penetration on the financing market needs encouragement. The calculations for optimal allocation between productive and consumptive and between Java and non-Java provide guidance to policymakers. This study helps practitioners to shape strategy and to begin experimenting with different approaches to distribute loans effectively.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no empirical studies that examine the impact of emerging FinTech companies in promoting economic growth and financial development. The findings close this research gap, especially in regard to innovation management literature, and provide insights for practitioners, policymakers and regulators.

The main automation systems at the British Library Lending Division are based on three minicomputers. A Digital Equipment minicomputer is used for the Automated Request Transmission system for receiving users' loan and photocopy requests as well as being used for the Address Database system which holds relevant information about the Lending Division's users. A Unit Accounting system will be added to service users' deposit accounts. The Systime minicomputer runs the Serials system which maintains details of serials received by the Lending Division and provides various working tools which are to include online retrieval by keyword of serial titles. Serials check‐in and invoicing functions may be implemented. The Systime minicomputer also supports part of a system to produce a publication British Reports, Translations and Theses (BRTT) as well as a system for record creation of UK input to the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (SIGLE). The Geac minicomputer has been installed with software packages to implement the Monograph Acquisitions and Records system starting with cataloguing of monographs. The minicomputers may eventually be linked to the British Library Wide Area Network recently extended to the Lending Division.

Resource sharing is an important element in the national planning of library and information services to meet the needs of information, education and culture of the whole community at all levels. An overview of resource sharing practices is presented, with particular reference to the British scene. It is also argued that, with the approach of the Single Market in 1992, resource sharing should now be considered on a European scale. In conclusion, some problems associated with the practice of resource sharing are considered.