Enhancing Access to Archives and Special Collections through Inter-Library Loan

Western Roundup 2010Christian DupontAtlas Systems, Inc.

Opposing and Balancing Interests

Preservation Access

Trust Risk

What are the risks?

Items not returned• not sent• lost in transitItems returned damaged• poorly packaged• mishandled in transitItems mishandled during use• not kept in secure areas• photocopied/scanned

(requester) (shipper)

(requester) (shipper)

(requester) (requester)

Where are the risks?

Whom can you trust?

• Friends and family?

• Neighbors?

• Strangers?

Leveraging networks

• Bilateral (peer-to-peer)

• Closed-loop (consortial)

• Open-loop (global)

Current initiatives OCLC Research/RLG Programs:

“Sharing Special Collections”

ACRL/RBMS Guidelines for Borrowing and Lending Special Collections Materials Task Force

OCLC/RLG “Sharing Special Collections”

• 1987: “Additional Guidelines” to RLG Shared Resources Manual (“SHARES”)

• 2002: “Sharing the Wealth” forum

• 2009: Sharing Special Collections Advisory Group

• 2009: “Treasures on Trucks and Other Taboos” webinar

See: http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/sharing/default.htm

ACRL/RBMS Borrowing and Lending Special Collections Task Force

• 1987-88: RBMS Preconference, Rare Book and Manuscripts Librarianship (RBML) issue

• 1994: ACRL/RBMS “Guidelines for the Inter-library Loan of Rare and Unique Materials”

• 2004: Guidelines revision

• 2009-11: Guidelines revision; integration with exhibition loan guidelines (2005)

See: http://rbms.info/standards/ and http://rbms.info/committees/

Typical ILL workflow

* With unmediated borrowing (e.g., Rapid), user requests are routed automatically to the potential lender.

User WorldCat User’s ILL Account

ILL Borrowing*

ILL Lending

User

Select Lender*

Ship/Scan

ILL Borrowing*

ILL with special collections

User WorldCat User’s ILL Account

ILL Borrowing*

ILL Lending

User

Select Lender*

Special Collections

ILL BorrowingShip/Scan/Refuse

Special Collections

• Special collections location information and local notes are not generally available through WorldCat Local Holdings Record

• Special collections rarely work with ILL to add lending policies and deflection rules to OCLC Policies Directory

• Libraries lack efficient systems for communicating special collections handling instructions

ILL workflow problems

Change in thinking (preservation/access)

Change in culture (trust/risk)

Change in practice (policies/workflows)

Embracing ILL for special collections requires change

Resource Sharing: What every new librarian should know …

1) Your work is all about customer service: service to the patron on your campus or in your community and service to the patron at the libraries you share with.

2) The patron at the lending library is your patron too.

Adapted from a posting by Kathryn Leigh, Head, Access Services, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to the stars-l@ala.org discussion list, 16 April 2010.

Resource Sharing: What every new librarian should know …

3) Good lending practices are what make a successful resource sharing consortium: fast turnaround times, quality, attention to detail, streamlined workflows.

4) Don’t sweat the small stuff. Develop your workflows around what works for most requests and not around the problems or problems that you might anticipate.

Resource Sharing: What every new librarian should know …

5) Automate whatever you possibly can! Let machines handle the routine work and save your human talent for the problems.

6) Resource sharing is based on trust and partnerships. Get to know your colleagues and their collections. Share ideas as well as materials.

Thank you!

Christian DupontAeon Program DirectorAtlas Systems

cdupont@atlas-sys.com

http://www.slideshare.net/christiandupont/