New Interlibrary Loan System

Sweet Briar’s Mary Helen Cochran Library will introduce a new fully automated interlibrary loan request system at the beginning of the 2007 spring term.

Librarian Joe Malloy says the new software, InterLibrary Loan Internet-accessible Database, aka ILLiad, is more efficient for both library staff and users, although some will have to adjust to the paperless system. “We’ll have to educate [patrons],” Malloy said. “Some people are used to jotting down a title and handing us a slip of paper.”

But those paper slips are just one of five or six different ways that the library personnel must process interlibrary loan requests now. All will be replaced by a single, online form. “That’s kind of exciting,” Malloy said.

Starting in January, the library will accept only requests that are submitted through ILLiad, but Malloy says the system’s advantages should quickly dispel any nostalgia for the old days. Among them are direct links to the request form from library databases such as FirstSearch. No more writing down titles or making copies of citations.

You’ll also be able to track the progress of current requests, and to see a history of past requests. “So, it creates a bibliography of past ILLs for you,” Malloy said. “That’s nice for researchers and students.”

A simple, one-time registration is required to use the service. Patrons should look for an upcoming campus-wide announcement that points to the registration site. Librarians also will be on hand to help with registration.

Here’s a few other ways ILLiad beats traditional ILL systems:

* It’s easier to submit interlibrary loan requests. With ILLiad, you enter your name, address and other personal information into the system only once, at the time of your first request.

* Your loan will be handled more rapidly and accurately, because mistakes resulting from handwritten requests are eliminated.

* You can get many of your photocopies faster through electronic delivery.

* You can get information about the status of your request through the Web at any time from any location without having to call the ILL department.

* Library personnel are able to serve you better because all data about your request and its handling is stored in a searchable database. Staff can respond quickly to inquiries about your request. The library also can gather statistical information about the performance of the libraries that lend to Sweet Briar, enabling staff to make better decisions when choosing a lender to supply an item.

Virginia Tech developed ILLiad in the 1980s and it is now embraced by the OCLC as the preferred interlibrary loan system for academic libraries. Contact Malloy at ljmalloy@sbc.edu or Ext. 6307 if you have questions or need more information.

To learn more about ILLiad, check out the FAQ page at http://illiad.cochran.sbc.edu/illiad/FAQ.html
Story posted by From staff reports on 12/15/06