The truth about ILL
InterLibrary Loan (ILL) is a service provided by the Library that helps the RU community get access to materials we don’t own. We are a part of a large network of libraries that share resources so no one library has to purchase everything. ILL is a complex, computerized, and often pricey system. We use specialzed software to process requests (ILLiad) and another type of software (ARIEL) to send and receive electronic documents. We are commited to providing this service free of charge to our Library users, but here are some facts you need to know:
the RU community requested more than 11,000 items last year (1/1/06 - 12/31/06)
requests came in every single day, including one on Christmas Day
you requested more articles from the journal Mythlore, at 55 requests last year
ILL costs more than $30 per transaction
copyright fees alone cost almost $13,000 last year
ILL staff is 1.5 FTE + 2 student assistants
average turnaround time for your requests is a little over 9 days
average turnaround time for materials we lend to other libraries is less than 24 hours
Most (7.63%, 620 items) of your requests were filled by Claude Moore Health Sciences Library at UVA
10.71% (880) of the items we sent to other libraries went to Virginia Tech
we received over 12,000 requests from other libraries last year
the top requested journal was Applied Human Resources Management Research, with 125 request
Which RU department requested the most loans? Psychology at 2054 items last year.
For more information about ILL and to request materials, go to http://lib.radford.edu/illiad. To read an article in praise of ILL from a faculty perspective, go to http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/03/2007031401c/careers.html
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