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Plan for Interlibrary
Loan
ROLLING PRAIRIE LIBRARY
SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
Providing quality
interlibrary loan service at both the system agency level and the member
library level is an essential element in Rolling Prairie Library
System’s effort to improve library service in our thirteen county area.
Interlibrary loan has been one of the core System services from the
beginning of the System in 1966. Although Rolling Prairie Library System
no longer processes interlibrary loans for its members, facilitating the
loan process remains a priority. Technology has increased the ability of
member libraries to directly handle patron requests without system
agency intervention. This plan addresses the role of the system and its
members in promoting direct library-to-library loans.
Reference is a
basic service of libraries. Each library has many missions, one of which
must include meeting the information needs of patrons. Libraries receive
questions on a wide variety of subjects and are responsible for
answering those questions through the use of both local and remote
resources. RPLS member librarians work in a resource-rich environment.
Remote access to databases, such as the system
LLSAP,
Statewide
Illinois Library Catalog (SILC),
I-Share,
and FirstSearch,
provide a wealth of materials and information available to our
libraries.
SYSTEM
PROMOTED INTERLIBRARY LOAN
RPLS plays an
important role in the promotion of effective library-to-library
interlibrary loan. The RPLS member libraries use direct electronic
access such as
Statewide
Illinois Library Catalog (SILC),
I-Share,
OCLC, or the System
LLSAP
to access other libraries. As a facilitator of this process, there are
several ways in which the system plays a helpful role.
The System has a
major responsibility for promoting and administering the system
LLSAP.
The database is also available for searching by other libraries through
the Web.
Through publicity
and training the System facilitates the use by our member libraries of
SILC, FirstSearch
and the CARLI
I-Share
database. The System provides and strongly encourages libraries to take
training on searching these various databases FirstSearch
and ILL procedures. The System also has an important responsibility for
the monitoring and coordination of interlibrary loan in general among
our member libraries. The System publicizes and promotes the ILLINET
Interlibrary Loan Code (pdf). The internal System delivery service
is a vital link in the flow of materials.
The System
particularly encourages the use of OCLC tools – especially FirstSearch
– to secure the materials needed. A major project has been the addition
of the serial holdings of RPLS libraries to the
SILO component of OCLC. Libraries
can directly access these resources through the Internet.
RPLS facilitates
the profiling of RPLS member libraries in OCLC. Once libraries have
received their authorization/password and have received training, they
can directly request materials both in and out of state.
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