Abstract: International Interlibrary Loan in a Changing Environment: Results from the 2019 RUSA STARS International ILL survey

[SESSION 05]

Kurt Munson & Hilary H. Thompson; Northwestern University Libraries, University of Maryland Libraries (United States)

In 2019 the American Library Association (ALA) Reference & User Services Association’s Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (RUSA STARS) International Interlibrary Loan Committee conducted its fourth survey of international interlibrary loan policies and practices. This survey was widely distributed to libraries worldwide, in coordination with IFLA’s Document Delivery & Resource Sharing Section, including for the first time translations in six of the seven  official IFLA languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish). While reusing questions from prior survey instruments allowed for longitudinal analysis of quantitative data, the 2019 survey also included new open response questions that delve deeper into how the global library community can build upon its success in sharing resources across borders in order to improve this service for future users. On behalf of the committee, the authors will present select survey results, focusing on the evolving role of  international ILL in an increasingly complex resource discovery and delivery ecosystem. Data-informed strategies to overcome challenges currently facing this service and to optimize global delivery solutions will be shared.

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