A dramatic increase in interlibrary loan (ILL) in academic and research libraries in the last five years, combined with a changing office environment, is forcing reassessment of the relationship between the volume and cost of loans to service quality. In the spring of 1988, a survey was sent to 116 member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to gather data about workload, professional and non-professional staffing levels, use of bibliographic utilities, fillrates, and perceptions about staffing adequacy. This report uses the 76 responses received to present an overview of ILL staffing patterns, test assumptions about workloads and fillrates, and suggest some guidelines for libraries to follow in the analysis of their own efficiency and effectiveness. In conclusion, it is suggested that the importance of professionals in ILL may be underestimated, and that increasing ILL activity may be causing a reduction in the quality of service in borrowing operations. Six tables highlight survey responses. Appended are a copy of the survey and cover letter; a self-analysis workform showing median productivity levels for libraries found to be effective and efficient in ILL operations; and linear and quadratic correlations and a chart for monthly analysis of unfills. (11 references) (NRP)

V. 52 includes the proceedings of the conference on the Farmington Plan, 1959.

This book contains the results of the first and only multi-institution study of interlibrary loan and document delivery customer satisfaction among academic library patrons. By examining customer perceptions and ILL/DD activities, Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction: Strategies for Redesigning Services allows library administrators and managers to better understand service needs and shows them where to best allocate resources. The volume includes current reports on workload and staffing in ILL, analysis of current ILL statistical software packages, reports of on-site software development, and suggestions for the future of ILL/DD services. As ILL and DD are the fastest growing services in academic libraries, having a tool that provides so much comparative data on service quality, efficiency, and effectiveness is crucial for librarians in search of solutions to an array of ILL/DD problems.Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction is a valuable resource for academic librarians, public and special librarians struggling with ILL/DD issues, DD providers (commercial or otherwise), and students in the field of library and information studies. Readers become immersed in the issues as this book: describes the development of local software to reduce the tedious tasks involved in request fulfillment, freeing office personnel to tackle more difficult requests analyzes how important delivery speed is to academic ILL/DD requestors and suggests when investing additional resources in improving delivery speed may be a waste of money provides comparative data on how many requests can be processed by the typical ILL office staff member debunks some long-held assumptions about delivery speed sets guidelines for efficiency and effectiveness proposes two strategies for redesigning ILL services to incorporate new developments in technology and innovative approaches toward long-standing, traditional servicesInterlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction is useful not only to administrators interested in redesigning ILL and DD, but also to other libraries interested in comparing the speed and effectiveness of their service with some positively evaluated services provided by high-volume libraries. The software review helps providers implement the best choice of software for their offices and provides in-depth discussions about the strategies needed to further develop one’s own software to reduce workload. At a time when the tenets of Total Quality Management and customer satisfaction are the focus of many managers, interlibrary loan and document delivery are transforming from peripheral services to primary services in the academic library. Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery and Customer Satisfaction reflects the convergence of these trends and provides a great snapshot of services provided by a representative group of academic libraries.