Analysis of Interlibrary Loan at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Library: lessons learned

摘要

Purpose - The paper seeks to study whether process and cost-effective improvements could be made to the Interlibrary Loan and Internal Document Request services at NIST. Design/methodology/approach - The authors analyze the usage data from the automated management system over a two-year period. Findings - Heavy users, types of materials and journal titles were identified as well as process improvements. Anticipating rising costs remains elusive. Originality/value - The paper gives valuable insights into the workings of document supply in a major research institution in the USA, particularly in relation to costs.