Book-Buying Through Interlibrary Loan: Analysis of the First Eight Years at a Large Public University Library

Abstract

Purchasing recently published books rather than requesting them through interlibrary loan provides rapid service to patrons and builds the collection with relevant materials that circulate at least as much as books purchased through traditional methods. This article is a case study of how Joyner Library at East Carolina University has used interlibrary loan to purchase requested titles from 2006 through 2014 and provides an analysis of the results. The mechanics, changes, and successes along the way of the eight years of the service are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• demand-driven acquisition
• ILLiad
• interlibrary loan departments
• purchase on demand
• resource sharing