IDS Orientation

Interlibrary Loan is the process by which two different libraries share their material with each other. The requesting library is also called the borrowing library and the supplying library is called the lending library. Interlibrary loan can accommodate physical loans and PDFs of articles or book chapters (depending on copyright).

Copyright is the set of rights that are granted to the owner of a specific work. Use of copyrighted materials is governed by the law. Understanding how copyright affects our ability to lend and borrow items is important.

Borrowing is the act of requesting a resource from another library for your own library's patrons. 

Lending is the act of sending resources to another library so that their patron can use the item. This can be either physically or digitally.

Document Delivery (also abbreviated as DocDel) is the act of providing items you own to your own patrons. This can be scanning of a journal article or book chapter in your collection as well as getting a physical item from storage and making it available at your circulation desk. Some libraries use the Document Delivery process to pull course reserves from their collections.

Assessment of interlibrary loan services is important for understanding how well your department is meeting its goals.