Investigating Interlending: a scoping study of resource discovery, sharing and cooperation Report produced by the Centre for the Public Library and Information in Society (CPLIS), Information School, University of Sheffield, for TCR (The Combined Regions) September 2015 Dr. Briony Birdi Dr. Stephen Pinfield Sophie Rutter Dr. Simon Wakeling 1 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 5 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 10 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 12 2.1 Current levels of provision .................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Rationale and strategies for ILL ............................................................................................ 13 2.3 Value for money ................................................................................................................... 14 2.4 The user perspective ............................................................................................................. 15 2.5 Systems ................................................................................................................................. 17 2.6 Impact of the digital environment ......................................................................................... 19 2.7 Models of cooperation .......................................................................................................... 21 2.7.1 General points ............................................................................................................... 21 2.7.2 Denmark ........................................................................................................................ 21 2.7.3 Ohio ............................................................................................................................... 22 2.7.4 MusicPal ....................................................................................................................... 23 3. STAGE ONE: SURVEY .............................................................................................................. 24 3.1 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 24 3.1.1 Instrument development ................................................................................................ 24 3.1.2 Distribution ................................................................................................................... 25 3.1.3 Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Results ................................................................................................................................... 26 3.2.1 About you ...................................................................................................................... 26 3.2.2 Current levels of provision ............................................................................................ 27 3.2.3 Rationale and strategies ................................................................................................ 32 3.2.4 Value for money............................................................................................................ 38 3.2.5 The future of interlending ............................................................................................. 46 4. STAGE TWO: INTERVIEWS ..................................................................................................... 53 4.1 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 53 4.1.1 Participants .................................................................................................................... 53 4.1.2 Interview questions ....................................................................................................... 54 4.1.3 Interview process .......................................................................................................... 54 4.1.4 Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 55 4.2 Current ILL provision ........................................................................................................... 55 4.2.1 Schemes ........................................................................................................................ 55 2 4.2.2 Impact of funding cuts .................................................................................................. 64 4.3 Rationale ............................................................................................................................... 66 4.3.1 For interlending ............................................................................................................. 66 4.3.2 For consortia ................................................................................................................. 68 4.4 Value for money ................................................................................................................... 71 4.4.1 For Users ....................................................................................................................... 71 4.4.2 For funders .................................................................................................................... 73 4.5 The digital environment ........................................................................................................ 76 4.5.1 Digital content ............................................................................................................... 76 4.5.2 Systems ......................................................................................................................... 79 4.6 Community run libraries ....................................................................................................... 84 4.6.1 Increase or decrease in requests .................................................................................... 84 4.7 HE involvement in ILL ......................................................................................................... 86 4.7.1 Types of access ............................................................................................................. 86 4.7.2 The benefits ................................................................................................................... 88 4.7.3 Barriers .......................................................................................................................... 90 4.8 Library customers ................................................................................................................. 90 4.8.1 Who is requesting ILL and what for ............................................................................. 90 4.8.2 Relationship between cost and use of ILL .................................................................... 91 4.8.3 Digital services and digital environment ....................................................................... 91 4.9 The future of interlending ..................................................................................................... 93 4.9.1 Impact of the economic environment ............................................................................ 93 4.9.2 Visions for the future .................................................................................................... 95 5. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................... 98 5.1 Contrasting and Contradictory Results ................................................................................. 98 5.1.1 Use of interlending terminology ................................................................................... 98 5.1.2 How schemes operate .................................................................................................... 99 5.1.3 The moral imperative .................................................................................................. 100 5.1.4 Impact of the digital environment ............................................................................... 100 5.1.5 Interlending, collections and shrinking budgets .......................................................... 101 5.1.6 Local efficiency vs. economies of scale ...................................................................... 102 5.2 Areas of Consensus ............................................................................................................. 102 5.2.1 Declining rates ............................................................................................................ 102 5.2.2 E-content is a problem ................................................................................................ 103 5.2.3 HE involvement adds value ........................................................................................ 103 5.2.4 Lack of awareness of services ....................................................................................