Talk:Interlibrary loan

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Contents 1 Useful information 2 UK equivalent 3 "How interlibrary loan works" 4 "cleanup-tone"

[edit] Useful information

This section is not especially encyclopedic, especially the use of the second person voice. I am considering re-writing it into a different format ("Common misconceptions about ILL service," perhaps?) or removing it all together. Suggestions? --Mdresser 14:19, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

it's only the one section of directions that is really nonencyclopedic, and it is very hard knowing where to put such information, but I have some ideas--there's a set of pages dealing with help in sourcing articles that might be the place. The main thing the rest of the section needs is to distinguish it from document delivery services, which needs a separate article. DGG 02:05, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree on removing/moving the section of directions. (The alternative would be to add an equivalent set of directions for librarians; but that's more of a how-to than an encyclopaedia entry.) I don't know to what extent interloaning should be distinguished from document delivery services, however; in my experience it's more a matter of terminology than of a real difference in services: one library will call it interloans, another document delivery. If there is in fact an official distinction between the two terms that's worth noting (could be worth checking the ALA glossary) but as I don't think there's a real distinction in practice I don't think a separate page is appropriate. --Zeborah 08:38, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

You are probably more nearly right than I, but in my experience it varies. There is a tendency in some large university libraries to differentiate the service offered to the undergrad and the faculty using such language--there certainly was in the one I know best. Perhaps then the best solution is to have them all in one article here, and explain the variations.And I know of no library service with more variation. I think I can reword the instructions as a description of practice. No reason why the article couldn't be useful at many levels.DGG 06:44, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree that the section is unencyclopedic and should be removed. It threw me off immediately. A link would suffice.--Jickyincognito 08:30, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] UK equivalent

Is there an equivalent among UK libraries?

An interlibrary loan service? Certainly. Most countries have some version of it in my experience: I've supplied to Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, the US, Australia and of course (working here) throughout New Zealand. --Zeborah 18:41, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Actually, the UK system is a little different, because a great deal of the traffic especially for articles, goes to the NLL (Boston Spa) and thus they have a centralized system rather than the US decentralized one--the National libraries do exist, but they are in every sense a last resort. Canada is a combination--Cisti functions like BLL--& functions so well that lots of US places pay to use it. DGG 04:35, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "How interlibrary loan works"

The first part of this section (with the 3 bullet points) is pretty naff. Borrowing and lending are not two operations - they are different sides of one operation. And 3 bullet points to expand on "2" operations?! I'm tempted to chop this part completely. Nurg 08:33, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Rather, needs a rewriting for tone, to put it into he third person. I know many large ILL departments where the borrowing and loan operations are separated & handled by separate staff, --(not that I think it a good idea). The present article already has too much oversimplification. & the section needs expansion---go ahead and give it a try.DGG (talk) 02:55, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "cleanup-tone"

The explanation of the catches and important points of ILL is useful, but supposedly articels are supposed to sit in the 3rd person only. 68.39.174.238 21:17, 30 November 2007 (UTC)