Capturing the Benefits of Open Access in Interlibrary Loan

Abstract

Though many think primarily of journal articles when discussing open access (OA), there are other document types that can fall under the basic definition of OA such as electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), conference papers, and reports. Sources of these OA materials abound – institutional repositories, subject repositories, OA journals, organization websites – the list goes on and on. While the sheer number of sources may seem overwhelming, locating OA materials to fill requests provides real benefits to interlibrary loan (ILL) departments. OA allows the fulfillment of requests for materials traditionally difficult to obtain; fills requests quickly without external intervention; and eliminates the cost of borrowing. In order to capture these benefits, ILL practitioners must prioritize their options and streamline the OA workflow. This paper will provide recommendations on how to develop a customized OA workflow that best fits your ILL department.