Going global: an international survey of lending and borrowing across borders

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide preliminary results of the 2011 survey on international interlending conducted by the ALA RUSA STARS International Interlibrary Loan Committee. Design/methodology/approach – An international survey was deployed using SurveyMonkey, an online survey tool, and distributed through various electronic resource sharing discussion lists and personal contacts with international libraries. Findings – The 2011 survey aimed toward international libraries revealed similar results to those of the Committee’s 2007 survey of US libraries. Most international interlending participants both borrow and lend materials internationally. Further analysis will be done focusing on barriers to as well as identification of common practices in international interlending. Originality/value – This research provides the most recent survey of international interlending practices and will yield potential methods and activities for improving resource sharing globally. Keywords – interlending, international, survey research Paper type – Research paper