ABSTRACT
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) has a long history within libraries, with examples of interlibrary cooperation dating back hundreds of years. It has become the most common resource sharing activity within the library, though the scale of activity remained fairly small until the mid-1950s, when a standardized request form was introduced. Interlibrary Loan continues to evolve today with new developments such as the implementation of international standards for transmitting and receiving requests, and electronic delivery of requested materials directly to patrons. “Traditionally, libraries and information centers depended on an ownership-of-materials model as the primary means of meeting customer information needs. ILL for books and photocopies of journal articles more or less filled any gaps between the local collections and local needs”. Factors fueling the increase in Interlibrary Loan activity include lack of physical space, the proliferation of holdings information as more and more libraries continue retrospective conversion projects, and delivery mechanisms such as statewide and regional courier systems or electronic delivery methods.
