ABSTRACT

The library’s mission statement is important, in that it provides a rationale for the existence of the Interlibrary Loan Service. The exact organizational “location” of the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) department within a library varies widely. Some libraries consider Interlibrary Loan to be an extension of the Reference department, while others consider it a function of the Circulation department. The department may also be responsible for additional services such as photocopying, expedited campus delivery, or fee-based document delivery to meet the information needs of local businesses. Interlibrary Loan departments in academic libraries usually handle both borrowing and lending tasks together, with some libraries splitting tasks between departments. Staff members of ILL departments usually “specialize” in either Borrowing or Lending. Borrowing staff is usually responsible for handling requests created by the library’s patrons and for preparing received material for delivery to those patrons.