Interlibrary Loan entails obtaining copies of library materials not found in the library's collection on behalf of the library's patrons (borrowing), as well as providing copies of library materials requested by other libraries (lending). The dynamic nature of today's library environment is well illustrated by the rapid changes occurring in the role of interlibrary loan. The vision statement of the University of Central Florida Library is: The library performs a central role of adding value to information for the academic community by creatively improving and providing information resources and services. The library strives to create an environment that encourages the pursuit of intellectual endeavors and the creation of new knowledge. In an endeavor to fulfill this vision, the Interlibrary Loan Department at the UCF main library wants to set up a document delivery service within the UCF main campus in order to facilitate research efforts on campus. The document delivery service will include delivery and pickup of library materials for ILL requests by faculty online (via computers). In this study, we build a Traveling Salesperson model for obtaining a routing sequence for the document delivery service. Next, we analyze this model in order to check the feasibility of the routing sequence in presence of demand (delivery and pickup) by simulating the demand over the route using computer simulation software. We conclude by validating the model under given conditions and providing route sequence recommendations in the case of extreme demands.

Poster presentation from the Living the Future 6 Conference, April 5-8, 2006, University of Arizona Libraries, Tucson, AZ. / Results of the University of Arizona’s Six Sigma process improvement of the Interlibrary Loan article borrowing process will be shared: user survey results, problems that were addressed to improve the process, statistics describing our processes before and after improvement and our cost analysis summary. In this study Turn Around Time (TAT) was improved: From: 42% of requests delivered within 3 days To: 68% delivered within 3 days; AND the Cost per Article was reduced: From $8.43 To: $7.97 (with more savings to come).

The Open Access movement seeks to make scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles freely available to anyone, anywhere over the World Wide Web. There were some very significant developments in the area of Open Access (OA) in 2004, including statements by major funders in support of Open Access. There are now so many Open Access scholarly journal articles freely available, that, in the author’s opinion, being aware of, and using, the resources and related tools is now essential for libraries. Libraries can provide more resources faster for users by supplementing paid resources with ones that are Open Access. Library resources, such as link resolvers, are beginning to incorporate Open Access materials and web searches for Open Access materials. For example, the reSearcher software suite includes Open Access collections along with subscription-based resources in the CUFTS journals knowledgebase, and a web search for an Open Access copy of an article in the GODOT link resolver. SFX also incorporates Open Access journals. After exhausting more traditional resources, interlibrary loans staff are beginning to include Google searching in their workflow. This article will discuss what Open Access is, the dramatic growth of Open Access, and major collections, resources and tools. Implications, issues, and leadership opportunities for resource sharing specialists will be explored.

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / In the field of user studies, very little research has been done on rendering of services in academic libraries. These services need to be examined in depth in order to be able to provide academic library users with more appropriate information services. There is clearly a need to determine what the real needs of academic library users are and how they prefer to look for information. The rapid growth of information technology could have a great influence on service rendering to academic library users.

No description available.

Universities in the new millennium find themselves in a knowledge-driven economy that is challenging them to produce a qualified and adaptable work force if they are to contribute to societal development. Owing to the structural change in the economy, entrepreneurs require high level scientists, professionals and technicians who not only have the capability to create and support innovations by adapting knowledge to local use but also people with managerial and lifelong learning skills. Such are they who can accelerate changes and make organizations more productive and efficient in the services they render. Consequently, universities in Sub-Saharan Africa are challenged to transform learning so as to produce graduates who have both knowledge and competencies. Such a system will create a balance between university education and the changing labour market. Satisfying these new educational demands are only possible through research and unhindered access to global information resources. Paradoxically, some private university libraries, because of limited funding, find themselves fiscally constrained in the provision of unhindered access to global stores of information particularly at a time of exponential growth both in number and cost of information resources. This had led libraries to re-examine resource sharing as a viable option to meeting the new demands placed on universities. It is for the reasons above that this study examines the practice, problems and prospects of resource-sharing in selected Seventh-day Adventist university libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It examines scientifically the causes of poor sharing practices that are unique to each library, the situational and environmental factors that can enhance resource sharing. It provides also research-based information that will help to determine the best ways by which each library can have greater access to information resources. There are proposals for resolving the problems, and there are recommendations for dealing with the matter on a more permanent basis. The study advances resource-sharing model called Consortium of Adventist University Libraries in Africa (CAULA) as a resource sharing network for Seventh-day Adventist libraries in Africa. The organizational structure for CAULA are outlined and discussed. The proposed cooperation is not only sustainable but also structured to provide efficiency and greater regional cooperation of SDA libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. / Information Science / DLITT ET PHIL (INF SCIENCE)

臺灣地區公共圖書館自動化系統連結的模式，以縣市文化局(文化中心)與鄉鎮圖書館連結，共用一套系統運作為最主要的模式。此種模式自1996年開始推動建置以來，已經提供給縣市民眾一證通用、聯合書目館藏資料庫查詢等服務，部分縣市也開始進行館際互借、互還的準備作業，進一步利用共用系統所提供的功能。完成各縣市公共圖書館自動化系統的階段後，如何整合各縣市公共圖書館的自動化系統，提供跨系統資訊交換，促進不同縣市公共圖書館的館際合作事宜，以及擴大讀者跨縣市使用公共圖書館的館藏資源，是本研究進行的動機。 本研究的目的，在調查瞭解臺灣地區公共圖書館運用圖書館系統進行的狀況及館際間交流問題，蒐集歸納圖書館自動化系統對跨館際作業方面的功能、架構及相關標準之運用，分析不同跨系統整合模式的優、缺點及可行性，以建置臺灣地區公共圖書館自動化系統整合模式的作業方式，提供給公共圖書館、主管政府機關決策及廠商開發系統相關功能的參考。並引用其他資訊領域相關技術及概念，勾勒圖書館自動化系統未來的發展方向及建議。 本研究採用文獻分析、問卷調查及資訊系統分析等研究方法。問卷調查以公共圖書館之系統管理人員或主管為主，包括國立圖書館及各縣市級公共圖書館，為使調查數據精確與客觀，輔以調查系統廠商與大型大學圖書館之系統館員。 本研究之結論，建議公共圖書館自動化系統跨系統整合架構：(一)、以共用一套系統，(二)、設置「中心系統」供同質系統連結，以及(三)、設置「中心系統」供異質系統連結等架構方式為主。整合的區域範圍以生活圈為較適合的範圍，未來可擴大至整個臺灣地區。整合系統的功能面，除了促使廠商遵循相關標準發展系統外，建議參考不同領域之資訊應用層用，以讀者需求為導向，並可以考量資訊委外及圖書館自動化系統採用「應用系統供應服務」(Application Service Provider，簡稱ASP)模式，以減少公共圖書館資訊管理專業人力缺乏的問題。 / The main connective model of the public libraries automation system in Taiwan area is an integrated model connected between the municipal and county cultural bureaus (cultural centers) and rural libraries with one mutually automated system. Since its setup in 1996, the model has provided library patrons of all cities and counties with services of the union bibliographic database and one library card to be used at all libraries. Some counties and cities have also prepared to advance the interlibrary loan service and utilize the functions of the common library automation system. The motive of the study is to find out the integration of the public library automation in every county and city, to the provision of the intersystem information exchange, the promotion of the public library cooperation, and the expansion of the cross utilization of collections resources of public libraries all over Taiwan when the public library automation system has been completed in every county and city. The purposes of the study are: to investigate and find out the state of art of the operation of library automation systems of public libraries in Taiwan area and the interlibrary exchange problems, to collect and generalize functions, structures and related standards of interlibrary processes of the library automation system, and to analyze advantages and shortcomings and feasible methods of each intersystem integrated model, so as to work out a union model of public libraries integrated automation system in Taiwan area for reference by public libraries, government institutions and factories in their decision making and system development. Forthermore, the study tries to make an outline of the future development trends of the library automation system and offer some proposals on the basis of other information related technology and conceptions. The document analysis, questionnaires, information system analysis and other approaches are used for the research. The questionnaires are collected mainly from the library system management staffs or chiefs including national libraries and municipal and county public libraries. In addition, similar questions are also asked to system librarians, information system factories and college system librarians in order to make the data more accurate and objective. The conclusions of this study suggest three intersystem integrated structures of the public library automation system: “one” system, one “central system” set up for connecting with other uniform systems, and one system to connecting non-uniform systems (with at least one of the connected libraries available with a “central system”). The applicable area range of the integration is preferably life circle area, and may be expanded to the whole Taiwan area in the future. As to functions of the integration system, in addition to promoting factories, developing the system on the basis of the relative standards, suggestions are made for applications of information technology in other domains and in compliance with patron-oriented needs. Public libraries can also consider information outsourcing and adopt ASP (Application Service Provider) mode for the library automation system, so as to help out the lack of information management professional staffs.

Universities in the new millennium find themselves in a knowledge-driven economy that is challenging them to produce a qualified and adaptable work force if they are to contribute to societal development. Owing to the structural change in the economy, entrepreneurs require high level scientists, professionals and technicians who not only have the capability to create and support innovations by adapting knowledge to local use but also people with managerial and lifelong learning skills. Such are they who can accelerate changes and make organizations more productive and efficient in the services they render. Consequently, universities in Sub-Saharan Africa are challenged to transform learning so as to produce graduates who have both knowledge and competencies. Such a system will create a balance between university education and the changing labour market. Satisfying these new educational demands are only possible through research and unhindered access to global information resources. Paradoxically, some private university libraries, because of limited funding, find themselves fiscally constrained in the provision of unhindered access to global stores of information particularly at a time of exponential growth both in number and cost of information resources. This had led libraries to re-examine resource sharing as a viable option to meeting the new demands placed on universities. It is for the reasons above that this study examines the practice, problems and prospects of resource-sharing in selected Seventh-day Adventist university libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It examines scientifically the causes of poor sharing practices that are unique to each library, the situational and environmental factors that can enhance resource sharing. It provides also research-based information that will help to determine the best ways by which each library can have greater access to information resources. There are proposals for resolving the problems, and there are recommendations for dealing with the matter on a more permanent basis. The study advances resource-sharing model called Consortium of Adventist University Libraries in Africa (CAULA) as a resource sharing network for Seventh-day Adventist libraries in Africa. The organizational structure for CAULA are outlined and discussed. The proposed cooperation is not only sustainable but also structured to provide efficiency and greater regional cooperation of SDA libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. / Information Science / DLITT ET PHIL (INF SCIENCE)

The present master thesis is an exploratory qualitative study in academic libraries regarding the transition from the integrated library systems to the next generation integrated library systems or library services platforms and the potential implications in their internal workflows. Nowadays, libraries all over the world are facing up with a number of challenges in terms of acquiring, describing and making available to the public all the resources, both printed and electronic, they manage. In particular, the academic libraries have more reasons to wish to fulfill their users’ needs since the majority of them use the library sources more and more for scientific research and educational purposes.In this study we attempt to explore the phenomenon in the globe using the available literature and to identify the implications in libraries’ workflows and the possible future developments. Moreover, through observation and semi-structured interviews we try to identify the current developments in the Greek context regarding the adoption of next ILS and possible implications in their workflows. Finally, we attempt a comparison between the Greek situation and the international one.