1. Amy Paulus, University of Iowa Libraries
International Interlibrary Lending and Borrowing: Getting Started and Moving Forward
ALA Annual Conference
June 26, 2010

2. International ILL Lending
at the University of Iowa Libraries

3. International ILL Lending
University of Iowa Libraries Policies
Who we lend to
What we will lend
How much we lend (excluding GIF)
What we charge
Ship via US Airmail
British Library (BRI), Canada, and GIF Libraries
Everything except short loan materials (some journals, all videos)
238 loans, 1488 articles
$11IFM or $11 invoice, 1 full IFLA
Items less than 1 lb. don’t require a customs forms but we fill them out for everything because it allows us to track them. We also insure each item.

4. International ILL Lending
Problems
Language barriers
Payments for invoiced material
Materials are gone a long time
Faxing and Airmailing articles
Shipping
Lucky to have French, Japanese, Chinese, etc. staff at the UI. But that is one reason why we have only chosen to lend to British Library, Canada because they speak English. GIF Libraries need to be able to correspond in English (which they have). Been thinking about expanding lending service to others, definitely those that we can charge IFM and use OCLC to manage request. We get a fair number of requests from Australia. We don’t borrow internationally either (with very few exceptions).
IFM and IFLA vouchers work really slick. We don’t accept credit cards (the next easiest form of payment) and a few foreign libraries have complained about that because it is really expensive and time-consuming to cut a check in US funds.
Recalls virtually impossible. Renewals almost a guarantee.
Transmission of faxes is not as clear. Airmailing articles takes time and often in not received status in OCLC and confusion about the need to resend.
Shipping method is not truly traceable. Have had problems sending UPS to Canada (the Canadian libraries have to pay to get materials out of customs). Bit worrisome but so far nothing lost, just takes a long time.

5. The Global ILL Framework (GIF) Project
GIF also known to stand for “Get It Fast” 

6. GIF Project
“The GIF Project is a reciprocal agreement between North American and Japanese academic libraries and research institutes to provide North American researchers with access to materials not available through normal ILL channels such as OCLC and RLG Shares and Japanese researchers to materials not held in Japan.”

7. GIF Project
The ILL/DD Committee of the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources oversees
Composed of ILL Librarians and Japanese/East Asian Librarians
Develop handouts and web content
GIF library finder
Socials at ALA
Work with OCLC staff

8. GIF Project Membership Free OCLC has a group Loan service is optional
Requests deflected if not member
Loan service is optional

9. GIF Project Requesting, supplying and paying OCLC, for the most part
Payment via IFM
ISO-ILL
Ariel
Loans
As a borrower, the charges are very minimal. Usually less than $5 (don’t remember any being over our $35 max cost limit)
OCLC requests are not true OCLC requests as they are transmitted to the Japanese Libraries system via ISO. So if you enter their symbol twice, messes up the system and statistics. No solution, however.
Most Japanese Libraries have Ariel. For those that don’t, they can send via /pdf but you must specify that very clearly.

10. GIF Project GIF Libraries are OCLC members but
Holdings of Japanese Libraries not in OCLC
NACSIS Webcat
Not all libraries in NACSIS Webcat are GIF Libraries
Japanese Libraries don’t use OCLC directly but requests exchanged via ISO-ILL

11. GIF Project
Check Keio University or Waseda University to verify exact holdings via their OPACs.
If owned, send request via OCLC to Keio (KEI) or Waseda (LWU).
If not owned, check GIF Libraries holdings via Webcat Plus. The GIF Holding Check Program may also be helpful.
If owned, send request via OCLC, using Webcat Plus Guide to help locate OCLC symbols.
If not owned, check the National Diet Library (NDL).
If owned, send request to NDL after registering

12. GIF Project Japanese library supplies
Register for free
Check holdings information via NACSIS
Locate Japanese libraries that own volume/item
Request via OCLC (if participating)
Japanese library receives via ISO
Japanese library responds and if able to supply, bills via IFM
Japanese library supplies
US library receives
Transaction is complete!

13. University of Iowa Libraries
GIF Project
University of Iowa Libraries
Filled Requests
Borrowing
Lending
Total
FY2007 11 39 50
FY2008 22 54 76
FY2009
30*
75**
105
And we use GIF as a last resort – we always try to get from US or Canada before going to GIF. Japanese Libraries are supposed to be the same way although they do a lot more borrowing then they do lending.
* 3 loans and 27 articles
** 19 loans and 56 articles