Presents overview of state of Soviet Union library service comprising 350,000 libraries, including national, governmental department, and public group (trade unions, professional associations) libraries. Training of Soviet librarians, library cooperation, national planning and funding, cultural exchange and cooperation, supporting international…

Describes the development of the computerized Library Control System, which links the resources of the Ohio State University Libraries and the State Library of Ohio, enabling users at either institution to access the complete holdings of the other. Borrowing statistics are reviewed in light of this new capability. (JD)

Discusses new information technologies which offer libraries increased opportunities to provide innovative services: linking automated technical processing systems with public systems to provide more timely information; using the expanding services of subscription agencies as a channel for electronic publications delivery; online catalogs; and…

Discusses the Interlibrary Delivery Service of Pennsylvania (IDS), which was established in 1969 to facilitate transmittal of interlibrary loan shipments and other educational items among its members (currently 193 academic, public, and school libraries). Topics addressed include interlibrary cooperation in Pennsylvania, statewide expansion of…

Describes facsimile technology and reviews library telefacsimile projects. Four issues to be considered before purchasing telefacsimile equipment are discussed: (1) patron need; (2) processing priorities; (3) copy quality; and (4) cost factors. Costs are compared with other delivery methods, and new developments in facsimile transmission are…

Reports on the American Library Association (ALA) 1992 Annual Conference. Highlights include awards given; libraries' futures; bibliographic instruction; NREN (National Research and Education Network); telecommunications; lack of status in librarianship; proposed guidelines for patron behavior; interlibrary loan; the Americans with Disabilities…

Describes patterns of interlibrary loan (ILL) activity based on analysis of transactions from the OCLC ILL System from 1986-91. Highlights include growth in borrowing and lending; borrowing and lending by type of library and by state; and recommendations for libraries and OCLC to ensure future growth. (LRW)

Discusses changes in libraries that have led to changes in document delivery and considers future possibilities. Topics addressed include resource sharing; interlibrary loan; reduced fiscal resources; the role of the library within the larger organization; library operations; cost-effective services; cooperative efforts; and meeting user needs.…

Based in Berkeley, California, the Green Library is dedicated to helping solve the world's environmental problems by providing information on ecology, environmental problems, public health, and related fields to overseas libraries. The library has opened environmental libraries in Poland and Nepal and plans to expand this network worldwide. (MES)

Discusses document delivery and the rise in periodical requests in school libraries. Problems with union listing tools, system protocols and procedures, interlibrary loan charges, and copyright procedures are described; cost effectiveness and time efficiency are considered; equitable school library services are discussed; and collection…

Reports on the University of Pennsylvania Library's reexamination of interlibrary loan activities. Major initiatives included developing new resource sharing partnerships, increasing the use of electronic document delivery systems, and reducing processing time through journal linking projects. Automated data management, heavier reliance on e-mail,…

Provides a brief history of the Universal Serials and Book Exchange, describes the services available from USBE, and discusses its plans for the future. (CHC)

Description of the history of a statewide interlibrary loan and electronic mail telecommunications network highlights difficulties and reinforces the idea that off-the-shelf systems are preferable to in-house system development. Recommendations include: solicit expert technical advice (including review by an independent programmer); choose…

Relates the experiences of a private preparatory school librarian in her search for a cataloging system, and the selection and use of OCLC to automate her library's cataloging processes. Benefits and costs of OCLC system and interlibrary loan subsystem use are discussed. (MBR)

Discusses document delivery and resource sharing and their effects on traditional interlibrary loan services. The issue of ownership of versus access to information is considered; alternative sources for document delivery are described, including commercial suppliers, fee-based information suppliers, and full-text databases; and evaluation…