Unmediated document delivery: a project using FirstSearch and EBSCOdoc

Abstract

Staffing costs account for 65 per cent of research libraries’ expenditures for interlibrary borrowing. Due to this cost and pressure to provide better access, library administrators are showing an increased interest in unmediated document delivery. In a pilot project at Texas A&M University, faculty and graduate students in the Agricultural Economics Department used ArticleFirst, PapersFirst, and EBSCOdoc as a substitute for traditional interlibrary loan. Participants could order materials not owned by the three university libraries. Four document suppliers, the British Library Document Supply Centre, EBSCOdoc, ISI’s Genuine Article and UMI were used. Users were allowed to select the vendor and method of delivery which included fax, mail, Ariel, and express mail. Data gathered included the usage patterns for the different delivery methods and document suppliers, the costs of items, problems encountered by users, and general information on user satisfaction.

Library-Subsidized Unmediated Document Delivery

“…There were few complaints of unreliable delivery from the faculty. Crowley (1999), whose study used multiple document suppliers, also reported satisfaction with the fill rate at her institution.…”

“…Appropriate coverage, billing centralized at the library, and delivery options other than faxing were reasons cited for offering more than one supplier (Walters 1996). Crowley (1999) noted that data on usage patterns for different delivery methods and suppliers was gathered.…”

“…Arkin (1998) termed the service experimental. Crowley (1999) conducted a study that lasted for two semesters. At Louisiana State University, a pilot in the chemistry department expanded to a pilot that included all sciences (Kleiner and Hamaker 1997).…”

“…It is quite possible that it would have been yet more frequent without instruction. Crowley's (1999) user survey found that users did not want to take the additional step of consulting the catalog but wanted holdings linked in the index they searched.…”

“…Sending e-mail warnings is time consuming, as each owned article has to be checked against that issue's receipt date, and the titles, call numbers, and cost of articles sent to the users who may or may not remember to check the catalog when they order again in a few months. Crowley (1999) asked users to log orders but they failed to do so and the time-consuming task of tracking invoices fell to the library staff. It cannot be assumed that faculty will take the same care in making orders as library staff.…”