Counting the days!

Less than 4 weeks now before we all meet up in Edinburgh for what will, hopefully, be another wonderful  Interlend!

I’ve only been attending Interlend since 2009 (remember Lancaster?!), but I learn something at each one.  It may be a visit to another library; always tips to pick up there!  Often it’s one of the presentations, given by people not only knowledgeable and experienced in their field, but enthusiastic too. It could be about a review of their service, or something less obviously related to the day job.   But, more often than not, it’s the conversations and exchanges that happen quite naturally, at refreshment breaks, over dinner, chats continued in the bar or pub, even in the hotel corridors or pool. All prove useful, and sharing knowledge is what we’re all about, isn’t it?

I think this proves we’re a friendly bunch, so whether ‘newbie’ or ‘old hand’, don’t be shy: ask that question, get that conversation going! You’ll be all the richer for it.

But, right now, I have to help FIL the Frog hop on over to pack his bags in readiness for the journey north.

See you in Edinburgh!

Exams, learning about new stuff and copyright

Well exams are in full swing at the University of Reading and the Library is full of students trying to find a quiet spot to revise. Some of them choose to work through the night and the BBC wrote an article comparing the life of the 24 hour Library to former years as we have also recently celebrated the Library's 50 year birthday

Despite not working at 3am, the inter-library loans team here have also been busy bees this term, processing over 400 inter-library loan requests since the start of the Summer term. This week I’ve been doing my best *concentrating face* and trying to understand the changes to UK copyright law. Three of the five statutory instruments (SIs)  amending the copyright exceptions were recently approved by the UK parliament and will

Where the copyright magic happens...

come into force on 1 June 2014 so I want to try and get a grasp on how they might impact on inter-library loan services. Having eschewed the legal documents, I plumped for a read through of the lovely Intellectual Property Office summary of changes for Libraries, Museums and Archives - here it is for any of you who want to do the same.

Lots of interesting stuff, including the tantalising possibility of being able to copy parts of video and audio recordings for non-commercial research and private study, and that the Library privilege declaration may be done electronically (!) Lots more to find out about I’m sure. Over the coming months I’m hoping to get a handle on the changes and how they will impact on the inter-library loan service here, and certain to help with that will be Emily Stannard’s talk on Copyright on Day two of Interlend 14. Hope to see you there :)

Natalie Guest
FIL Membership Secretary

Musings from an ILL & FIL bod.

I've been in Inter-library loans for more years than I care to admit and certainly more years than I care to own up to!  In all that time, as you can imagine I've seen many changes and generally they have been for the good.

When I first started in ILL all requests were sent by paper and were hand written or typed on BL forms and bibliographic and holdings information was all held on microfilm!  For the really advanced tech. savvy authorities, well they used a fax machine to send their requests...

Now with the Internet and all the online databases we use, the email and direct requesting systems we use, it's hard to remember or believe how we used to cope.  Some people I've spoken to at FIL events harp back to the 'good old days' of paper requests but I have to say, not me.

Items are traced  and requests initiated so much quicker and of course the world has opened up for us too. Back in the 'steam' powered days we would never have imagined applying abroad for an item but now it's just the natural progression of requesting, well here in Hertfordshire it is.

I even remember the first few items we obtained from abroad via BL - the amazement that we'd borrowed something from a far flung country. Of course that's all 'old hat' now and we receive and send items all over the world every day. Of course we also do not use BL anymore for our international requests, we can do it so much quicker and cheaper through OCLC Worldshare ILL system.

Don't worry this isn't going to be another one of my Ra-ra pieces on how wonderful OCLC Worldshare is (but it is) - this is just my musings on ILL life in general but I can't muse on those without touching on international lending.

As I said at the start of this blog, there have been many changes and I'm pleased to say that here at Hertfordshire we have been lucky enough to often be at the forefront of  the changes. I think this has a lot to do with the general policy here in Hertfordshire of always looking to improve our services.  It is ingrained into all of us here to always question what we do, how we do it and why we do it, this has meant over the years that we have embraced changes, improvements, new technologies - anything really to help us give our customers the best service we can.

One of the positive ways we can see improvements working is the small number of requests we fail to find each year. In 2001/2002 we had 147 failed requests, they are requests initiated by our Hertfordshire customers for ILL items that we were unable to trace anywhere.  I'm pleased to say since that date the numbers have been going down year on year with the 2013/2014 figure being 12.

Thankfully I don't easily have to hand figures for the 90's as I think the high numbers would scare me! ....and please lets not talk about the 80's,  I don't want to remember I've been doing the same (but very different) job for so long.

The best way to be involved at the forefront of new ideas, technologies is to get 'out there' in the ILL world, get your name and authority known, be nosey. If I see a report in some journal or a blog or a LIS-ILL email I don't know about, I make it my job to find out about it, then get involved. 

A great way to do this is get involved in FIL!

Yes, I know sounds obvious but a lot of people wouldn't even think of it. You don't have to be on the committee, although it's a great way to really get involved in ILL but just join FIL and most importantly JOIN IN. 

Don't just be one of the silent lurkers, although we do need them too, instead interact, get involved, ask questions of the committee, the other members and the ILL world in general.  Even if that question is just 'How do you do ILL's in your County, University, Health Service?'  Networking is a great way to pick things up, learn what's happening, what's going to be happening and what's on the horizon.

Of course a great way to network is to attend events, conferences, information days and any local or national events where you can meet up with like minded ILL people and talk about ILL and know that all those 'normal' people out there aren't going to look at you as if you are strange because you get animated about your subject.....(at least I'm hoping I'm not the only one who gets animated - please tell me I'm not the only strange one out here?)

So if you're strange like me and want to chat about ILL in a safe environment - come along to the FIL Conference in June in Edinburgh.
You'll find it full of ILLer's ready willing and able to talk for hours on your chosen subject - and please look out for me, I'll be there happy to chat.

See you there, I hope....... (surely I can't be the only strange one....can I?)

Tracey Jackson
ILL Bod
FIL Committee Member
Inter-Library Loans Supervisor
Hertfordshire Libraries

Books4U

I’m just back from a Books4U training session.  What on earth is that? I can hear you thinking!  We are very lucky in Wales in that we do a lot of working together and quite often we then get help with funding for our projects from CyMAL (which is similar to the old MLA in England).  One such project is Books4U which started quite small as an interlending service in SE Wales but has now expanded to 15 partners – 12 public and 3 academic.

These books are ready to load - now where's the van?

Libraries are able to search for requests using an online catalogue and staff ring or email the library direct for the item they want. A man in a van then picks up the books from 1 place in each authority. This has meant a dramatic decrease in ILL’s done centrally and as we have free reciprocal borrowing, interlending costs have been reduced dramatically.

Moving on, CyMAL are looking at different models to see if we can have an All Wales Interlending – so watch this space!

Anyway, I’m now looking forward to our Interlend Conference in Edinburgh. I’ll have to give the Treasurer’s report at the AGM for the first time so be kind to me!

 

JulieFIL Treasurer

The Power of Talking

The Power of Talking

Here at Essex, we have come to that time of the year when we all, as a staff, have our annual ‘conversation’ with our Librarian. It’s a bit like an appraisal but a lot less daunting. It’s a time to reflect on the year that has passed both within the library as a whole and in our department in particular.

It gives you a chance to think about what went well and what could be improved, how we have developed, individually and departmentally, over the last 12 months. Through the medium of the humble ‘chat’ a whole range of ideas, issues and questions can be gone through, and solutions to problems  found, or just a bit of reassurance given that you’re doing the right thing.

For me personally, one of the changes has been becoming a part of FIL committee and trying to get my head around everything that that entails. I would definitely say that it has been a great opportunity to meet up with other ‘interlibrary loaners’ while planning future events like the forthcoming FIL conference –‘ FIL Interlend 2014 Conference - 23rd - 24th June 2014 in Edinburgh.’

For those coming to this year’s conference please take the opportunity to ‘chat’ to as many of the other delegates and committee members as you can, whether it’s your first conference or you are a seasoned veteran, because there is always something to share and learn at this event.

Already looking forward to meeting up with friends and colleagues,  old and new, and having a 'gud blether' as they would say in Scotland. This is a picture of me so you know who to look out for.