Sarah Kirkley, Serials Librarian
Fang Tong, Serials & ILL Library Assistant

• Asa H. Gordon Library at Savannah State University
• Approximately 5,000 students / 500 faculty and staff members
• Average 50-100 lending requests per month
• Average 10-40 borrowing requests per month
Image Credit: Nikki Rech

• Library users were unable to log in to ILLiad to submit requests
• Users could create a new account but would be locked out during subsequent tries to log in
• Led to an overall decrease in borrowing requests
• ILLiad was simply not functioning correctly
• Both Connection and System Managers had been down for months
• We were not receiving any incoming lending requests from other libraries

• Updated to newer version of ILLiad
• Restarted Connection and System
Managers (many, many times)
• Begged campus IT to help us
• They were ultimately without resources to help us resolve our server issues
• Systems Librarian and I both worked with OCLC
Image Credit

• Needed something timely – the library had not been adequately providing ILL services since 2013.
• Needed a simpler way for patrons to request items.
• We knew that for every patron that had contacted us about the issues, there were others that had simply given up.
• Preferred something web-based – not tied to hardware that we did not have the resources to support.

• Created a free Google account for the ILL department and used Google Drive to create a submission form
• Other options could include homegrown forms on webpages, LibGuides forms, etc.
• Emails are generated when requests are submitted in form
• Forwarded to institution ILL email account
• Form still functions as our current back-up

• Learned that FirstSearch was in process of transitioning to WorldShare ILL
• Not time effective and confusing to users to move to
FirstSearch then WS ILL
• Could not get patron-initiated form in FirstSearch
• Decided to go for it and implement WS ILL
• Used Google request form until WS ILL implementation in Summer 2014
• Manually input information and processed borrowing requests through ILLiad, lending requests through
FirstSearch

• Transitioned to WorldCat
Discovery during this time
• Migrated primarily for the
“Request this Item” button in records and the patroninitiated request form
• Authentication prompt for offcampus access
• GALILEO password
Image Credit

• Worked with OCLC to transition over summer
• OCLC very supportive
• Many trainings, webinars, etc.
• Updated our Policies Directory information
• Used summer to test; develop our own workflows
Image Credit

• Simple, clean interface for processing
• Email button
• Article exchange
• Book straps
• Shipping labels

Pros
• Less involved for user submissions
• No login
• Simple, minimal form
• Streamlined processing for library staff
• Cost included in existing
OCLC Resource Sharing subscription & WorldCat
• Web-based
• Options for batch processing and direct requests
Cons
• No CONTU copyright tracking
• Manually track using
Google Drive form
• No individual accounts for library patrons
• Small number of faculty still want this feature, want to be able to check status of requests
• Have to re-enter information for each request

• Expected to see a large increase in volume of requests but that was not the case
• Working to reintroduce Interlibrary Loan as a service to faculty, staff, and students
• Working to make sure all library staff is comfortable with walking a user through the appropriate steps to submit a request
• Finding and updating all links in webpages/LibGuides/GIL
Find/GALILEO to direct to the LibGuide instead of ILLiad login webpage
• Use LibGuide as stand-in for ILL website
• More control; update/make changes more quickly