Hilyer's book is a must for any interlibrary loan (ILL) professional. The book clearly outlines everything one needs to know about running an ILL department. The how‐to guide introduces ILL operations, principles and policies, borrowing and lending process flows, copyright issues and management considerations. The second part of the book is a thorough documentation of resources related to ILL in technology, management and copyright. Appended to the book is a set of loan codes and customised templates on ILL request management processes. The content is largely meant for American ILL professionals. Librarians outside the USA need to be selective about what is applicable in their jurisdiction.
The guide's unique strength is its coverage on specialised issues like distance learning and considerations for medical libraries of broad policy and management issues associated with document delivery and ILL. It is by no means comprehensive and therefore Hilyer has included an entire section on resources for further reading. The title is a valuable addition to the list of how‐to books for library professionals. Hilyer has made the title relevant by incorporating methodologies and processes that will evolve ILL into “unmediated services”. Additionally, the title shifts its focus to where ILL would be most useful in the future. With the flattening of the world, particularly in health and medicine, the demand by clinicians and researchers for clinical literature that is evidence based is becoming more important. Hilyer posits that ILL would be the significant means of transferring knowledge across boundaries for informed patient care and efficacious treatments.
Hilyer has also made an additional effort to evaluate available technologies applicable to ILL and document delivery operations. His summary and classification of tools is very useful for libraries that are seeking appropriate technologies to deploy for their ILL services. He has clustered technologies into three categories, namely: ILL Management Systems (IMS); Bibliographic Utilities; and Delivery Systems. The three‐page summary of the technologies (information on costing is also provided), is a snapshot of ILL tools that librarians could deploy. His concise description and evaluation of each system is a significant contribution to system integration efforts. Where relevant, Hilyer has used case studies to explain workflow issues ranging from searching difficulties associated with citations to managing renewals and cancellations. The Houston Academy of Medicine – Texas Medical Center Library deployment of customised ILLiad is a case in point. Librarians wanting to set up an ILL unit will find Chapter Six of the guide useful. It systematically outlines manpower requirements, management and employee appraisal templates and most importantly key quantitative measurements for ILL operations.
Each chapter in the guide consists of an abstract and keywords which makes the title an easy read. With FAQs, templates and policy guidelines, Hilyer's Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery is an easy first stop to understand ILL operations. Hilyer has managed to simplify a complex operation into digestible bytes of information for managers. The guide could have been more useful if it carried a wider coverage of common practices in different jurisdictions, i.e. Europe and Asia. There could have been a better treatment of best practices by looking at contrasting practices. The attempt to cover ILL services across all libraries itself is a challenge that often results in the articulation of the lowest common denominator in processes and practices. Whilst the introduction of e‐books were briefly mentioned, Hilyer could have expounded on the implications of new e‐book service providers like ebrary, netlibrary, apabi books, etc. on ILL service and process integration. More recently the introduction of on‐demand printing machines like the Espresso Book Machine in New York Public Library, New Orleans Public Library, the University of Alberta, the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont, and the Open Content Alliance in San Francisco, the shape of ILL business is expected to take a new turn.
