INTERLIBRARY LENDING IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1900–45

Interlibrary lending during the period 1900 to 1945 lacked co‐ordination, adequate funding, and motivation by the majority of librarians. Public library services had reached only 38% of the population of England and 50% of that of Wales by 1915. With the growing volume of relevant publications becoming available it was recognized that individual libraries could not cope alone with the demands of the population. Co‐operation was advocated in the form of union catalogues and co‐operative book purchasing. Those responsible for adult education pressed for a solution to their book provision problems and a proposal to the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust (CUKT) in 1915 for a Central Library for Students, was agreed. Emphasis on educational purposes soon gave way to interlending for library purposes — a process reinforced and continued with the establishment of the National Central Library and the Regional Library System. The NCL took up its role of book provider and interlending co‐ordinator in 1930 but interlending services were dogged by lack of finances. The support of CUKT and other philanthropic bodies was crucial at this time. Criticisms of interlending services could have been diminished by a greater collective responsibility from librarians. The desire to increase their own collections weakened the drive towards an interlending service. The concept that finally prevailed was too limited to be adapted to post‐war circumstances.