IFLA guidelines for sending ILL requests by e-mail
IFLA guidelines for sending ILL requests by e-mail
Keywords Libraries, electronic mail, Guidance systems, Interlending
The IFLA Office for International Lending has published new guidelines for libraries which send international ILL requests by e-mail.
Research suggests that e-mail is increasingly being used as a standard format for sending ILL requests between countries. Often this means that some sort of structured messaging system, such as the Canadian AVISO system, or the British Library Document Supply Centre's ARTemail system is used, or that messages are sent using a system which conforms to the ISO ILL Protocol Standard (ISO 10160 and ISO 10161), where requests have to be structured according to the rules laid down by the standard itself. However, ordinary freeform e-mail messages, where all the elements of the request are given in the body of the e-mail message are also widely sent and it is for this type of e-mail ILL requests that these guidelines have been developed.
These new international guidelines are designed to be used in conjunction with any national guidelines already in existence, and in practice will take account of any agreed procedures already in place between co-operating libraries. The document consists of the guidelines themselves, some examples,and a bibliography of existing national guidelines and related documents. The guidelines can be found on IFLANET at: http://www.ifla.org/VI/2/p3/g-ill.htm
Source: IFLA Offices for UAP and International Lending
