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The origins of Inter Library Loans in Australia in relation to special libraries
Donald Keast Edmund Balnaves Judy Czuchnowski John Balnaves
Greater Western Area Health Service Prosentient Systems Mercy Hospital for Women
Abstract
This paper examines the origins of inter-library loans in Australia in relation to special libraries. Prior to the advent of low-cost computing, union lists in special libraries were rare. In the early 1980's a number of serials union lists for health libraries were compiled that formed the basis for wider collaboration in inter-library loans (ILL). GRATIS is a network of special libraries that formed on December 6, 1982, with 14 founding members. The immediate impetus to the formation of the group was the trebling of the cost of ILL. A small annual subscription funds a network now comprising over 250 special libraries in heath and allied fields, many of which are too small to participate in the national ILL network. Careful distribution of workload helps to facilitate participation among large and smaller libraries. This co-operative model has subsequently been adopted by law, emergency services, transport and government library networks in Australia and New Zealand. The paper will examine the origins of Inter-Library loans in Australia and the factors that gave rise to the GRATIS libraries network, and its progressive adoption throughout Australia and the co-operative factors that distinguish GratisNet from the national ILL service.
1. Introduction
Libraries have lent material to and borrowed material from other libraries at least since the time when Callimachus was librarian of the library of Alexandria (260 - 240 BC)[1]. Australian libraries have done inter-library loans since their beginning, showing a willingness to cooperate but hindered by lack of location services until, after the second world war, union catalogues began to proliferate, notably those of the CSIRO and the National Library of Australia.
The National Library based a location service on its National Union Catalogue and by 1974 most of the larger libraries had joined the telex location service. Directories of libraries published by the Library Association of Australia (LAA) assisted placement of inter-library loans and the Association published an inter-library loan code, which was revised by the Australian Council on Bibliographic Services in 1966. The code has been revised since and is currently published by ALIA.
The code now incorporates the concept of charging a fee for inter-library loans and the Association, to facilitate the process, introduced vouchers, which many libraries adopted. The business was further complicated by the introduction of a Goods and Services Tax, which was applied to inter-library loans for which a fee was charged. The larger libraries, which bore the brunt of the lending service, found the situation on the whole advantageous. Many small libraries, notably special libraries, found inter-library lending and borrowing increasingly difficult in a user pays environment.
2. Inter-library loans in special libraries in Australia in the 1970s
Special libraries are often one-person libraries and function largely in isolation. Health libraries often developed in teaching hospitals or associate teaching hospitals. In this context inter-library loans have long played an important role in their service delivery.
The early 1970's was a time before widespread computerisation of library services in special libraries. In the first instance, a University affiliation gave Health special libraries a benefactor that could be approached for inter-library loans. Beyond this were a small number of national union catalogues which could be approached for likely locations :
· National Union Catalogue of Monographs (Monograph holdings of approx 200 members, maintained by the National Library of Australia) began 1960
· Serials in Australian Libraries : social sciences and humanities (SALSSAH) maintained by the National Library of Australia (began 1963)
· Scientific Serials in Australian Libraries (SSAL) maintained by the CSIRO. [2]
However, the participation of special libraries in these national tools was low, as the process was slow and labour intensive, and small libraries did not wish to become suppliers without recompense or extra staff.
The reliance of health libraries on their University affiliations was heavy. Unfortunately, the reliance of other libraries upon tertiary libraries listed in the national catalogues was also high, and by the late 1970's most major libraries were complaining of overwork and significant costs in fulfilling their inter-library loan role. As a result, 1978 saw the introduction of the LAA voucher scheme for inter-library loans, initially with a $1 charge to cover postage and copying costs. However, this was, in reality, an inadequate compensation for costs involved. The ANU library at the time calculated the real cost of an inter-library loan at around $4[3]. By 1982, the pressure from nett lenders resulted in the tripling of the charge to $3 per transaction.
3. The emergence of health library union catalogues
In the 1950's, the few medical libraries of Melbourne were inadequately funded, both in terms of physical resources and staff. To help the users of their libraries, library staff were dependent on inter library loans. The Central Medical Library Organization (CMLO) was formed in 1953 as a cooperative venture between 8 libraries. It was housed in the Brownless Medical Library, University of Melbourne, under the guiding hand of Anne Harrison[4]. The initial subscription fee was £50, and therefore, larger institutions were the only ones who joined. There were 3 main goals: compilation and maintenance of a union list of journals, establishment of a central clearing house for discards, and centralisation of interstate and overseas loan requests. The third goal was not realised, but the union list was an important factor in stimulating inter library loans. CMLO grew rapidly until there were 47 members when it ceased in 1988.
In May 1976, the Regional Medical Library Service was established in Melbourne under the then Hospital and Charities Commission. It was set up to help facilities funded by the Hospital and Charities commission, ie public hospitals, community health centres, etc. Many hospitals in regional Victoria, and quite a few smaller metropolitan hospitals did not have libraries. The remit of the service was to assist individual facilities to establish libraries. In these facilities professional library staff were rarely employed. The RMLS therefore attempted to help health professionals in regional areas by extending their access to appropriate resources. Books and journals were purchased by individual institutions, but catalogued centrally by RMLS personnel. A union catalogue comprising these records and those of the John Lindell Library (the Hospital and Charities Commission Library) was established. Once the union catalogue had been set up, Victorian medical libraries would ring for locations. Where facilities with no professional staff had material needed by another library, RMLS would act as an intermediary to obtain it. Inter library loans were executed on behalf of regional bodies with professional staff.
For special libraries on small budgets, the change in 1982 to $3 vouchers had serious financial implications. There was a realisation that special libraries needed to use their own resources more, and tertiary nett lenders less. For health libraries, with a heavy reliance on the journal literature, the problem was extremely serious, adding several thousand dollars per annum to the budget.
Ian Stubbin, Hospitals Librarian, at the Health Department of NSW Library , supervised a largely disparate group of libraries (many unstaffed) in NSW Schedule V, II & III hospitals. In the early 1980's he compiled a list of journal holdings in these collections. When the $3 voucher emerged, many other libraries thought that a cooperative list was a good idea, but they lacked the resources to produce one. They approached the Health Department to join a second edition of their list. This was a major undertaking, working with printed lists and thousands of 5x3 cards. A three volume compilation finally appeared in early 1983[5].
While this resource was a great advance, it still left individual libraries working largely in isolation, with only a few personal "knock-for-knock" agreements which did not attract charges and were dependent upon personal relationships to expedite traffic.
Similar trends were evident in other states. Both South Australia and Western Australia had similar union list endeavours in progress during this time. In this context there was a clear potential for the emergence of a national union list supporting the “knock-for-knock” approach of health special libraries.
4. Formation of GRATIS.
On 6 December, 1982, 10 NSW hospital librarians met at the University of NSW. They resolved that co-operation was preferable to charges , and a free co-operative NSW health libraries inter-library loan network should be formed immediately (and thereby rejecting $3 voucher agreements). By the end of January 1983, membership had blossomed to 28, and the network was off and running. The name GRATIS was adopted in March, 1983 (although there were many suggestions, perhaps the cutest of which was FRILL - free ILL).
The problem of nett lenders was addressed immediately, with a rule that "Requests should initially be sent to the SMALLEST library capable of filling the request".[6][7]
5. From state to national union lists
Initially, it was thought that the Health Department union list, with an annual update from each library would be adequate. However, despite being a mammoth work, it quickly became dated, and new libraries not listed began to join the network.
At a meeting at St. Vincent's Hospital in late 1983, it was found that Sally Schofield, then a library technician at St. Vincent's, had compiled a union list of GRATIS holdings on 5x3 cards. The first of what was to become many working parties was formed, and rapidly converted this work into the first GRATIS Union List.
For updating of the list a series of "Data sheets" was developed to deal with changes of holdings, while holdings of new members were transferred into a massive card file. Annual editions of a printed list were produced using volunteer labour (usually after-hours).
In 1983 sponsorship was obtained from the University Co-Operative bookshop (The “Co-op”). Initially the Co-op assisted in data entry of separate lists for NSW and SA under the names GRATIS and GRATISSA. Subsequently Co-op collected a small annual fee on behalf of the GRATIS members, and used this fee to fund the production of the microfiche list. They used a Pick-based -system (a now obsolete operating system and development language) developed in-house to collate and print the union list. Member libraries sent change requests to the Co-op for centralised update, with annual production of a revised union list. This enabled the large printed lists to be replaced by microfiche. Many members did not have access to microfiche, but those who were initially reluctant made the switch to GRATIS when the cost of a fiche reader was compared to the voucher alternative. [8]
The 1991 edition of the union list was significant as it was the first national GratisNet list, replacing the series of state-based lists previously produced. The GRATIS community has adopted new technology as it has become available and within their financial reach. An annual membership fee has enabled the group as a whole to fund technological development. The microfiche editions gave way in 1995 to a CD-ROM alternative.
In 1998, a partnership with Prosentient systems and the Co-op led to the developed of a web-based union list as a successor to the Pick-based central list. This marked a significant transition to self-management of the union catalogue, and provided greater statistical input to the ranking process. The Co-Op left the sponsorship arrangement in 2000, and this service has been sustained by Prosentient Systems alone since that time. Prosentient Systems has continued commitment to progressive enhancement of the system, with a portion of the annual fee reserved for service enhancement each year. Periodic online member surveys have provided a framework for eliciting priorities for enhancement of the service.
6. Transformation to GratisNet
N.S.W health libraries were not alone in dealing with the spiral of inter-library loan costs. A South Australian group, lead by Julie Hooke of Royal Adelaide Hospital formed GRATISSA in 1984[9], GRATISQ followed in 1986, while VICGRATIS and GRATISACT (incorporating Tasmania and ACT) came on board in 1987.
In recognition of the emerging national character of the union list, the national entity “GratisNet” was formed. Western Australia (who had a long-standing formal network) made GratisNet truly national when WAGRATIS joined in 2001.
7. Features of GratisNet
7.1 A voluntary co-operative
The development of GratisNet is an example of inter-library co-operation at its most effective. Without any funding or any dedicated staff, a network of over 250 libraries evolved to meet a common need. While a sponsor assisted in the latter stages, the network stands as an example of boundless volunteer spirit and innovation.
7.2 Involvement of small libraries
GRATIS has gained many small libraries amongst its members who do not participate in national schemes such as Libraries Australia, and its predecessors, Kinetica, the Australian Bibliographic Network, SALSSAH and SSAL.
A survey of the GRATIS (NSW) membership in 1992 found only 24 ABN members from 86 responses, with just 4 of these being full service members[10]. 18 members were participants in 12 other diverse networks, but the vast majority were members of GratisNet only. Many members indicated that they did not want requests from external libraries, owing to their small collection and their small or part-time staffing. They therefore avoided national union lists, but participated in GratisNet because of the strong mutual benefits. (The Australian Bibliographic Network around this time made a proposal to join GratisNet holdings en masse to the national database. Many members threatened withdrawal from GratisNet if the proposal was accepted. After further discussion, the idea was not proceeded with).
7.3 National significance of the GratisNet collection
By marshalling the resources of many health libraries whose holdings are otherwise unlisted, GratisNet has built a collection of impressive size and strength which is a major resource for Australian health libraries. By 2006, the GratisNet union list represented the holdings of 267 libraries, with a combined union list of 105,170 journals representing more than 26,000 journals. In addition, 698 open access journals are also listed[11].
7.4 Speed of document delivery
Special libraries are rapid suppliers of documents. A 5-year analysis in 2002 estimated that GratisNet suppliers were, on average, at least 2 days quicker than all other sources[12]. While electronic means of delivery have probably narrowed this gap in recent times, GratisNet is probably still a good deal quicker.