The Relais Document Delivery System: An Innovative Model for Resource Sharing

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the Relais document delivery system, which enables libraries to fully automate their interlibrary loan and document delivery processes. Relais has been successfully implemented at the U.S. National Library of Medicine and a predecessor system, IntelliDoc, was successfully implemented at CISTI (Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information). Three central capabilities are described in detail: the use of a scanning workstation to digitize requested documents, the ability to support an array of delivery methods, including electronic delivery, and the ability to retrieve detailed data on requests processed by Relais.     

Using DocMorph in Conjunction with Ariel to Expand Digital Document Delivery Options

ABSTRACT

Electronic document delivery has gained popularity over the past several years. While Ariel has become the standard software used to transmit articles between libraries, its features are limited in the ability to provide articles to distance learning students. This article discusses some of the benefits of using DocMorph, a free service offered by the National Library of Medicine. DocMorph converts many standard file formats into pdf files. DocMorph can also be used as a workaround for Ariel's current lack of support for smtp authentication.     

Ariel: A Resource-Sharing Support in a South African Consortium

SUMMARY

The Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC) in South Africa is one of the nation's first attempts to pool resources in a multi-million volume regional virtual library. Through the linking of member libraries by networks and the utilisation of innovative technology, the vision is to provide access to information within the context of a 48-hour delivery system for books and to improve this delivery time for copied materials by utilising an electronic delivery system. Ariel, the electronic document delivery system of the Research Libraries Group in the United States, has been selected by the consortium as the standard for timely transfer of electronic information. A literature study of this system, which included a study of a test conducted by one of the GAELIC libraries and an assessment of the need for this delivery mode, indicated that Ariel could support resource sharing in the consortium.     

Electronic Interlibrary Loan Delivery with Ariel and ILLiad

SUMMARY

Ariel files are the starting point for electronic delivery of interlibrary loan articles through ILLiad, Virginia Tech's interlibrary loan system. Despite some advantages to electronic delivery of articles to their desktops, a large majority of ILL customers continue to prefer print on paper delivery rather than electronic delivery. This fact has implications for introducing additional electronic services. Correctly choosing what services to impose on library customers, and what services to offer as value-added options, is fundamental to maintaining the credibility of libraries during these times of rapid change.     

Turnaround Time Between ILLiad's Odyssey and Ariel Delivery Methods

Abstract

Interlibrary loan departments are frequently looking for methods to reduce turnaround time. The advent of electronic delivery in the past decade has greatly reduced turnaround time for articles, but recent developments in this arena have the potential to decrease turnaround time even further. The ILLiad interlibrary loan management system has an electronic delivery component entitled Odyssey. Odyssey has a setting that allows articles to be sent to patrons without borrowing staff intervention. Using the tracking data created by the ILLiad management system, the turnaround time data for two delivery methods, Ariel and Odyssey, was captured for two different academic institutions. With the Trusted Sender setting turned on, Odyssey delivery was faster than Ariel for the institutions studied.     

Freeing Ariel: The Prospero Electronic Document Delivery Project

ABSTRACT

Prospero is an electronic document delivery project initiated by the John A. Prior Health Sciences Library at The Ohio State University resulting in a software program that provides patron access to documents that are transmitted using the Ariel system. Using Prospero, documents no longer have to be manually printed out, packaged, and distributed. Patrons no longer have to come to the library to pick up documents or wait for them to be delivered. Documents can be accessed from wherever patrons have Internet access. This paper provides an overview of the Ariel system, background on the evolution of electronic ILL services, and details the development and features of the Prospero system.     

Putting Ariel to Work at the University of Texas at Austin: A Case Study

SUMMARY

This article is a case study of Ariel use at the University of Texas at Austin. The author divides the history of Ariel use into three distinct stages: resistance, full implementation, and enhanced. For each stage the advantages and disadvantages of using Ariel are discussed. The author concludes that using Ariel saves both money and staff time and permits faster delivery of documents than other methods.     

Ariel与图书馆的全文传递服务

介绍了美国研究图书馆组织开发的文件传输系统——Ariel for Windows的背景情况，基本功能及在国内外图书馆馆际互借与全文传递服务中的应用。     

基于网络的文献传递服务软件——Ariel和Prospero

Ariel和Prospero是两种基于网络的文献传递服务软件，文章讨论它们的特点、使用方法、系统要求等问题。     

Durability of Interlibrary Loan Envelopes

Abstract

InfoQuest is a fee-based document delivery and research service provided by Auburn University Libraries to patrons who may or may not be affiliated with a library. InfoQuest operates on a cost recovery basis and opens up the library's collection to the general public. This article presents an overview of InfoQuest's document supply service including statistics and offers insight into the client base.     

Changing Strategies for Information Delivery: Theory into Practice

ABSTRACT

Many events over the past decade have jeopardized the library's ability to fulfill its basic mission resulting in a shift of information delivery paradigms. Interlibrary loan, document delivery and resource sharing have become essential rather than peripheral and funding patterns are reflecting this philosophical shift. There is renewed interest in cooperative collection development and multiple options for meshing document delivery with an existing ILL program. Within this environment under a redefined mission statement, the Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks, addresses these shifting paradigms and has implemented a program to meet the information needs of its patrons.     

Ariel via E-mail: New Possibilities for the Non-Ariel Equipped Library

ABSTRACT

Ariel, a software system enabling the transmission of documents over the internet via the FTP protocol initially could only function in a station-to-station manner, usually with machines dedicated solely for this purpose. With Version 2 and up, Ariel stations can now transmit articles via Internet e-mail to be received by any MIME capable e-mail system with sufficient file size capacity. Libraries with Ariel2 are encouraged to enable this feature so that non-Ariel libraries may benefit from this revolutionary technology without expense.     

From Document Delivery to Distant Learning: An Interlibrary Loan Perspective

ABSTRACT

Depending upon the context and how institutions employ it, the term document delivery can mean several things. In some cases, it refers to access of articles via commercial vendors or via full-text databases. Yet for others, it may be a delivery of physical items (such as library books) directly to the faculty member's department or office. For the University of Florida Smathers Libraries, document delivery is a unique service unit administered under the Interlibrary Loan operation, and it is through this element that the distance learning service component was created. The intent of this article is to present a view of a distance learning service model that interlibrary loan and other librarian practitioners may find beneficial when considering the establishment of such a service.     

The Client Satisfaction Survey as a Tool for Evaluating Library Fee-Based Information Services

ABSTRACT

Fee-based services deliver information to a library's non-primary clientele by providing products such as document delivery and research services, usually on a cost-recovery basis. A client satisfaction survey is one method of evaluating a fee-based information service's effectiveness in meeting its clients' needs and of learning new ways to serve customers better. To gain the most benefit and insight from the survey's results, the survey must be carefully planned and implemented. Compiling, Interpreting, and reporting the results are equally important. Finally, the staff modifies or improves services based on the survey results.     

EBSCODOC vs. CARL UNCOVER: A Comparison of Document Delivery Services at the University of Evansville Libraries

ABSTRACT

From Jan.-April 1996, the University of Evansville Libraries compared the EBSCODOC and CARL UNCOVER document delivery services in the context of fulfilling article requests that were not completed using the OCLC/ILL subsystem as well as in providing “rush” service. Both services had comparative strengths and weaknesses. EBSCODOC's strength was its comprehensiveness; its weakness was speed of delivery. CARL UNCOVER's strength was the speed and reliability of delivery; its weakness was a 41% rate of fulfillment. Recommendations include further testing of full-text document suppliers in order to identify the best service or services to completely meet the needs of academic libraries.     

Toward a Model ILL and Document Delivery Automated System: A Case Study

SUMMARY

The state of Illinois funded a large scale Ariel project. This is a report of the project's successes and shortcomings. Although widely successful, additional training in the use of sophisticated hardware, primarily Minolta scanners, is needed. Data on sending and receiving is included.     

Document Delivery and Collection Development

Abstract

Libraries ate working with new formats and new modes of delivery for users. After identifying the availability of these, and what the locally owned collection can provide, librarians must then determine which mode of delivery best suits their users’ needs, ownership vs. access, impact of these decisions, and funding to support these decisions. As the authors of this paper consider the current setting, they address these issues as they relate to their institution, including the use of user's document delivery requests as a selection criteria.     

Do Off-Campus Students Still Use Document Delivery? Current Trends

ABSTRACT

The tremendous increase in the availability of full text electronic resources has been particularly beneficial to distance education students who do not have easy access to print collections. However, Western Michigan University (WMU) has been experiencing a decrease in requests for traditional document delivery of print based materials. This article presents a case study of WMU document delivery services for the distance education community. A survey was also conducted of libraries serving distance education programs to determine whether other institutions are also experiencing a decrease in usage of document delivery. Survey results show a more universal trend toward decreasing requests for delivery of print based articles; book requests are also decreasing but not at the same rate. The article concludes with some possible reasons for the decrease in usage of document delivery for distance education.     

The use of Loansome Doc to meet the needs of unaffiliated health professionals

Objective: This study was undertaken in order to determine how health sciences libraries in a ten-state region are using Loansome Doc, with an emphasis on whether this tool continues to be used to serve unaffiliated health professionals. Methods: Usage data were examined and health sciences libraries were administered a survey to determine how they are using this tool. Results: Loansome Doc usage across libraries is low and declining, and a number of libraries do not serve unaffiliated health professionals with this tool. Conclusions: Use of Loansome Doc is low and declining, in part, due to license restrictions, declining interlibrary loan, and the prevalence of alternatives, such as OCLC's ILLiad, for document delivery to affiliated users.     

3D: The Paperless Document Delivery Project at the Prior Health Sciences Library

ABSTRACT

This article describes the investigation, pilot test, and results of implementing electronic document delivery in a paperless processing environment at The Ohio State University. The Prior Health Sciences Library Document Delivery Unit conducted a twelve-month pilot test from September 1999 to August 2000 to determine the best method for desktop document delivery and the paperless processing of requests. Participants completed a survey and provided insightful feedback on the request form and overall process. Special programming was required to implement desktop delivery and manage client requests. The result of desktop delivery was successful. The results of paperless processing were mixed. Future possibilities to complete the “paperless” environment are suggested.