Silvana Mangiaracina, Marta Zaetta, Daniele De Matteis, Alessandro Tugnoli, Enrico Beghelli and Giacomo Tenaglia
This paper presents the most recent progress and implementation of the Network Inter‐Library Document Exchange (NILDE) system, a web based document delivery (DD) software for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents the most recent progress and implementation of the Network Inter‐Library Document Exchange (NILDE) system, a web based document delivery (DD) software for libraries and end‐users. NILDE allows libraries to manage the entire workflow of DD activities, both borrowing and lending, through the provision of synthetic and analytical statistics, DD performance indicators such as “fill‐rate” and “turn‐around time”, and support for secure electronic delivery. New technologies, referred to as Web 2.0, have been incorporated into NILDE, making it an even more user‐oriented and friendly tool for document delivery and scholar work.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents the key factors that have made NILDE a successful tool and a “de facto” standard for document delivery among Italian libraries: the policies, i.e. the rules the community has imposed on itself, and the processes, i.e. the procedures through which the libraries provide DD services using NILDE.
Findings
The rise in NILDE users has allowed the building of a cooperative network to promote resource sharing based on a degree of standard quality of service and fair behaviour. It was found how, by adhering to these principles, libraries start up a virtuous cycle within the NILDE network, increasing its own value.
Originality/value
The paper will be of interest to librarians wanting to start a successful cooperative network and all those with an interest in developments in resource sharing in Italy.
Details
Keywords
Josep-Manuel Rodríguez-Gairín and Marta Somoza-Fernández
– The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of web services to interconnect the GTBib interlibrary loan (ILL) program with the OCLC WorldShare platform.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of web services to interconnect the GTBib interlibrary loan (ILL) program with the OCLC WorldShare platform.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors describe the current problem of duplication of procedures in libraries that have added their collections to the OCLC WorldCat catalog in recent years and are therefore more likely to receive ILL requests through the WorldShare platform.
Findings
A solution that uses web services to insert and retrieve requests between the two systems is presented. Autonomous agents periodically check the status of the requests and keep them updated and synchronized. These agents also inform the library staff of any variation or inconsistency that is detected.
Practical implications
This technology reduces process management time by making it unnecessary to introduce the request data in both systems. Agents are used to check the consistency of statuses between the two systems, thus avoiding errors and omissions and improving the efficiency of the whole ILL process.
Originality/value
This paper describes in detail the technical aspects of the development as a reference for the development of future applications.