Presentation Title: eBook Lending through Interlibrary Loan: Expanding Access through Resource Sharing

Presenter(s): Marc Hoffeditz, School of Information

Abstract: As a member of the Resource Sharing community, we have heavily felt the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in our limited capacity to loan physical materials. In response to these newly imposed limitations, my university’s Resource Sharing Team undertook the initiative to begin lending eBooks from our collection through the mechanisms of interlibrary loan. As the acting committee chair of this unit, we navigated through many highs and lows to eventually be able to pilot our new eBook lending services in the fall of 2022. This presentation will cover the various types of digital sharing through interlibrary loan and the key areas of inquiry to explore if your institution is interested in providing this service to other libraries. Resource sharing is a foundational practice of information organizations and while it is not heavily explored in the MLIS curriculum, it is important to examine the evolving landscape of interlibrary loan as we collaboratively work to broaden the horizons and abilities to share our collections with others.

Link to Recorded Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H7IsrQWJQuEVZAaBjOnSaT6bn1hT70rg/view?usp=share_link