2. • Health Science Libraries Group
♦ Founded in 1982 under the auspices of the LAI.
♦ To provide a forum for healthcare libraries to communicate
and discuss common issues and needs.
♦ 1st Edition: Standards for Irish Healthcare Libraries, 1993.
♦ By the end of the 1990s this document required revision.
Background
3. Changing Environment
• Developments in communication
technology.
• Evolution of evidenced-based practice.
• Number of key publications:
emphasising the need for access
to information as a knowledge base in
health.
• Role of the librarian became central to
accreditation processes.
4. • The 2nd edition: Standards for Irish
Healthcare Library and Information
Services (2005).
• Service Management :
Section 4 Clause 8: Provision required
for inter-library loan and
document supply service.
• Access to materials not held in the
library is made available through
effective inter- library loan.
Standards Revision
5. • Libraries were experiencing difficulty in meeting the financial demands of
supplying evidence based resources to their staff.
• There were increases in inter-library loan costs from suppliers.
• There was a lack of mechanism to facilitate co operation between healthcare
libraries.
• Commercial delivery of urgent inter-library loans was very high.
Effects at Local
Library Level
6. • Inter -library loan requests supplied directly from our own sector.
• Quicker
• At less cost
• Librarians in health
sciences at the time felt that a
percentage of their requests
might be supplied by
other Irish health science libraries.
What was Needed?
7. • A sub group of HSLG decided to meet this challenge.
• 1991: The Irish Healthcare Libraries Inter-Lending Co-Operative was
established as a non profit making document supply service.
• There were 11 founding libraries ranging from “one-person” libraries to large
hospital and
university libraries.
• Scheme was
administered through
meetings of the HSLG
organising committee.
Irish Healthcare Libraries Inter-
Lending Co-operative
8. • The scheme commenced on a trial basis using the holdings information from the
print Index to Irish Healthcare Libraries: - known as the Red
Book
• Requests for articles were made by fax and phone. There was no charge. Each
library carried the production costs.
• From the outset it was designed as a reciprocal scheme:
- Each library agreed to Supply and Receive.
Scheme Commencement
9. • Copyright under the Irish Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 was the
responsibility of each participating library.
• It met the requirements of Standard no 4.8.1 - 4.8.4 in the provision of
an appropriate inter-lending document supply scheme.
• The need for LIS
services that would
provide
access to
inter-lending and
document supply.
Copyright
11. • The scheme was successful from the start.
• Documents were supplied at a faster response rate and at a lower
cost.
• 1990’s saw a growth in the development of nursing and medical libraries to
support changes in medicine and nurse education.
• There was a need for LIS services to support continuing education, research and
postgraduate study.
Ongoing Scheme
12. • Reputation of the group as an inter-lending consortium grew.
• In 1991 the consortium had 11 members with access to 1009 journal
titles.
• In 2008 the consortium had grown to 70 members with access to 7412
journal titles.
• The administration of the scheme could no longer be met by the work of the
organising committee and the use of the print index required revision.
Group Development
13. • Functions
o To ensure equity of access to the
scheme.
o To monitor statistics and regulate
access.
o To handle complaints.
o To review new and existing
members.
Development of the Journal
Holdings Co-operative
Committee
• Criteria for entry
o Library must hold minimum of 20
health science journals.
o Library must be managed by a
full-time or part-time librarian.
o Library must supply as well as
receive and supply statistics of
use.
14. • Jean Harrison, Regional Librarian , HSE
• Muriel Haire, INMO, Librarian and Web Administrator
• Gillian Doran, Librarian, ICGP
• Anne M. O’ Byrne, Librarian, DDSH and Rotunda Hospital
• Breda Barrett, Librarian , St Michael’s House
• IT Support Consultant
Committee Members
15. • The terms of reference for the committee.
• All libraries knew that not all of their inter-lending requests
would be satisfied by the consortium.
• Requests to other commercial inter-lending agencies
would continue in tandem.
• No single library should be overburdened by excessive requests.
Issues Agreed
16. • The Print Index was quickly out of date and not allow amendments.
• 2006, the online version was made available with the print copy. It
became online only with members agreement in 2007.
• It allowed members to input their own holdings information and monthly
statistics.
• It was available at http://ihslg.org
• Access rights were assigned to each library and log-in details.
Online Index of Holdings
19. • Statistics filed online between 2003 - 2005 suggest 50% supply from
consortium.
• 2005 - present suggest a decline in these figures due to the following factors:
– Open access policy for journal articles
– Access to journal back runs from the publishers
– Availability of full-text online/ PDF delivery
– Consortia purchasing
Statistical Analysis
20. • Loss of Members and holdings
- 57 organisations - current list
o No staff to administer statistics monthly
o Deletion of print holdings and space issues.
o Changes to copyright and licensing
o Libraries should be aware of their individual licensing with their publishers and how
inter-library loan is covered in this context. Can PDFs be re-
distributed under the licence?
o “ I would like to check if anyone has a licence agreement with their relevant
electronic supplier......”
Current Constraints
21. • Group licensing to replace individual licensing.
• Archival issues: group acquisition policy.
• Group retention policy.
• Copyright policy statement.
• Incorporation with other co-operative groups, i.e. IreL.
Initiatives of
Co-operatives
22. • Catherine Breslin - HSE Galway RIP
• Timothy Collins - UCG Retired
• Gay Doyle - St Lukes Hospital Retired
• Suzanne Feeney - Crumlin Hospital
• Tony Linnane - HSE, Galway
Acknowledgement to past Co-
Operative Members
23. • Retain co-operative elements:
– Spirit of goodwill and continuity.
– Motivation to help each other.
– Motivation to share resources.
Bibliography
upon request
Future