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Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section

Strategic Plan
2008-2009

Mission

The Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section is the forum within IFLA for libraries and associations concerned with making information available in all formats throughout the world through a variety of resource sharing, document supply, and interlending activities.

The Section's primary objective is to promote, extend and improve document delivery and resource sharing nationally and internationally through the use of new technologies and increased cooperation between and among libraries and document suppliers.

The activities of the Section support a number of IFLA's Professionals Priorities, primarily:
  • Promoting Resource Sharing.
The Section also contributes toward the following IFLA priorities:
  • Promoting Unrestricted Access to Information
  • Safeguarding the Intellectual Property Rights of Libraries and Authors
  • Developing Library Professionals
  • Promoting Standards, Guidelines, and Best Practices
  • Representing Libraries in the Technological Marketplace
The Section monitors developments and provides information to its membership through a section Web site, twice-yearly Newsletter, programs at IFLA conferences, support of document delivery and interlending workshops, and cooperative projects with national and international organizations. The Section also oversees the biennial IFLA Interlending & Document Supply (ILDS) International Conference.

Goals

1. Plan and implement IFLA activities related to international resource sharing

(Professional priorities: (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices; President's themes: Advocacy; Partnerships and alliances)

Strategic Actions

1.1 Maintain and revise as needed the IFLA Principles and Guidelines for International Lending and Document Delivery, Model National Interlibrary Loan Code, and Guidelines for Best Practice.

1.2 Encourage national libraries or other major interlending institutions to provide instructions on their web pages on how to borrow (contact details, policies and procedures and tariffs) to foreign libraries wanting to borrow.

1.3 Monitor the IFLA Voucher Scheme and keep membership informed about developments with regard to the Voucher Scheme.

1.4 Evaluate the usage of the Interlibrary Loan Response Codes.

1.5 Work with IFLA's Professional Committee on planning the biennial IFLA Interlending Document Supply International (ILDS) Conferences. (Singapore, Germany)

1.6 Compile and publish a Model Handbook for Interlibrary Loan, to be launched at the 2009 ILDS conference in Germany.

1.7 Compile a glossary of terminology and definitions in the field of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Resource Sharing, and make this glossary available online on the Section's website.

2. Provide continuing education opportunities for document delivery and resource sharing practitioners.

(Professional priorities: (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices; President's themes: Continuing Professional Development)

Strategic Actions

2.1 Conduct satellite meetings in cooperation with other IFLA sections, focusing on practical issues within the field, in Canada and Italy .

2.2 Investigate, and if feasible, develop online Continuing Education courses for practitioners not able to attend conferences

3. Monitor the impact of electronic resources, product licensing and copyright law on resource sharing and document delivery.

(Professional priorities: (d) Promoting unrestricted access to information; (e) Safeguarding the Intellectual Property Rights of Libraries and Authors(f) Promoting Resource Sharing (k) Representing Libraries in the Technological Marketplace; President's themes: Advocacy; Partnerships and alliances

Strategic Actions

3.1 Define the scope and parameters of the Section's obligations to the international Document Delivery and Resource Sharing community with regard to electronic resources, product licensing and copyright.

3.2 Work with relevant IFLA groups, such as Copyright and Other Legal Matters to inform the membership of relevant developments through presentations and/or publications.

3.3 Notify members of related legislative issues internationally.

4. Promote the use of technology in streamlining international resource sharing and enhancing service delivery

(Professional priorities: (d) Promoting unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting Resource Sharing (k) Representing Libraries in the Technological Marketplace; President's themes: Advocacy; Partnerships and alliances

Strategic Actions

4.1 Investigate creating or supporting an online portal of directories of libraries providing resource sharing services internationally.

4.2 Investigate the feasibility of an electronic system for the IFLA Voucher Scheme.

5. Promote the activities of the Section to document delivery and resource sharing colleagues internationally.

(Professional priorities: (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines, and best practices; President's themes: Advocacy; Partnerships and alliances; Continuing professional development)

Strategic Actions

5.1 Review, update, and maintain the Section's Web site.

5.2 Prepare and publish the Section's Newsletter on the Section's Web site twice a year.

5.3 Review and refine the Section's "Ask an expert" service and then publicise and promote the service internationally

5.4 Meet with local ILL communities during the Section's mid term business meetings.

5.5 Create a listserv to communicate with the Section's membership (consultation, urgent matters) and allow the membership to communicate with the Committee.

5.6 Monitor and maintain the Section's membership; recruit more members to strengthen the Section.

5.7 Conduct a membership survey to determine the needs of the Section's membership, and rethink activities accordingly.

6. Address the challenges of providing document delivery and resource sharing Services in developing countries.

(Professional priorities: (d)Providing unrestricted access to information (f) promoting resource sharing (h) Developing library professionals (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices; President's themes: Advocacy, Partnerships and alliances

Strategic Actions

6.1 Identify and pursue opportunities to promote, assist and facilitate the development of resource sharing in developing countries. (locally developed training, with IFLA component added).

6.2 Develop a generic Toolkit for use in training workshops in developing countries, available on the Section's website, and supply print on request for those who do not have internet access.

6.3 Support the 3 year Training programme running from 2008-2010 for IL practitioners in South Africa. (locally developed training, with IFLA component added)