Interlibrary Loan and Archives: The Final Frontier Jennifer Schaffner OCLC Research Library Partnership Elaine Engst Cornell University Eric Robinson Wisconsin Library Service Christian Dupont Atlas Systems Session 508 SAA Annual Meeting San Diego #saa12 August 11, :30 AM Aqua 306 AB

Tim Ericson SAA’s 59th president “Sharing the Wealth,” MRRC News, 2 May 1980 On loaning manuscripts: “The danger of damage or loss has been balanced by patronage that otherwise would have been impossible… Curators and researchers cannot help but agree – the benefits have been well worth the risk.” “Even after twenty years it is an idea that is sure to stimulate a lively discussion whenever a group of archivists get together; some condemn it as heretical, while others praise it as one of the most innovative archival ideas in years – few take the middle ground!”

“Since 1961… the society has moved over 1,400 archives and manuscript collections throughout the network … without the loss of a single item.” February 1972 F. Gerald Ham SAA’s 29 th President in American Libraries, p, On loaning collections:

“Repositories may, under special circumstances, lend or place on deposit with another repository part or all of a collection.” June 2009 SAA Council ALA/SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries

“We were able to borrow things we would not be able to provide to others.” * Condition is the key to lending decision Digitizing on demand has become routine Cultural divide is greatest for unpublished materials The surprise? 67% lend physical items from special collections sometimes: 10% lend 57% lend “under special conditions” 32% never lend “Too risky” (69%) is by far the most common reason for not sharing: – “Because we never have” (10%) – “Not part of our mission” (10%) – “Lack of staff resources” (5%) * OCLC Research Survey April 2010

OCLC Research 2010 Survey of ILL and Special Collections Professionals (footnote on methodology) Both primary resources and interlibrary loan discussion lists 88 responses, 64 complete the survey Academic, national and public libraries, plus museums and historical societies Most from North America, 4 from Continental Europe, one each Africa and Australia Job descriptions: o Curator (Special Collections) o University Archivist o Library Director o Head of Access Services o Head of Reference o Interlibrary Loan Supervisor

Elaine Engst Director of Rare and Manuscript Collections and University Archivist Cornell University “Baseball, True Crime, the FBI and I(LL): Interlibrary Loan for Archival Collections Revisited” Eric Robinson Interlibrary Loan Coordinator Wisconsin Library Service “Four Decades of Archives Sharing among Wisconsin Area Research Centers” Christian Dupont Aeon Program Director Atlas Systems “ACRL/RBMS Guidelines for Interlibrary and Exhibition Loan of Special Collections Materials”

“We were able to borrow things we would not be able to provide to others.”