[ILL-L] Average cost of providing a book through ILL

[Laura Barnard]

It doesn't seem unreasonable if you are including the cost of staff. 
Many surveys don't include that.  

Based on what our ILL staff are paid (hourly wage, not including
benefits; only those in the ILL unit, not including drivers, shelvers,
circulation staff, managers, finance people - the rest of the team that
supports us), and compared to the number of items we successfully 
borrowed plus those we successfully lent, our cost of staff per item
supplied was $6.05.

Our current staff configuration dates from 2001.  Our lending fills
have dropped slightly since then, but our borrowing fills have almost
doubled in that time.



Laura Barnard
Interlibrary Loans
Seattle Public Library (UOK)
206-386-4601
ill at spl.org

>>> "Campbell, Heather" <HEATHERC at coj.net> 8/15/2008 9:32 AM >>>
Wow-  $26.92 per borrowed item using OCLC.  I stumbled across a
university whose FAQs stated the cost was around $20 per item.  I
don't
know if that estimate/average factored postage or courier rate hikes. 


 

Do you all think between $20-30 per borrowed item would be a good
guesstimate?

 

Heather Campbell

Manager- Special Services (Interlibrary Loan and Books by Mail)

303 North Laura Street

Jacksonville, FL 32202-3505 ill at coj.net  (904) 630-2986

 

________________________________

From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org 
[mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Carolyn Scheer
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 11:31 AM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: Re: [ILL-L] Average cost of providing a book through ILL

 

This question comes up regularly, as a search of the archives reveals,
but I would also be interested in more current data relating to public
libraries.  The closest and most up-to-date I have located so far is
the
"Jefferson County Public Library Interlibrary Loan and resource
sharing
cost study, updated April, 2004" located at 

<http://jefferson.lib.co.us/pdf/ILL_cost2004.pdf> 
http://jefferson.lib.co.us/pdf/ILL_cost2004.pdf 
 

At 08:34 AM 8/15/2008, you wrote:



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Has anyone seen any recent studies that give the current average cost
of
providing a book or photocopy through ILL?
 
Heather Campbell
Manager- Special Services (Interlibrary Loan and Books by Mail)
303 North Laura Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202-3505 ill at coj.net  (904) 630-2986
 
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Carolyn Scheer
Reference/Technical Services
Scenic Regional Library
308 Hawthorne Drive
Union, MO  63084
Tel: 636-583-3224
Fax: 636-583-6519
email: cscheer at scenicregional.org