[Publib] Re: ILL infrastructure

[Robert Balliot]

I don't think that there is any real technological barrier to creating such
a network anymore.  If broadband
reaches the underserved areas, there is already a national framework for ILL
to emulate from the academic
library level.

ILL did not really proliferate between academics until the 70's.  So,  the
state of ILL for many public
libraries is simply an impractical legacy that needs redesign.  The same
issues of rising cost and inefficiency
for the academic libraries was investigated in this research funded by the
US Office of Health Education
and Welfare in 1970:

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED047711

R. Balliot
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com


>
> It begs the question, though . . .  why haven't more states emulated
> Illinois?  Michael Golrick has explained the vagaries of local funding and
> political organization, but . . .  one suspects it is more an issue of will
> and getting off the dime than it is of these things.
>
> The truly big question that is begged is Why isn't there one nationwide
> public library, with expedited delivery of materials among its 30,000
> branches, and one national library card? ( Which is, I suppose, the logical
> extension of the complaint of my patron with six local library cards.)
>
> Joe Schallan
> Phoenix
>
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