Interlibrary Loan: A Reference Service

ROCKEDBY THE MOUNTING shock waves of the explosion of the material and service expectations of the library user, the practitioners of interlibrary loan in the traditional manner are digging in behind their policies. As a consequence, one of the most important, implied obligations of the library-providing the most effective access to information-is slighted, as the borrower will not and cannot borrow and the lenders will not lend. Interlibrary loan is a technique by which one library lends material indirectly to an individual through another library. In essence, therefore, it is merely a means through which a library may broaden its lending service to include those materials which are made available by other libraries. The technique of interlibrary loan, of necessity, entails a lending operation, but regardless of where the actual work is performed-circulation, acquisitions, etc.-the principle involved is one of reference: that is, to provide the library user as completely as is possible with the material he needs.