The Evolution of E-books and Interlibrary Loan in Academic Libraries

Abstract

As academic libraries add electronic monographs (e-books) to their collections in increasing numbers, they are frequently losing the ability to lend this portion of their collections via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) due to licensing restrictions. Recently, new options have emerged as alternatives to traditional ILL for ebooks. These options introduce new opportunities for collaboration across library departments and within consortia. This article discusses the changing nature of resource sharing as related to e-books, examines e-book lending capabilities as they currently exist, and presents alternative models to traditional ILL, including short-term lending, purchase on demand and print on demand.