No FIRST SEARCH option

 I should have known but OCLC First Search Borrowing is switched off, probably because OCLC shunted everyone to use OCLC Worldshare over a decade ago.  And FBCL confirmed to me we cannot afford a stand alone subscription to OCLC Worldshare because OCLC insists on bundling it with a host of other software we DO NOT NEED.  They probably couldn't switch on FIRST SEARCH borrowing for us on the side even if they wanted to cut a special deal.

 

This means we're reduced to using the ALA ILL request form, sending by email or snail mail sequentially.  Which is MORE primitive than 2010 when I started.

 

That will be the state of play if the IMLS funds go away for ever after December 2025.

 

For funsies

While I would never actually wear this shirt around here, I do appreciate the sentiments expressed.
Comes in a variety of colors but I chose Burgundy/Maroon with white lettering because Texas Aggie colors.  I heard this shirt was seen at some of the Hands Off protests and it made me smile. 

Working like it's 2010....

 So, I checked and I will still be able to make ILL requests directly in OCLC First Search, which is what we used to do in 2010.

 

While we don't have access to OCLC Worldshare anymore, we do still have access to First Search because of our cataloging subscription to OCLC Connexion.

If AutoGraphics, Inc.'s ShareIt platform via the Texas Armadillo Network for Interlibrary Loan goes POOF because the IMLS decimation is made permanent, we will have to fall back on First Search to process our borrowing requests.
 

This will entail going back to manually creating temporary MARC bib records in POLARIS to circulate and manage the borrowed items, and manually creating the holds for patrons as well.  Then going back and deleting the item records from patron's records once the item is returned.


What this means is our ILL service levels with be dropped back to 2010 levels of efficiency, which compared to last year, is very very inefficient indeed.  We can't have nice things because goddamn Republican barbarians.

"Freedum YANG Worship word, you must not speak it!"

TSLAC insider on IMLS funding and impacts.

 I have a contact with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and I have been in conversation with them about the latest headlines regarding the slashing of funding at the (Federal) Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its implication for Texas Public Libraries.

I'm keeping my source anonymous but this is what I have learned so far:

"We will be scheduling an Office Hour session for early next week as we catch up on things here and monitor IMLS news.  I did notify Library Directors yesterday that the agency received notice from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that IMLS staff are no longer available to respond to questions about the availability of federal funds used to support TSLAC programs for libraries, including the annual Interlibrary Loan Lending Reimbursement Program. Without information on the status of these funds, we have notified libraries that we do not anticipate awarding ILL lending reimbursement grants for SFY 25.  

The current contract for statewide SHAREit access is paid through December 2025. We will certainly keep libraries apprised of any other updates related to federal funding."


I was curious about TSLAC's previous contractual arrangement with OCLC for access to Navigator Resource Engine (NRE) and OCLC Worldshare for Texas Public Libraries which they subsidized.  I wanted to know if these came from allocations from the Texas Legislature or from IMLS?  This was the answer I got:

"Yes, TSLAC’s previous contracts with OCLC for NRE and WorldShare ILL subscriptions were paid for fully with IMLS funds.  Federal funds support all of TSLAC’s library assistance programs in Texas to some extent, including interlibrary loan, training for small community library managers, statewide summer reading programs, competitive grants, databases, and technology assistance to libraries.

Let me know if I can provide additional information."

The Rule of 5 (Interlibrary Loan)

 So I recently purchased and skimmed this book;  it's in its 3rd edition, circa 2011 and badly in need of an update, at least as an ebook if not a printed professional work.  The technology section made me blush because it is so laughably out of date.

 

 The most useful section of the book is the discussion of the intersection of ILL with U.S. Copyright Law, specifically the Rule of Five guideline.

To steer clear of violations of Copyright law, it is advised that a library request no more than Five (5) Articles from the same journal that was published within the last Five (5) calendar years.  Any more than that and the library should either decline the article request made by the patron or charge the patron the going market rate to obtain the article from the publisher/aggregator, etc.  Going above this limit is regarded by Copyright law as attempting to circumvent a valid paid subscription and exposes a library to legal liability.  If the library is getting overwhelmed by article requests from the same scholarly journal the library should strongly consider adding the journal to its own collection, arduous a task as that may be.

It is an issue of concern mainly for public and private Academic Libraries.  I can say with confidence that my public library system has never come close to violating the Rule of Five, not even once, not even close.  I'm mindful of it and do keep an eye out for it, but to date it's never come up.  Copying requests are few and far between in the public library space; it is a much more common feature for ILL librarians & staff in the Academic lending space, for obvious reasons, situated as they are as a nexus for scholarly communication.