Assessing the Impact of Open Access Tools for Interlibrary Loan Services

Abstract

Open access materials may be increasingly available online however library users turn to interlibrary loan (ILL) for publications that are not easily available at their library. The ILL staff work directly with library users providing reference and practical front-line services. , , This library values ongoing experimentation and assessment in support of high-quality services. This project aims to identify solutions to facilitate access to useful scholarly materials. , , This library's interlibrary loan team has been investigating requests that can be potentially filled through open access tools, such as Unpaywall, Kopernio and Open Access Button. These tools are web-browser extensions that intend to bypass paywalls and find free and legal versions of scholarly articles. , , This poster will report on a survey conducted to determine the impact of open access tools as a complement to ILL services and will illustrate the feasibility of these tools on interlibrary loan workflows and the advantages they might offer. ,