One in a Million

A graduate student needed a specific book for her studies that was only available in one library in Switzerland. A faculty member doing concussion research needed access to regularly and newly published journal articles. Another faculty member was unexpectedly hospitalized before a deadline and needed a book chapter scanned and delivered to him. A student at a University halfway across the country needed to borrow UD's collection of oversized papal papyrus facsimiles.

These are just a few of the instances where services led by the UD Library, Museums and Press' Collections Sharing and Delivery Unit, have saved the day.

Members of the UD community can get almost any resource they need, where they need it, through the suite of services, which include Interlibrary Loan (ILL), the Article DELivery Service, the Associate in Arts Program Delivery, the Distance Learning DELivery Service, and Office Delivery.

Earlier this year, these services reached a milestone one millionth request. The Library has used the software ILLiad to manage this suite of services since 2008 to make them more efficient and streamlined. That means over the past 16 years, Blue Hens and researchers worldwide have used these services to readily access nearly any resource they needed to support their academic success more than one million times.

The five distinct services offered by the Collections Sharing and Delivery Unit are designed to foster convenience and success within the UD and broader research communities.

Need something outside of the Library's collections? UD students, faculty and staff have access to books, journal articles, DVDs and other items from around the world through Interlibrary Loan. The Library borrows from a global network of libraries to provide Blue Hens with the resources they need and also lends materials in its collection to libraries within the network for researchers around the world to engage with.

Do you have a busy week with no time to stop by Morris Library? The UD community can receive scanned articles and book chapters from items within the Library's print and microform collections through the Article DELivery Service. Faculty and staff can also request physical materials be shipped to their offices on the Newark campus through Office Delivery.

Are you away from Newark and in need of resources? Those affiliated with the Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown campuses can get materials delivered to them through the Associate in Arts Program Delivery. Individuals enrolled in a UD online learning program as well as graduate students and faculty who reside more than 75 miles from campus can also have materials delivered to them through the Distance DELivery Service.

These services, which directly provide easy and timely access to resources necessary for success, speak to the continuing importance of a free exchange of knowledge and information. They are some of the most frequently used services at the Library, Museums and Press, and some of the most beloved.

In UD's most recent LibQUAL+ survey - an online survey from the Association of Research Libraries that helps libraries assess and improve their services - this suite of services was often highlighted as necessary, helpful and efficient.

"The ILL service is always fantastic and very quick," wrote one survey respondent. "Probably the biggest thing that stands out to me, since obtaining electronic copies of research articles is most important for my work."

"I love the Interlibrary Loans!" wrote another respondent. "I just requested one for the first time and it was really helpful for my approaches to literature class."

Others emphasized the necessity of the services. "Quite a few of the things I've needed in the last year weren't held by UD, but Interlibrary Loan obtained online copies within days - often one day," wrote a survey respondent. "This type of service is critical to contemporary academic publication."

With these services, UD students, faculty and staff have ready access to nearly any resource they need, helping to ensure their hard work and diligent research is supported by the most relevant and impactful materials.