Fullerton, Anne

Stephenson, Carol

English

Scholars Commons

Wilfrid Laurier University 
Scholars Commons @ Laurier 
Library Publications Library 
2004 
A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan: Ontario universities 
rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service 
Carol Stephenson 
Wilfrid Laurier University, cstephenson@wlu.ca 
Anne Fullerton 
University of Waterloo, affuller@library.uwaterloo.ca 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/lib_pub 
Recommended Citation 
Stephenson, Carol and Fullerton, Anne, "A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan: Ontario universities 
rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service" (2004). Library Publications. 1. 
https://scholars.wlu.ca/lib_pub/1 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Library at Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been 
accepted for inclusion in Library Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For 
more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca. 
Good Ideas 
A Consortial Approach to 
Interlibrary Loan 
Ontario universities rebuild their interlibrary loan 
framework and service 
By Carol Stephenson and Anne Fullerton 
 
Interlibrary loan (ILL) services have traditionally borrowed materials or obtained 
photocopies from libraries or commercial document suppliers on behalf of their 
communities. Despite the growing number of full-text e-journal packages, increasing 
full-text content on the Web, and the ongoing expansion of print collections, many 
students and faculty in a university environment still need materials not available 
from their local university library. Unfortunately, the ILL services in place at many 
universities including those in Ontario, Canada, have not kept up with the increased 
demand for materials and the expectations of rapid delivery. Many have not taken 
advantage of systems with digital capabilities. 
Examining the ILL Process 
The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is a library consortium of 20 
universities (see Table 1) that rely heavily on each other’s collections to meet the 
demand for materials not held locally. Member libraries exchange more than half a 
million books and copies of articles annually. In addition, OCUL libraries borrow from 
other libraries and document suppliers worldwide to obtain materials not held at OCUL 
libraries.
Table 1 
 
OCUL Member Universities 
 
Small Institutions 
(<10,000 full-time 
students) 
Medium 
Institutions 
(10–20,000 full-
time students) 
Large 
Institutions 
(>20,000 full-
time students) 
Lakehead 
University 
Brock University University of 
Ottawa 
Nipissing 
University 
Carleton 
University 
University of 
Toronto 
Ontario College of 
Art & Design 
University of 
Guelph 
University of 
Waterloo 
University of 
Ontario Institute 
of Technology 
McMaster 
University 
University of 
Western Ontario 
Royal Military 
College of Canada 
Queens University York University 
Trent University Ryerson University  
 Wilfrid Laurier 
University 
 
 University of 
Windsor 
 
Source: OCUL Facts: Population Statistics, July 2004; <http://www.ocul.on.ca/ConCan/stats2004.html>. 
 
 Figure 1 outlines the basic flow of an ILL request submitted by a student or 
faculty member at an OCUL institution. At each stage of the process to meet the 
request (shown on the left), potential problems can arise (shown on the right), taking 
additional time and staff resources. For example, staff must verify that the end user 
checked the local library catalogue before submitting the ILL request, that the user’s 
request is complete, and that the user has requesting privileges. Staff must then 
search the appropriate catalogues effectively, which requires both knowledge and 
searching skills. After identifying multiple potential suppliers of the requested 
material, staff send the request, using paper copies as a backup against loss of data 
from the aging system. Staff at different libraries use multiple requesting systems to 
contact suppliers and track each request. More staff time is required to contact the 
end user by phone or e-mail to pick up the items when delivered. At any stage, staff 
can get caught in multiple rounds of communication with either the end user or the 
supplier. The entire process is very labor- and time-intensive. 
 
Figure 1 
Basic ILL Borrowing Process 
A New ILL System for OCUL 
OCUL has a long history of cooperative resource sharing and collective purchasing 
projects in support of diverse research needs. Consortia purchases have focused on 
electronic resources, including participation in the Canadian National Site Licensing 
Project, a massive electronic journal–licensing initiative involving 64 institutions 
across Canada. 
In January 2000, OCUL received a five-year government grant from the Ontario 
Innovation Trust to develop an infrastructure that would enable researchers to access 
and use information resources. The purchase and implementation of a new ILL system for 
all OCUL institutions was one of the programs under this project. 
OCUL ILL Managers evaluated their existing systems and came up with a “wish list” of 
functionality for a new system, to include a Web-accessible interface for end users to 
search catalogues, submit ILL requests, and track the status of their requests. For 
staff, the key components of a new ILL system were simplified verification and 
management of requests, integrated communication with other resource-sharing partners, 
and system reliability. The specific functionality desired matches the steps of the 
ILL process, as follows:      
  Only authorized end users can submit requests. 
  End users are automatically blocked from submitting incomplete requests and notified 
which fields to complete for a valid request. 
  Requests are automatically checked against the local library catalogue. 
  End users are notified automatically if the material is available locally. 
  Requests are automatically searched against catalogues to produce a list of 
potential suppliers. 
  Messages between requesting libraries and potential suppliers are sent and received 
through one system. 
  If the first supplier cannot fill the request, it is automatically routed to 
subsequent suppliers. 
  An online, reliable system manages the ILL process with minimal staff effort. 
  Basic forms and reports are generated electronically. 
  End users receive automatic notification when the requested materials are ready to 
be picked up and can check on the status of their requests themselves. 
In 2000, after evaluating the desired functionality against existing products, OCUL 
purchased the Fretwell-Downing Zportal software for end user ILL requests and VDX 
software for staff management of the ILL process. The Fretwell-Downing software most 
closely met the “wish list” of system functionality. Seamless integration of ILL and 
circulation systems to provide patron authentication and materials check-in / check-
out were also on the “wish list”. This functionality was not available from any vendor 
because the  ANSI/NISO Z39.83 Circulation Interchange Protocol  supporting this 
interoperability was still in development.   
The implementation of ZPortal and VDX within OCUL is named RACER for “Rapid Access 
to Collections by Electronic Requesting.” From the RACER Web site 
(http://racer.scholarsportal.info/), end users search library catalogues through a 
common search interface to create ILL requests or fill in a blank ILL request form. 
Staff log in to RACER via the Web to process their library’s borrowing and lending 
requests. Although the system consists of a centrally configured and maintained Oracle 
database, each library’s implementation can be set up uniquely to meet the local 
workflow. 
What We Have Learned 
The first eight institutions went live with RACER in June 2003. Before the end of 
2004, all 20 OCUL institutions will be using RACER. The lessons learned during the 
implementation are applicable to other consortia system implementations, not just ILL. 
Plan to Revise Timelines Often 
Initial implementation timelines were far too optimistic, it turned out. The Project 
team determined that one year would be sufficient to configure the Oracle database and 
Web interfaces, create forms and reports, train staff and end users, test the system, 
and eventually roll out the implementation to OCUL institutions. 
In reality, it took one year just to set up and test the system before the first 
libraries went live. Project staff then needed to phase in implementations every four 
months because of the difficulty of switching systems in the middle of an academic 
term. In addition, the project team is still struggling to complete reports 
development and implementation for the universities that need a combined French and 
English end user Web interface. 
Standards Don’t Guarantee Interoperability 
Adherence to current standards does not mean stress-free interoperability between 
systems. The standards which drive the ZPortal and VDX system are the ANSI/NISO Z39.50 
protocol, for integrated catalogue searching and information retrieval, and ISO 
10160/10161 and the Canadian generic script messaging format, for exchange of request 
information.   Through our testing the project team learned that each  library system 
vendor had interpreted the standards differently in their particular system. Time-
consuming testing and additional programming were needed to ensure successful 
searching of the different catalogues and efficient messaging with the vendors and 
libraries involved in the ILL process. 
Be Ready to Add Staff 
Project staffing requirements were also too optimistic. The initial project 
implementation team consisted of a project manager, a user support/training librarian, 
and a systems administrator. After the first year, we added another user 
support/training librarian to assist with the heavy workload of providing day to day 
support for implemented sites while continuing to train new sites. An additional 
systems librarian was brought on to work on reports and interface customizations. In 
addition, several working groups made up of staff from OCUL libraries were established 
to focus on specific database configuration issues, reports, staff training, the 
French language end user interface, and end user interface customization. The 
membership of the configuration issues and reports groups varied depending on the 
specific issue under discussion but representation always included a mix of systems 
librarians and ILL managers. Decisions on server purchases, end user authentication, 
database record and reports structure, and default settings were made by members of 
these key groups. The training group consisted of 3 ILL managers and the 2 user 
support/training librarians. Development of the staff training syllabus and training 
documentation was included in their mandate. The French language group had 
representation from each institution with a bilingual campus. This group provided 
Fretwell-Downing with translation recommendations. The end user interface 
customization group consisted of 7 public service librarians that reviewed the layout 
of the public webpages and recommended changes before each system upgrade as well as 
developing end user instructional materials. In total, over 30 library staff, with 
representation from every OCUL institution, participated in the working groups.   
Communication Is More than E-Mail Updates 
Frontline staff up to library directors agree that the frequent and varied forums 
for communication have been one of the project’s successes. The project team set up 
many methods of communication to gather direct, frequent input from frontline staff 
during configuration and to provide them with assistance in using RACER on a daily 
basis. Project listservs were set up for managers and system contacts at each library, 
for staff training, and for subgroup work. A detailed support Web site was established 
to manage and provide ready access to all the surveys, reports, and training materials 
(http://www.library.utoronto.ca/scholarsportal/vdx/support/index.html). 
Within the first year of production, we held two all-day staff workshops, inviting 
frontline staff from OCUL libraries to meet and share experiences. As a result of 
extensive communication and staff participation, staff feel a strong commitment to and 
ownership of RACER. 
One Staff Training Package Won’t Fit Everyone 
Taking into account different learning styles, the two OCUL user support/training 
librarians gave a 2 day workshop which combined PowerPoint overviews with hands-on 
exercises. Each library  sent up to 4 staff to these “train the trainer” sessions many 
of which were held at the University of Toronto, a central, easy to travel to location 
for most libraries and also the site of one OCUL office. The Training working group 
helped participants during the hands-on exercises on the RACER test system. 
Participants were expected to practice receiving and processing ILL orders on the test 
system at their own libraries and to train their colleagues  to use RACER.  
For about 1/2 of the libraries, this training was not sufficient. By monitoring the 
test system, the Project team identified which libraries were not experimenting with 
the system. These same libraries shared a common characteristic: many long-term ILL 
staff who were both entrenched in their local manual procedures and unfamiliar with 
Web interfaces. They needed on-site training at their own workstations to go over 
specific workflow tasks in their actual setting. Because the overall training goal was 
to have all ILL staff comfortable using the test system before the library promoted 
the new system to end users, Project staff trained many more of the member 
universities’ ILL staff than originally planned. 
New Partnerships Emerge 
An indirect benefit of implementing the RACER system has been the development of new 
partnerships.  As the project team informed other consortia of OCUL’s system changes 
or tested system to system interoperability other discussions took place. For example, 
ILL agreements between OCUL and other Canadian and Australian Consortia for 
preferential access to each others’ collections for speedy and discounted ILL service 
RACER project staff are also sharing ideas and best practices about Zportal and VDX 
implementation with the Ontario Public Libraries consortia and the Quebec university 
consortia (CREPUQ), both of which are also implementing their own VDX and ZPortal 
systems.   
Usability Testing Is Important 
Library staff work daily with confused and frustrated users tripped up by poor 
search interfaces. Usability testing ensures that users will have a positive 
experience with the interface. The End User Instruction Working Group (EUIWG), for 
example, customized out-of-the-box RACER based on their experience with users and 
online databases and typical problems encountered with any Web interface. Usability 
testing helped clarify the differences between the EUIWG’s assumptions of how end 
users would use RACER and how they actually did. As it turned out, our users’ mental 
models for ordering an item through ILL did not match the RACER approach. They thought 
their job was to search the right catalogue and identify which library could supply 
their item.  The reason for searching catalogues via RACER is to identify any (one) 
correct record so the correct information is automatically transferred to the ILL 
form. Some users have always thought identifying the supplier was necessary regardless 
of the ILL system and the first version of RACER reinforced this perception because 
the user had to choose the libraries to search to begin a request. In the most recent 
upgrade, all the OCUL libraries are pre-selected for searching. Usability testing will 
tell us if this resolves the misperception. In response to the language and 
terminology questions, EUIWG reduced on-screen help to a minimum because users did not 
read or even scan it and recommended that Fretwell Downing change the hard-coded 
buttons and labels.  
Was RACER Worth It? 
 Here’s a quote from the Trent University student newspaper, The Arthur, “I am still 
in awe of this program…one might say that with the new influx of high-speed internet 
and programs like RACER that the world is at our fingertips.” And another quote from 
an Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery/Collections Librarian at Lakehead University: 
“One of the aspects of RACER that has exceeded my expectations is the speed with which 
our materials are getting to us. I have overhead patrons coming into the ILL office 
marveling at the “lightning” speed of the service.”  
These comments underline 2 of the most obvious expectations for RACER - the sharing 
of library resources in Ontario’s universities and the expectation of fast, efficient 
ILL service whether the end user is at a small or large Ontario university. Local 
systems departments are delighted with the centralized server  which they do not need 
to support and maintain locally. Smaller universities have features they could not 
have developed and supported locally. Larger universities have now automated many 
labor-intensive processes that were unsustainable in a large-volume operation.  
We will begin a formal assessment of RACER in February 2005 in part to comply with 
the terms of our funding. Components we intend to measure include turnaround time from 
request to receipt of material, system stability, and success/failure of the automated 
processes compared to previous manual processing. Analysis of the results will tell us 
how successful the implementation has been. Through usability testing and focus groups 
we will identify gaps in the interface design and measure end-user satisfaction with 
RACER. We also want to learn what difference RACER and OCUL collection sharing have 
made to research and learning at Ontario universities.  
Informally, we know RACER has been worth the time and effort. We’ll let you know 
what the formal results are next year but we don’t think you’ll be surprised. 
 
 
Carol Stephenson (cjstephe@library.uwaterloo.ca) is the Optometry and Applied Health 
Sciences Librarian at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and the 
former OCUL VDX Project Manager and Anne Fullerton (affuller@library.uwaterloo.ca) is the 
Biology and Chemical Engineering Librarian at the University of Waterloo.  


A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan: Ontario universities rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service

Wilfrid Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Library Publications Library 2004 A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan: Ontario universities rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service Carol Stephenson Wilfrid Laurier University, cstephenson@wlu.ca Anne Fullerton University of Waterloo, affuller@library.uwaterloo.ca Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/lib_pub Recommended Citation Stephenson, Carol and Fullerton, Anne, "A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan: Ontario universities rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service" (2004). Library Publications. 1. https://scholars.wlu.ca/lib_pub/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Library at Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Library Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca. Good Ideas A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan Ontario universities rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service By Carol Stephenson and Anne Fullerton  Interlibrary loan (ILL) services have traditionally borrowed materials or obtained photocopies from libraries or commercial document suppliers on behalf of their communities. Despite the growing number of full-text e-journal packages, increasing full-text content on the Web, and the ongoing expansion of print collections, many students and faculty in a university environment still need materials not available from their local university library. Unfortunately, the ILL services in place at many universities including those in Ontario, Canada, have not kept up with the increased demand for materials and the expectations of rapid delivery. Many have not taken advantage of systems with digital capabilities. Examining the ILL Process The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is a library consortium of 20 universities (see Table 1) that rely heavily on each other’s collections to meet the demand for materials not held locally. Member libraries exchange more than half a million books and copies of articles annually. In addition, OCUL libraries borrow from other libraries and document suppliers worldwide to obtain materials not held at OCUL libraries.Table 1  OCUL Member Universities  Small Institutions (<10,000 full-time students) Medium Institutions (10–20,000 full-time students) Large Institutions (>20,000 full-time students) Lakehead University Brock University University of Ottawa Nipissing University Carleton University University of Toronto Ontario College of Art & Design University of Guelph University of Waterloo University of Ontario Institute of Technology McMaster University University of Western Ontario Royal Military College of Canada Queens University York University Trent University Ryerson University   Wilfrid Laurier University   University of Windsor  Source: OCUL Facts: Population Statistics, July 2004; <http://www.ocul.on.ca/ConCan/stats2004.html>.   Figure 1 outlines the basic flow of an ILL request submitted by a student or faculty member at an OCUL institution. At each stage of the process to meet the request (shown on the left), potential problems can arise (shown on the right), taking additional time and staff resources. For example, staff must verify that the end user checked the local library catalogue before submitting the ILL request, that the user’s request is complete, and that the user has requesting privileges. Staff must then search the appropriate catalogues effectively, which requires both knowledge and searching skills. After identifying multiple potential suppliers of the requested material, staff send the request, using paper copies as a backup against loss of data from the aging system. Staff at different libraries use multiple requesting systems to contact suppliers and track each request. More staff time is required to contact the end user by phone or e-mail to pick up the items when delivered. At any stage, staff can get caught in multiple rounds of communication with either the end user or the supplier. The entire process is very labor- and time-intensive.  Figure 1 Basic ILL Borrowing Process A New ILL System for OCUL OCUL has a long history of cooperative resource sharing and collective purchasing projects in support of diverse research needs. Consortia purchases have focused on electronic resources, including participation in the Canadian National Site Licensing Project, a massive electronic journal–licensing initiative involving 64 institutions across Canada. In January 2000, OCUL received a five-year government grant from the Ontario Innovation Trust to develop an infrastructure that would enable researchers to access and use information resources. The purchase and implementation of a new ILL system for all OCUL institutions was one of the programs under this project. OCUL ILL Managers evaluated their existing systems and came up with a “wish list” of functionality for a new system, to include a Web-accessible interface for end users to search catalogues, submit ILL requests, and track the status of their requests. For staff, the key components of a new ILL system were simplified verification and management of requests, integrated communication with other resource-sharing partners, and system reliability. The specific functionality desired matches the steps of the ILL process, as follows:        Only authorized end users can submit requests.   End users are automatically blocked from submitting incomplete requests and notified which fields to complete for a valid request.   Requests are automatically checked against the local library catalogue.   End users are notified automatically if the material is available locally.   Requests are automatically searched against catalogues to produce a list of potential suppliers.   Messages between requesting libraries and potential suppliers are sent and received through one system.   If the first supplier cannot fill the request, it is automatically routed to subsequent suppliers.   An online, reliable system manages the ILL process with minimal staff effort.   Basic forms and reports are generated electronically.   End users receive automatic notification when the requested materials are ready to be picked up and can check on the status of their requests themselves. In 2000, after evaluating the desired functionality against existing products, OCUL purchased the Fretwell-Downing Zportal software for end user ILL requests and VDX software for staff management of the ILL process. The Fretwell-Downing software most closely met the “wish list” of system functionality. Seamless integration of ILL and circulation systems to provide patron authentication and materials check-in / check-out were also on the “wish list”. This functionality was not available from any vendor because the  ANSI/NISO Z39.83 Circulation Interchange Protocol  supporting this interoperability was still in development.   The implementation of ZPortal and VDX within OCUL is named RACER for “Rapid Access to Collections by Electronic Requesting.” From the RACER Web site (http://racer.scholarsportal.info/), end users search library catalogues through a common search interface to create ILL requests or fill in a blank ILL request form. Staff log in to RACER via the Web to process their library’s borrowing and lending requests. Although the system consists of a centrally configured and maintained Oracle database, each library’s implementation can be set up uniquely to meet the local workflow. What We Have Learned The first eight institutions went live with RACER in June 2003. Before the end of 2004, all 20 OCUL institutions will be using RACER. The lessons learned during the implementation are applicable to other consortia system implementations, not just ILL. Plan to Revise Timelines Often Initial implementation timelines were far too optimistic, it turned out. The Project team determined that one year would be sufficient to configure the Oracle database and Web interfaces, create forms and reports, train staff and end users, test the system, and eventually roll out the implementation to OCUL institutions. In reality, it took one year just to set up and test the system before the first libraries went live. Project staff then needed to phase in implementations every four months because of the difficulty of switching systems in the middle of an academic term. In addition, the project team is still struggling to complete reports development and implementation for the universities that need a combined French and English end user Web interface. Standards Don’t Guarantee Interoperability Adherence to current standards does not mean stress-free interoperability between systems. The standards which drive the ZPortal and VDX system are the ANSI/NISO Z39.50 protocol, for integrated catalogue searching and information retrieval, and ISO 10160/10161 and the Canadian generic script messaging format, for exchange of request information.   Through our testing the project team learned that each  library system vendor had interpreted the standards differently in their particular system. Time-consuming testing and additional programming were needed to ensure successful searching of the different catalogues and efficient messaging with the vendors and libraries involved in the ILL process. Be Ready to Add Staff Project staffing requirements were also too optimistic. The initial project implementation team consisted of a project manager, a user support/training librarian, and a systems administrator. After the first year, we added another user support/training librarian to assist with the heavy workload of providing day to day support for implemented sites while continuing to train new sites. An additional systems librarian was brought on to work on reports and interface customizations. In addition, several working groups made up of staff from OCUL libraries were established to focus on specific database configuration issues, reports, staff training, the French language end user interface, and end user interface customization. The membership of the configuration issues and reports groups varied depending on the specific issue under discussion but representation always included a mix of systems librarians and ILL managers. Decisions on server purchases, end user authentication, database record and reports structure, and default settings were made by members of these key groups. The training group consisted of 3 ILL managers and the 2 user support/training librarians. Development of the staff training syllabus and training documentation was included in their mandate. The French language group had representation from each institution with a bilingual campus. This group provided Fretwell-Downing with translation recommendations. The end user interface customization group consisted of 7 public service librarians that reviewed the layout of the public webpages and recommended changes before each system upgrade as well as developing end user instructional materials. In total, over 30 library staff, with representation from every OCUL institution, participated in the working groups.   Communication Is More than E-Mail Updates Frontline staff up to library directors agree that the frequent and varied forums for communication have been one of the project’s successes. The project team set up many methods of communication to gather direct, frequent input from frontline staff during configuration and to provide them with assistance in using RACER on a daily basis. Project listservs were set up for managers and system contacts at each library, for staff training, and for subgroup work. A detailed support Web site was established to manage and provide ready access to all the surveys, reports, and training materials (http://www.library.utoronto.ca/scholarsportal/vdx/support/index.html). Within the first year of production, we held two all-day staff workshops, inviting frontline staff from OCUL libraries to meet and share experiences. As a result of extensive communication and staff participation, staff feel a strong commitment to and ownership of RACER. One Staff Training Package Won’t Fit Everyone Taking into account different learning styles, the two OCUL user support/training librarians gave a 2 day workshop which combined PowerPoint overviews with hands-on exercises. Each library  sent up to 4 staff to these “train the trainer” sessions many of which were held at the University of Toronto, a central, easy to travel to location for most libraries and also the site of one OCUL office. The Training working group helped participants during the hands-on exercises on the RACER test system. Participants were expected to practice receiving and processing ILL orders on the test system at their own libraries and to train their colleagues  to use RACER.  For about 1/2 of the libraries, this training was not sufficient. By monitoring the test system, the Project team identified which libraries were not experimenting with the system. These same libraries shared a common characteristic: many long-term ILL staff who were both entrenched in their local manual procedures and unfamiliar with Web interfaces. They needed on-site training at their own workstations to go over specific workflow tasks in their actual setting. Because the overall training goal was to have all ILL staff comfortable using the test system before the library promoted the new system to end users, Project staff trained many more of the member universities’ ILL staff than originally planned. New Partnerships Emerge An indirect benefit of implementing the RACER system has been the development of new partnerships.  As the project team informed other consortia of OCUL’s system changes or tested system to system interoperability other discussions took place. For example, ILL agreements between OCUL and other Canadian and Australian Consortia for preferential access to each others’ collections for speedy and discounted ILL service RACER project staff are also sharing ideas and best practices about Zportal and VDX implementation with the Ontario Public Libraries consortia and the Quebec university consortia (CREPUQ), both of which are also implementing their own VDX and ZPortal systems.   Usability Testing Is Important Library staff work daily with confused and frustrated users tripped up by poor search interfaces. Usability testing ensures that users will have a positive experience with the interface. The End User Instruction Working Group (EUIWG), for example, customized out-of-the-box RACER based on their experience with users and online databases and typical problems encountered with any Web interface. Usability testing helped clarify the differences between the EUIWG’s assumptions of how end users would use RACER and how they actually did. As it turned out, our users’ mental models for ordering an item through ILL did not match the RACER approach. They thought their job was to search the right catalogue and identify which library could supply their item.  The reason for searching catalogues via RACER is to identify any (one) correct record so the correct information is automatically transferred to the ILL form. Some users have always thought identifying the supplier was necessary regardless of the ILL system and the first version of RACER reinforced this perception because the user had to choose the libraries to search to begin a request. In the most recent upgrade, all the OCUL libraries are pre-selected for searching. Usability testing will tell us if this resolves the misperception. In response to the language and terminology questions, EUIWG reduced on-screen help to a minimum because users did not read or even scan it and recommended that Fretwell Downing change the hard-coded buttons and labels.  Was RACER Worth It?  Here’s a quote from the Trent University student newspaper, The Arthur, “I am still in awe of this program…one might say that with the new influx of high-speed internet and programs like RACER that the world is at our fingertips.” And another quote from an Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery/Collections Librarian at Lakehead University: “One of the aspects of RACER that has exceeded my expectations is the speed with which our materials are getting to us. I have overhead patrons coming into the ILL office marveling at the “lightning” speed of the service.”  These comments underline 2 of the most obvious expectations for RACER - the sharing of library resources in Ontario’s universities and the expectation of fast, efficient ILL service whether the end user is at a small or large Ontario university. Local systems departments are delighted with the centralized server  which they do not need to support and maintain locally. Smaller universities have features they could not have developed and supported locally. Larger universities have now automated many labor-intensive processes that were unsustainable in a large-volume operation.  We will begin a formal assessment of RACER in February 2005 in part to comply with the terms of our funding. Components we intend to measure include turnaround time from request to receipt of material, system stability, and success/failure of the automated processes compared to previous manual processing. Analysis of the results will tell us how successful the implementation has been. Through usability testing and focus groups we will identify gaps in the interface design and measure end-user satisfaction with RACER. We also want to learn what difference RACER and OCUL collection sharing have made to research and learning at Ontario universities.  Informally, we know RACER has been worth the time and effort. We’ll let you know what the formal results are next year but we don’t think you’ll be surprised.   Carol Stephenson (cjstephe@library.uwaterloo.ca) is the Optometry and Applied Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and the former OCUL VDX Project Manager and Anne Fullerton (affuller@library.uwaterloo.ca) is the Biology and Chemical Engineering Librarian at the University of Waterloo.  

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A Consortial Approach to Interlibrary Loan: Ontario universities rebuild their interlibrary loan framework and service

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