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National Library News |
Carrol D. Lunau,
National and International Programs
Early in 1999, the National Library of Canada sent resource-sharing surveys to selected libraries, provincial library agencies and library consortia representing libraries of all types and sizes, except school libraries, in all regions of Canada. The findings of this survey illustrate that resource-sharing services are alive and well in all corners of the country.
This article presents selected highlights from the survey results. A more complete summary of the results, trends and issues was prepared for the second meeting of the Resource Sharing Review Working Group, held on Wednesday, June 16, 1999. During the meeting, working group members indicated that the summary presented a valid snapshot of Canadian libraries, consortia, and provincial library agencies at the close of the 20th century.
The purpose of the survey was (1) to gather information on current library practice as it relates to resource sharing, and (2) to identify trends and issues affecting resource sharing. This information will be used by the Resource Sharing Review Working Group to review and revise the 1994 discussion document "A Canadian Information Resource Sharing Strategy".
Response Rate
Of a total of 353 surveys sent, 189 completed surveys were returned to the National Library, giving an overall response rate of 53.54 percent. The results can be considered accurate to within 7.5 percent points 19 times out of 20. Within the three major groups of recipients, the response rates were (1) libraries 53.07 percent; (2) provincial agencies 50.0 percent; and (3) consortia 66.66 percent.
Among the library respondents, the regional representation is as follows:
| British Columbia | 30 | 17,34 % |
| Prairies | 46 | 26,59 % |
| Ontario | 41 | 23,70 % |
| Quebec | 26 | 15,03 % |
| Atlantic Canada | 22 | 12,72 % |
| The North | 8 | 4,62 % (most responses came from the Yukon) |
The representation by type of library is:
| Academic | 50 | 28,90 % |
| Public | 104 | 60,12 % |
| Special | 19 | 10,98 % |
The representation of special libraries is a much lower percentage than the actual percentage of special libraries in the country; thus, these results cannot be used to represent the full range and scope of Canadian special libraries. They do, however, present a snapshot which may indicate areas for further research. As previously noted, school libraries were not included in this survey.
Current Situation
Three general characteristics of the present library environment were highlighted in the survey responses. The first is the growth of library consortia. The library community, however, does not share a common understanding of what constitutes a consortium. A total of 74.6 percent of libraries indicated that they belong to at least one consortium, and several listed multiple memberships. A total of 89 different groups were identified as consortia, including provincial agencies (e.g., Manitoba Public Library Services), regional library systems (e.g., Chinook Arch Regional Library System), library associations (e.g., Association pour l’avancement des sciences et des techniques en documentation, ASTED), vendors (e.g., Data Research Associates, DRA), and formal or traditional consortia such as the Electronic Library Network (ELN). The negotiation of site licences is the most frequently offered service of the consortia surveyed, and it is also the service most used by libraries belonging to consortia. The second general characteristic is the pervasiveness of change. The current library environment is in a state of transition. More than half (56.1 percent) of libraries indicated that they had experienced changes in their administration or organizational structure within the last five years. A greater percentage of libraries in Atlantic Canada than any other region indicated that they had undergone changes. The third characteristic is the impact of technology, primarily the Internet and World Wide Web. The impact, as reported by respondents, of the availability of a library catalogue on the Internet is represented by an increase in workload, an increase in requests from other countries or regions, greater accessibility to resources for a library’s patrons, and more knowledgeable patrons. The Internet and Web have impacted on resource-sharing activities for 63.0 percent of respondents. Typical comments from respondents include the following:
Within traditional resource-sharing services, such as interlibrary loan (ILL) and union catalogues, the environment has changed to accommodate the new opportunities provided by technology; on the other hand, many characteristics remain the same. The majority of respondents indicated that ILL is increasing, and some libraries indicated that they are experiencing significant increases because their catalogues are now available on the Internet. In some cases, they are participating in ILL for the first time or they are receiving requests to borrow material from libraries in the United States or Europe for the first time. A total of 42.8 percent of respondents have automated their ILL function and 68.8 percent have reciprocal borrowing agreements. Patron-initiated ILL, at this time, is primarily an academic library service and overall only 12.7 percent of respondents offer the service.
The large majority (72.3 percent) of libraries report their holdings to a union catalogue at the local, provincial/regional, national or international level. Most report at the provincial/regional level; 27 respondents (15.6 percent) report to AMICUS, the National Library’s union catalogue; and 22 respondents indicated that they report holdings to an international catalogue, primarily the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). Union catalogues have also moved out of the library back room: 58.0 percent of academic libraries allow direct patron access to a union catalogue. Most union catalogues are traditional centralized catalogues, but half of provincial agency respondents indicated that their union catalogue is a virtual catalogue. Slightly more than half (53.2 percent) of library respondents identified that they search virtual catalogues primarily for ILL, to locate cataloguing copy, or for reference.
Conclusion
These survey results illustrate the diversity of practice that exists within the Canadian library community. Libraries demonstrate their commitment to resource sharing by reporting their holdings to union catalogues and participating in ILL. In an effort to cope with increasing patron demand and rising costs, libraries are increasingly joining consortia, implementing new technologies, automating labour-intensive functions and beginning to implement patron self-service. This move towards patron-initiated ILL began within the academic library community but is now gaining acceptance within public libraries.
In many provinces, provincial agencies have a long tradition of coordinating library service, especially among public and regional libraries. The model for achieving such coordination has varied according to provincial library legislation. In recent years, the number of consortia has increased and, in some cases, provincial agencies have themselves almost become consortia. In some provinces, there is both a provincial public library agency and a consortium offering services to many types of libraries, including public libraries. Both groups offer similar services to their members. As libraries seek the most cost-effective way to provide service to their clientele, consortia will continue to play a strong role within the resource-sharing infrastructure.
Assessing and implementing the options available to meet the needs of users in a period of continuous change is a challenge all libraries, including the school libraries not surveyed, are facing. For this reason, the National Library considers the analysis, discussion and update of the resource-sharing strategy an important framework for library development in Canada – a framework on which plans can be based.