Benefits of SHARES Participation
In these tough economic times, every institution must look closely at the value derived from each expediture on external relationships. The SHARES Executive Group has prepared a SHARES Value Statement template (.doc: 61KB/4 pp.) to help you in making the case for continued RLG Programs affiliation and SHARES participation to your institution's administration.
SHARES participants enjoy these benefits and more:
- Comprehensive, expedited access to partners'
collections.
- Access to restricted, noncirculating, and special
collections materials that partners would not normally lend.
"SHARES has a very
long tradition, and joining automatically opens up a lot of doors at
other libraries. There are so many very good collections, and you can
get materials that wouldn't normally be shared. There's also a
willingness to be cooperative outside of the standard
protocols—if I have a problem, I can pick up the phone and
talk to someone."
—Tom Delaney, former head of
interlibrary loan and document delivery, Columbia University
- Costs of interlibrary loan and document supply
held
to minimum through agreements to supply one another at fixed below-market prices.
- Only net borrowers compensate net lenders in a
monthly, low-overhead balancing of the books.
- On-site access for one's constituency: partners
give
each other's visiting faculty and scholars the same degree of access to
collections and services that they provide for their own communities.
"SHARES is one of the
highlights of being an RLG Programs partner. Binghamton is an active, high-volume
ILL institution. And our faculty are ecstatic about
on-site access to other SHARES libraries."
—Susan Currie, associate director for
public
services, Binghamton University
- Direct input and influence on new technology.
"Through RLG Programs, partners
look at how we can better share our special collections with one
another, how we can improve electronic delivery, how we can do business
differently. The partnership helps us continually improve
all areas of the ILL process."
—Kimberly Sweetman, head of
access services, Bobst Library, New York University
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