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G2S Project Code: 2020-NH-86141
State: New Hampshire
Fiscal Year: 2020
Grantee
New Hampshire State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Mary Russell
Director Phone: 603-271-2866
Director Email: mary.a.russell@dncr.nh.gov
General Information
Title: NHAIS Interlibrary Loan System
State Project Code:
Start Date: 10/01/2019
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: The NHU-PAC (NH Union Public Access Catalog), an online database of New Hampshire library collections, has been the foundation of New Hampshire’s Interlibrary Loan System for decades.The NHAIS Interlibrary Loan System has replaced the project formerly referred to as NHU-PAC.



State Goal: Equity of Access
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$395,914.89
$204,442.94
$0.00
$600,357.83
Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Education
Literacy
Activities
Activity Details
Title: NHAIS Interlibrary Loan system
Narrative:

The NHAIS Interlibrary Loan system exists primarily to help the public libraries in New Hampshire serve their patrons through resource sharing and high quality cataloging records. More than 90% of NH public libraries use this resource to serve their patrons. Many schools, academic institutions, and special libraries in New Hampshire also take advantage of this resource to better serve their patrons.


Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Lending
Format: Physical


Quantity
Total number of items circulated: 0
Average number of items circulated / month: 0
Total number of ILL transactions: 249,010
Average number of ILL transactions / month: 13,106


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 208
Academic Libraries: 9
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 8
School Libraries: 19
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
On October 18, 2019 our Auto-Graphics ShareIT statewide-ILL system went live with 221 participating libraries. In the first week there were more than 4,500 requests placed. On March 18, 2020 the ILL System, along with statewide van delivery service, was suspended due to COVID-19. We were able to restart the ILL system (and resume delivery service) in mid-September 2020. There were 214 libraries ready to participate again on the day we restarted the system. At the end of September 2021 there were 243 NH libraries actively participating in the ILL system. This included public libraries (208 ), schools (19), academic institutions (9), and special libraries (7) all using the new system to better serve their patrons. An additional 13 libraries have been profiled for participation but are not currently active. Most of these were participating before the shut-down and have not yet resumed interlibrary loan services. In this reporting period there were 249,010 interlibrary loan requests placed in the 19 months of operation. This was an increase of nearly 145% over the previous reporting period. The months in which the system was shut down are reflected in both reporting periods. The system had a 71% fill rate during the period. The NHAIS ILL System is a hybrid of libraries who maintain their holdings in the Union Catalog (73) and those whose local systems are connected directly to the system as Z39.50 search targets (169). The NH State Prison is also a participant in the ILL system, but only as a borrower. While all requests in the system are mediated by a member library the system supports the option of library patrons placing requests directly in the system. During the reporting period 1,547 patron-initiated ILL requests were placed by patrons of 64 different libraries. Besides supporting interlibrary loan the system continues to serve as a source of cataloging records for New Hampshire libraries. MARC records can be downloaded from the Union Catalog database to a library’s local integrated library systems via Z39.50. The web-based SHAREit system also supports direct downloading of MARC records from the database by authorized library users. On October 1, 2021 there were 1,428,442 bibliographic records available in the system, 96% of them from OCLC WorldCat. New records are added to the database each week based on requests from member libraries. Over the past year we have had several libraries shift from having their holdings in the NHU-PAC to being connected to the system as Z-targets. This has affected the total number of holdings in the NHU-PAC. On November 3, 2019 there were 1,022,011 member-library holdings in the NHU-PAC and there were only 917,897 as of October 1, 2021. We are encouraged by this shift as it is a sign that libraries are implementing more robust and sophisticated local systems which allow them to more fully and efficiently participate in NHAIS ILL.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
With the implementation of our new system the ability of New Hampshire libraries to provide materials to their patrons beyond their own collections has been streamlined with real-time availability information used by the system to identify lenders. The total number of items available to each library for interlibrary loan has been substantially increased because of the Z39.50 connectivity to local catalogs and the workload for libraries to maintain those holdings in the statewide system has been dramatically decreased. By using OCLC MARC records downloaded from our union catalog libraries were able to make their collections accessible to the public through local online catalogs as well as the ILL system.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: NHU-PAC, Interlibrary Loan, Interlibrary Loan