NCJ Number
122406
Journal
IFLA Journal Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: (1989) Pages: 313-319
Date Published
1989
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Exchanges of documents between libraries in different countries is a crucial part of the information chain, but these loans are limited more by the ability to pay for the information than by geography and politics.
Abstract
Surveys of libraries have shown steady increases in the numbers of international requests for document lending between 1982 and 1986. However, practices for charging vary considerably from country to country and even between different types of institutions within a country. Lending is limited by several factors including financial issues, politics, and patterns of requests. To deal with these issues a system is needed that will not require a financial transaction each time a request is satisfied. A possible system would be an international voucher scheme. The voucher would be worth a future transaction to the library receiving it. Thus, value would be transferred, but money would not change hands. For such an approach to work, several issues would need to be addressed, including where the voucher "bank" would be located, who would finance the countries that could not afford to join, and what value the voucher would have. 4 references.