Input for a study on serials holdings and ILL

I'm forwarding this message on behalf of Cecelia Boone, Asst. to the
Dir. for MULS & Communication, MINITEX Library Information Network. 
Please direct all comments and questions to her at: 
612-624-6353
c-boon@umn.edu

**************

MINITEX Library Information Network is seeking information about the use
of serials holdings information in local online catalogs as a basis for
Interlibrary Loan requests.  Our inquiry is part of a study of the
current
status and future of MULS, the MINITEX UNION LIST OF SERIALS (our
three-state serials union list that contains 376,000 summary holdings
statements for 209 libraries, which are attached to 159,000
bibliographic
records.  Information about how to access MULS is included at the end of
this message.)
 
MULS has served as a major source for serials holdings information for
Interlibrary Loan requests of serials articles for libraries in
Minnesota
and the Dakotas for 30 years, but, with greater access to library
catalogs via Z39.50 and other retrieval methods, we plan to explore
whether access to "live" holding information in a library's local
catalog can replace reliance on a union list of serials (with holdings
that are updated periodically).
 
We'd like to benefit from the experience of libraries, networks, and
other
groups considering this and similar issues -- and we will share
information we gain with the library community at large.  We are seeking
information about realistic alternatives for high volume Interlibrary
Loan operations.

Obviously, this inquiry involves a number of complex questions, for
example:

-- Do libraries have summary or detailed information about their serial
holdings stored in their local catalogs?  Is the holding information
complete or partial?
-- Is holdings information stored in MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data
(or
some other format that can be "understood" by a remote retrieval
system)?
-- Is retrieval via Z39.50 or some other system sufficiently robust to
handle simultaneous searching of a number of library catalogs?
-- If simultaneous search functionality is inadequate at this point,
what
developments would be needed to make this a realistic alternative?  When
are these capabilities/developments likely to occur?
-- Can functionality be developed that would allow for automatic routing
of serials ILL requested based on holdings information retrieved from
local catalogs?
 
We are working to formulate a project description and may hire a
consultant to undertake the inquiry.  At this point, we would appreciate
input about how we can most effectively frame the study, the questions
to be explored, and recommendations (or expressions of interest) for
consultants to undertake the study.

Please respond by Nov. 9 to Cecelia Boone (612-624-6353,
c-boon@umn.edu).
 
MINITEX Library Information Network is a publicly supported network of
academic, public, state government, and special libraries working
cooperatively to improve library service.  MINITEX serves libraries in
Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  MULS is an OCLC-based union
list of serials that is available in the OCLC Union List service, in
annual microfiche sets, and on the web via:
 
-- the MnLINK Gateway:
http://gateway.mnlink.org/WebZ/Authorize?sessionid=0&bad=index.html&next=startscreen
(Click on "MULS, MINITEX Union List of Serials.")
 
-- MnSCU/PALS:
http://www.pals.msus.edu/cgi-bin/pals-cgi?palsAction=restart&documentName=selectre_addres.html
(Click on "MULS, A Union List of Serials.")
 
Cecelia Boone, Asst. to the Dir. for MULS & Communication
MINITEX Library Information Network
15 Andersen Library
University of Minnesota
222 21st Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0439