Document Delivery Continued…

Interlibrary Document Delivery – This service provides photocopies and loans of materials held by a library to individuals and organizations. Benefit: The shared use of individual library collections provides consumers with greater access to information.

Web-Based Document Delivery – Provides immediate, web-based distribution and access to documents. The articles are made available over the Internet, which enables the user to view the documents from almost any computer. Benefit: This process eliminates lost documents, delays, and help-desk calls.

The Process

There may be different types of document delivery companies, but pricing issues, turnaround time and copy quality are central factors to their success. A common goal is to provide reliable and predictable service in a timely fashion. This is accomplished through the following steps:

1. Identify, locate and obtain copies of articles. This involves using reference books, library resources, sophisticated tools (such as OPACS – online public access catalogs) and the Internet.
2. Copies of articles will be sent to client. This can be accomplished by mailing, faxing or e-mailing documents to the client; documents can also be posted on the Internet.
3. The client receives the order. The client is satisfied if the order is received on time, with the highest quality copy, at the specified price.

Who Uses Document Delivery Services?

• Corporations


• Financial Institutions


• Biotechnology Companies


• Pharmaceutical Companies


• Law Firms


• Authors


• Private Research Firms


• Professors


• Individual


• And More…

What Documents Can Be Retrieved?

• Journal Articles


• Conference Proceedings


• Newspaper Articles


• Magazine Articles


• Book Chapters


• Government Documents


• Annual Reports


• And more…

Document Delivery Success

There have been changes in the process of document delivery over the years. It is important for document delivery companies to maintain a competitive edge in an ever-changing market. This can be accomplished in two ways. First, they can maintain an advantage by using the latest tools available in research practices. This will enable them to effectively respond to any document needs. Second, they need to pay attention to time, budget and other customized requirements when processing a job, no matter how small.

This will enable them to effectively acquire and serve their clients' needs.

By Heather Brunson