To be or not to be… on shelf: Demonstrating catalog and shelf integrity using interlibrary loan statistics

Abstract Libraries are places where patrons find resources that can help them accomplish their information needs. One of the key elements of this need is being able to find what they are looking for. While much has been written about information seeking behavior and library wayfinding, however, there is a more fundamental argument. That is merely finding the item when the Library Management System says it should be on the shelf. In these little moments, the library has an opportunity to build a sense of trust with the patron. The patron can trust that an item that the library says is there, is there. It is also an opportunity for a library to have a small victory in a positive patron library experience. However, if the item is not there that small victory is squandered. The challenge though is large scale shelf checks for shelving integrity is cost and time prohibitive. What is needed is a quick way to determine library and catalog health. This paper will demonstrate how this can be accomplished by looking at the ILL statistics. While this may seem like a simple answer demonstrating it with statistical relationships confirms what many libraries may view as a forgone assumption.