Expediting the delivery of content to library users: When to buy versus when to borrow

Abstract If an item is not readily available in an academic library’s collection, is it quicker to buy it or does is make better sense to borrow it? At a public, four-year institution, acquisitions and interlibrary loan (ILL) are exploring a new relationship to improve the users’ experience. The question is determining what triggers the decision to borrow versus buy an item. The exploration is born of the institution’s ongoing migration from a traditional to a demand driven based collections strategy. This article will elucidate how acquisitions and ILL can work together to effectively deliver what users need when they need it.