Story:

• Holdings
• Pod prioritization
• Load leveling
• Time zone
• Lender Configurations

Staff time commitment to managing a lending request is generally much shorter for an electronic holding than it is for print as requests for print materials require accessing the physical item and digitizing for delivery. Therefore, prioritizing electronic holdings over print should reduce staff time needed to manage requests and result in faster turnaround times.  Files that were born digital are usually of higher quality, are more accessible, and often include other features that scanned documents do not provide.

Solution:

As of January 15, 2024, the RapidILL routing algorithm includes prioritizing electronic holdings over print.

Overview of the updated routing logic:

• Open Access – the system will initially check to see if the requested material is available through an open access resource.

• CRL – libraries that are members of Center for Research Libraries will have their requests checked against CRL holdings prior to the general pods to maximize their CRL membership.

• Internet Archive – For libraries that have the Internet Archive configured as a potential supplier, the Internet Archive holdings are usually configured to be checked before the general pods.

• Pod prioritization – the system will run through the remainder of the logic for each pod tier in order if the borrower has their pods prioritized. (Note that most RapidILL members do NOT have their pods prioritized. We recommend libraries keep all their pods at the same tier level as it allows the system to route requests more effectively and reduces overall turnaround time).

• At each pod level, the following is considered to determine the best available lender:

  • Lenders that own the requested material in electronic format, based on a direct standard number match (ISXN, OCLC Number) are reviewed first.

  • The system assigns the request to a lender based on a score that includes:

    • Time zone

    • Relative lending volume (load-leveling)

    • Lender configurations (lending caps/limits)

  • If the electronic lenders are exhausted, the system assigns the request to an available print lender using the above score logic.

    • The system also runs a crossmatch for the chosen lender to see if the lender also owns the requested item in electronic format but with a different standard number.

• The system will then check tier 2 pods, and so on if there are multiple pod tiers configured.

• Last resource suppliers – finally, the system will check the last resort suppliers if the borrower has chosen to include them in their potential suppliers (Linda Hall Library, Reprints Desk/Research Solutions).

Notes:

• The RapidILL community is a large and diverse group of libraries with a vast set of print and electronic collections. Different libraries contribute to the community in different ways, and there is a large variety of holdings and approaches that libraries use share from their collections. Any change made to the routing algorithm, while making a positive impact to the greater community, could also change how individual libraries participate from a lending perspective. For this development, community members that lend primarily or strictly from print resources are likely to be impacted, possibly seeing fewer requests. Some libraries may see some increase in their lending, but the additional requests will be electronic format. If your lending is impacted, and you would like to increase or decrease your general lending volume, please connect with our support team to understand your options and receive assistance.

• The support team is available if you would like to adjust your pod prioritization or if you are not sure how your pods are currently prioritized.

• Article last edited: 14-Jan-2025