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eBook ILL Pilot Task Force

Task Force

Statement of Purpose

The OPAL consortium was founded on the idea of member libraries sharing resources. Reciprocal borrowing of books still remains an integral part of this idea.

Unlike their print counterparts, ebooks owned by individual OPAL libraries cannot be loaned. In 2016, a project was undertaken in collaboration with OhioLINK to determine if publishers would allow purchased ebooks to be loaned and under what conditions. OhioLINK offered to contact and negotiate with publishers and cover any expenses incurred in the pilot. For their part, OPAL member libraries with purchased ebooks offered the use of their ebooks for this pilot project. A Task Force was formed to assist OhioLINK with this project and to monitor its progress.

The eBook ILL task force is charged to:

  • Identify OPAL’s goals in participating in the e-book pilot project
  • Identify data to be collected throughout the project to help evaluate its success for OPAL members
  • Assist OhioLINK by providing information about ebook holdings at OPAL institutions
  • Collaborate with OhioLINK
  • Monitor the progress of the project
  • Protect OPAL's interests

At the conclusion of the pilot project, evaluate its success and review usage data. Make recommendations to OPAL EC regarding continuation of the project. OPAL Goal Statement and Data Points to be submitted to the DC for the June meeting; progress reports throughout the pilot as deemed necessary by the EC or Task Force; Final report to be submitted to the Directors Council immediately following the end of project.

OhioLINK ended the pilot eBook ILL project in the summer of 2016. Related documents can be found in the repository. No final report was submitted. There is an update document in the repository folder for the taskforce

Members

  • Julie McDaniel
  • Andrew Whitis
  • Melissa Runkle
  • Laura D'Amato