Characteristics and functions of the ILL SBN service

 
The ILL server is currently integrated with OPAC SBN and can be integrated with other Italian and foreign catalogues (see: technical specifications). This makes it possible for information concerning the bibliographical record requested and the library  where it is located to be automatically transferred from the catalogue to the service procedure request page.

After having located the relevant publication, the ILL SBN service can be accessed:
Currently, the service is also accessible via the ACNP national serial catalogue and the ESSPER serial catalogue.

The ILL SBN procedure deals with the necessary exchange of information for the management of requests; it thus also deals with the necessary communications to transparently manage the interlibrary loan and document delivery requests with the use of  common standard language shared at international level (ISOILL 10160 and ISOILL 10161).

Librarians can access the service directly online with a user ID and password assigned by the system; they send requests on behalf of their users and manage transactions with partner libraries through messages defined by the system in keeping with the ISO/ILL standard.
Registered users who of partner libraries with an email address can find a document in the SBN catalogue or in other integrated catalogues and send an interlibrary loan or document delivery request to another library participating in the service, provided they are validated by the user’s home library.
Libraries and users can follow the entire request procedure in a transparent manner.

At present, the ILL server can also interoperate with external library management systems since, besides receiving requests, it is also able to send them, thus automatically starting up ILL transactions.
In addition to the libraries directly using the web interface, there are other libraries that can participate using other applications and exchange ISO ILL-compliant messages with the ILL server, sending and receiving requests via the http protocol.
 
 
For more information: Egidio Incelli