Resource Sharing

Collaboration Among the UC libraries

Over the last 25 years, the University of California's strategic approach to the development of library collections and services has emphasized cross-campus collaboration, application of new technology, and expanded Universitywide sharing of library collections.

Developing Shared Resources

These strategies have been successfully combined with UC's leverage as a multi-campus system of distinguished institutions to maintain high-quality collections and services in the face of rising costs and other challenges.

Shared library services have led to:

• Expedited intercampus lending with the Request service.
• A systemwide online library catalog, the Melvyl® Catalog.
• A shared digital collection, including the Online Archive of California (OAC), Counting California, and others.
• Regional library facilities for storage and access to materials for all campuses.

The Success of Resource Sharing

Universitywide sharing of library resources has been highly successful, with the number of interlibrary loan requests for returnable items doubling over a 10-year period. The greatest growth has occurred since the introduction of the Request service, which allows library users to bypass the campus interlibrary lending office and use the Melvyl Catalog to place requests for materials held at another campus.

Further upward progress is expected with the recent introduction of electronic document delivery services. Requests for journal articles, book chapters, or other items that would normally be photocopied are digitized and can be accessed online by users.