Access to medical literature : Interlibrary borrowing and lending in an electronic age

The incorporation of medical library services in an academic library will bring about substantial changes, and should include the review of the impact of this transition on each individual department. The use of electronic systems to request and deliver Interlibrary Loan documents has evolved gradually in the past twenty years, and affects medical libraries in unique ways. The electronic submission, publication and access to biomedical journal articles are still changing constantly, and contribute to new challenges in interlibrary borrowing and lending. This article focuses on new developments. It includes instructions on how a library can prepare to incorporate a new dimension of service in the midst of these changes.