Libraries are across Texas are in various states of reopening as we adjust—and readjust—to life during the COVID pandemic. During changes to library services related to COVID, it is  a local decision whether and when  your library is ready to borrow and lend materials through ILL.  We hope you find the information below helpful in decision making regarding ILL and other services moving forward:

1, TSLAC has created a tool for libraries to report and view facility openings and service availability, including ILL, in libraries across the state. Please see information on the Texas Library Status Project, and add your library’s information, on our COVID-19 Information page here: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ldn/covid-19

2. The REALM project is a research project conducted by OCLC, IMLS, and Battelle focused on how long the COVID-19 virus survives on materials that are prevalent in libraries, archives, and museums. The project draws upon the research to produce authoritative, science-based information on how materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors. Please see their research results here: https://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/COVID-19-research-project.html

3. OCLC provides a crowd sourced list and map that includes the ILL borrowing and lending status of participating libraries across the country, and world, here: https://libraries.oclc.org/

4. A new listserv for Navigator ILL users is now available. Any staff that might benefit from Texas ILL news, updates, and/or a place to ask and respond to questions about ILL can register here: https://lists.state.tx.us/mailman/listinfo/navigator-ill (Please check both your inbox and spam/junk folder for your registration confirmation email!)

As your library makes any changes to ILL services, please make sure any updates are reflected in your Navigator NRE account by suspending or unsuspending your library under: Locations—Edit Own—Local Holidays. 

Please contact Sara Hayes at shayes@tsl.texas.gov with any questions or concerns.

As libraries have adjusted and reinvented their services over the last two months, interlibrary loan activity has been put on hold (pun intended!) across Texas and the country. While ILL lending has been suspended of late, TSLAC is still offering lending reimbursements through the FY 2020 ILL Lending Reimbursement Program for lends made during the eligible time period: August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2020. This non-competitive grant program is open in TSLAC’s Grant Management System portal and any Texas Navigator library that provides materials through ILL to fellow Texas Navigator libraries is eligible to participate. I am happy to provide you available statistics, you can also run a report of your library’s lending statistics by month from the Navigator Request Engine (NRE) by following these steps:

1. Log in to your NRE account
2. Select Reports from the menu on the left side of the screen
3. Select Monthly ILL Statistics from the list of Reports
4. Enter a start date of August 1, 2019 and an end date of current date, click Generate Report
5. The Responder – Shipped column reflects the lends made to Navigator libraries that are eligible for reimbursement

If you have questions or concerns about participating, please contact me at shayes@tsl.texas.gov.  The deadline to submit the signed participation agreement form is July 24, 2020. The full timeline is:

July 24, 2020: Deadline to submit completed Grant Agreement/Application Certification form in GMS, signed by authorized legal entity signatory.
August 17, 2020: TSLAC will notify libraries of total eligible lends and award amounts and begin accepting Performance Certification forms through the online GMS portal.
August 31, 2020: Deadline to submit completed Performance Certification form in GMS, signed by Library Director.
September 2020: Reimbursement payments dispersed to legal entities (cities, counties, universities).

If this is a time for catching up on training or policy review/development at your library, you may wish to (re)visit the following resources related to interlibrary loan:

• OCLC Navigator recordings: https://www.oclc.org/support/services/navigator.en.html

• Staff Navigator training recordings: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/texshare/newsletter/resourcesharingprojects/how-to/navigator-training-recordings-2/

• Creating an interlibrary loan policy for your public library: https://onlinetraining.tsl.texas.gov/course/view.php?id=373

The ILL lending reimbursement  program is administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and funded by the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).