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VIVA: Whole ebook ILL lending recommendations

Virginia's Academic Library Consortium

This guide has variable layouts and houses the majority of the "sub" pages for VIVA's website.

Whole Ebook ILL Lending Recommendations

  1. Know your rights, and refer to ILL licensing agreements with each title.  This is important when the same title is provided and/or held from more than one source.
  2. Condition request when you are unable to determine if ebook is acceptable.
  3. Condition request if an ebook is requested, but you only have a print copy.
  4. Condition request if a print copy is requested, but you only have e-copy.
  5. Condition duplicate requests.
  6. Consider requests for more than one chapter from the same ebook.
    • When more than one chapter is being requested by the same institution as one request, send only the requested chapters if the chapters must be combined. This saves staff time.  If the ebook is available as a single PDF and all chapters are already combined, it may be OK to send the entire book. (To avoid patron confusion, it is always best to send exactly what is being requested, when possible.)
    • Fill each request separately when the lender receives separate requests for chapters in the same ebook from the same institution.
  7. Compile chapters when the entire book is requested. This includes front matter, dedication, copyright, verso, introductions, table of contents, index, appendices, references, tables, etc.
  8. Actual downloaded file size may vary from provider to provider, even if the provider supplies a stated file size that accompanies the search query. (For example, the T&F search result may say the ebook is 4.2 MB, but when downloaded, the actual size is 5.3 MB.)
  9. Be aware of file size when downloading the whole book and when combining chapters. Use software such as Adobe Acrobat Pro that will combine and condense/compress file sizes when needed. Note: Any file larger than 17 MB may slow down delivery.
  10. Switch requests from loans to copies to avoid issues with due dates, receipt and return.
  11. Consider method of delivering items to borrowers:
    • Always deliver via secure methods (e.g., Odyssey, Electronic Delivery Utility [EDU, Odyssey Helper], Article Exchange, VCU FileLocker, etc.).
    • If the borrower and lender are ILLiad users, send via Odyssey whenever possible, as this is the most efficient method for the borrower to deliver to patron.
    • If only the borrower or lender is an ILLiad user, or if neither are, send via Article Exchange or some other secure method.