Unmediated document delivery at Leeds University: from project to operational system

Abstract

The Documents Direct project’s aim was to investigate the feasibility of offering user‐initiated unmediated requesting and delivery of documents, as an alternative to traditional periodical holdings and conventional ILL. The project’s initial user group involved four science and engineering schools at the University of Leeds. The project’s trial demonstrated, with both quantitative and qualitative analysis, the value of the service and the project became a trial service 12 months after its inception. This article examines the initial trial and evaluates the trial service.