End‐user document supply or who needs an interlibrary loans service? A special library’s perspective

Abstract

Increasingly, services that were the preserve of the “traditional” library are being made more available to the end‐user. Many information suppliers are specifically targeting end‐users and offering them direct document access, retrieval and delivery. Where does this leave the information service? This paper outlines some recent developments in end‐user document supply and discusses advantages and disadvantages from both the user’s and the information professional’s point of view, relating in particular to the situation in the author’s own library. A number of services offering end‐user document supply are described. The changing role of the information professional in response to new developments is discussed and a compromise solution proposed whereby new technologies can be harnessed for end‐user benefit while at the same time still employing the added‐value that an information service can offer.