British Library document supply – a fork in the road

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide an overview of recent developments within the British Library's document supply service and offer an insight into future plans.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes the form of a general review.FindingsThe British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC) has made tremendous gains in optimising the service in its current guise. As with similar organisations, challenges are presenting themselves that require a completely new look at the way the business model is designed. Although the long‐term plan is not completely formed, this paper aims to give an insight into current thinking.Originality/valueThe paper spells out the improvement strategy that the BL has adopted for document supply in the light of the worldwide decline.