Question: Can purchasing articles from publishers be a cost-effective method of interlibrary loan (ILL) for libraries owing significant copyright royalties?
Setting: The University of Nebraska Medical Center's McGoogan Library of Medicine provides the case study.
Method: Completed ILL requests that required copyright payment were identified for the first quarter of 2009. The cost of purchasing these articles from publishers was obtained from the publishers' websites and compared to the full ILL cost. A pilot period of purchasing articles from the publisher was then conducted.
Results: The first-quarter sample data showed that approximately $500.00 could have been saved if the articles were purchased from the publisher. The pilot period and continued purchasing practice have resulted in significant savings for the library.
Conclusion: Purchasing articles directly from the publisher is a cost-effective method for libraries burdened with high copyright royalty payments.