NCC Historical Projects: AAU/ARL Global Resources Program Japan Project

Invitation to Join a New Document Delivery Project with Japanese Libraries

The AAU/ARL/NCC Japan Project seeks libraries with demand for materials held by Japanese libraries to join the Global ILL Framework, or GIF. This is the third document delivery initiative between North American and Japanese libraries but the first to use the ISO ILL Protocol for communication of ILL requests. It is also the first use of the ISO ILL Protocol in a production mode between North America and Asia. The ISO ILL Protocol will be used between OCLC and NACSIS ILL systems so ILL staff will not need to learn yet another messaging system or email requesting format.

Requests are currently limited to non-returnables (photocopy requests). There is no limit on the type of material from which to request photocopies; however it is expected that North American locations will be exhausted before requests are sent to Japan. North American participants will search for holdings using the NACSIS Webcat http://webcat.nii.ac.jp/webcat_eng.html of the Japanese participants. Copy requests will be sent via the OCLC ILL system and lending requests will be received via OCLC ILL. OCLC's IFM will be used to pay applicable copy fees, and documents will be sent and received via Ariel.

Japanese participants will send and receive requests via the NACSIS ILL system and use EPICWIN to send and receive documents. OCLC's broker in Japan, Kinokuniya Company, will coordinate charges and payments from the IFM system for the Japanese participants.

Policy statements of the North American and Japanese participants will be available on the National Institute for Informatics (NII) web site. NII is the organization that maintains the NACSIS catalog and ILL system. OCLC's Name Address Directory will not be used for this project.

Future plans include expanding the GIF initiative to include loan requests as well as communicating with other ISO ILL Protocol-compliant systems.

Nearly 60 Japanese libraries are poised to participate in the GIF.

The Japan Project encourages libraries with demand for Japanese materials or materials held by Japanese libraries not held by North American libraries to join the Japan Project and participate GIF. There is no fee to join the Japan Project, but participation in GIF is limited to members of the Japan Project.

By emailing a completed ILL Policy Form to Vickey Bestor you agree to join the Japan Project, if not already a member, and participate in GIF under the terms outlined above.

You may sign up at any time. We will add North American participants as they return the ILL Policy Directory Form. Please contact Vickey Bestor if you have any questions about the Global ILL Framework.