by Carol Nelson
Quick Summary
Learn about a new tool for your library to make it easier for patrons to find open access materials when they search your catalog.
Have you ever wondered if there was an easier way for your patrons to find open access articles? If so, you might want to investigate a new resource for libraries called InstantILL. It presents your library's available content — whether through subscription or Open Access — to a patron before they would submit an interlibrary loan request. Development of InstantILL is a joint collaboration between Open Access Button and Indiana University — Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Indiana University will begin using it in April, and plans are for it to become available to other libraries shortly thereafter.
The InstantILL search box will amalgamate library subscription database access with freely available resources in one search. Implementing InstantILL is free, but your library will need to join the waiting list if you wish to use it. Check out the announcement about the project in the Open Access Blog to read a description of the project, to see how it works, and for information on how to join the waiting list.
