Abstract
Excerpt: While I was compiling this issue of the Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, it occurred to me that this particular collection of articles has something of an epistemological bent. There are some excellent how-to articles here, where the authors share their knowledge, describing the projects they have done to strengthen the underlying systems and technology on which our services depend. Then, there are two articles that, in their different ways, address what happens when we don't really know why something is happening with our collections, our services, or our clientele. C. William Gee describes the history of interlibrary loan services between Eastern Carolina University's Joyner Library and the local K–12 schools. He identifies the lack of knowledge about these services among media specialists and teachers as the largest stumbling block to wider use. “Ebooks and Interlibrary Loan: Licensed to Fill?” presents the results of a survey conducted by Linda Frederiksen and her colleagues at Washington State University Vancouver. The authors identify several important issues that have arisen as ebooks become a format of choice for new acquisitions in academic libraries. Chief among these is a growing awareness among interlibrary loan (ILL) practitioners that their ignorance of the licensing process is a serious obstacle to providing service. So too are the technical challenges that vary from platform to platform and the effects that these issues have on a department's previously standardized workflow.