Add to cart? E‐commerce, self‐service and the growth of interlibrary loan

Purpose This paper seeks to examine the application of e‐commerce practices in libraries and the effect of those practices on interlibrary loan traffic among research libraries in the USA. Design/methodology/approach This paper identifies key e‐commerce features and where parallel features exist in the discovery and request processes. In an age of unprecedented information access, instant communication, and large‐scale commercial information sources, the growth of interlibrary loan among US research libraries cannot be attributed solely to cost. A major factor in the continued growth of interlibrary loan must be, in part, attributed to the adoption by libraries of standard e‐commerce practices. Findings The author's research indicates that adoption of standard e‐commerce practices by libraries has resulted in a dramatic increase of interlibrary loan traffic among research libraries in the USA. Originality/value The research conducted for this paper is original and the findings add a unique perspective to the value of e‐commerce practices in libraries by focusing on the impact those services have had on interlibrary loan operations.