Journey of discovery: challenges of e-book lending in a digital world

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of e-books on interlibrary loan and document delivery practices based on the experience of the National Library use of e-resources and the analysis of different e-book lending models based on one of authors travels to the USA. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use a case study approach and their own experiences with e-resources. Findings - E-books are increasingly important to libraries, and there are different models for acquiring and providing access to them. Whilst document delivery is permitted, interlibrary lending is usually not. Interlibrary loan departments are encouraged to be part of the dialogue between libraries and publishers, to seek a middle ground that balances the needs of the authors/publishers and library users wherever they are. Originality/value - This paper will be of interest to anyone involved with collecting or providing access to e-books through their own collections or through interlibrary loan (ILL)/document delivery (DD). The contrast of different approaches to e-book access in Australia and the United States is instructive. This paper is based on the authors' original presentation at the 13th Interlending & Document Supply Conference, October 16-18, 2013 in Beijing China.