Illinois Collaborations for IHLS Members
SHARE
Sharing Heartland's Available Resources Equally
SHARE is the shared automation program of Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) and is comprised of multi-type libraries in IHLS sharing a database and implementing library automation software. All IHLS members are eligible to join the SHARE LLSAP (Local Library System Automation Project).
For more information, contact Cassandra Thompson, SHARE Director, at cthompson@illinoisheartland.org or 217.318.5303.
CARLI
Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois
Illinois libraries that are not part of CARLI may obtain access to the catalogs of Illinois Academic Libraries. To access materials from the CARLI libraries visit:
www.carli.illinois.edu/products-services/i-share/illinet-info
Here you will find all the information you will need to set up your library record, connect to the I-Share Catalog, and search and request items through I-Share.
If you have questions contact the CARLI office at: support@carli.illinois.edu
Interlibrary Loan
Direct Contact
Libraries may contact another library directly to request materials through interlibrary loan. Once the requesting library has determined that a supplying library owns an item, they complete an ALA Interlibrary Loan Form and send it via fax or email.
For more information on this method of ILL read the ALA Library Fact Sheet 8. Within that document are links to the ALA Form in PDF and editable Word versions. Within Illinois, interlibrary loans using the ALA Form are free. When an ALA Form is used, materials can be shipped between requesting and supplying libraries via ILDS and System Delivery.
OCLC
All IHLS Members have access to WorldCat Discovery for searching, which is provided by the Illinois State Library. To use OCLC Resource Sharing services, libraries must become members of OCLC. Through OCLC WorldShare ILL, libraries have access to materials throughout the world!
The Illinois State Library suggests that as a best practice, libraries that are members of an LLSAP take advantage of “Group Services” pricing to become OCLC Members. This is not a requirement, and if an LLSAP library does not catalog using OCLC or participate in ILL through OCLC, they do not have to be an OCLC member. However, SHARE staff is required to remove non-OCLC libraries' holdings from the OCLC database.
All IHLS Members have access to the FirstSearch databases for searching. This is a service that is provided by the Illinois State Library to all libraries in Illinois. However, to use WorldShare ILL, libraries must become members of OCLC. With OCLC, libraries have access to materials not only within Illinois but throughout the US and the world.
Libraries needing access to both the ILL and cataloging services provided by OCLC will obtain them through the Illinois State Library. The State Library has negotiated “Group Services” pricing for these two services.
Libraries that participate in OCLC Interlibrary Loan and cataloging are considered Full members of OCLC. For additional background information on OCLC in Illinois read “Understanding OCLC Services in the State of Illinois” found on the Illinois State Library Website.
For more information, see the Illinois State Library's OCLC page.