Definition of Service
Public Library Authority Partners

The Unit will aim to provide a high level of customer care and will assist subscribers in using the services effectively to facilitate efficient ILL activity

We will:

• Provide advice and support via an email based help desk, Monday to Friday.
• Carry out an annual service review of customer satisfaction.
• Provide an effective forum for practitioners to meet, network, exchange ideas and develop their skills.
• Produce and maintain support material.
• Maintain a current contacts and correspondence database. 
• Circulate information notifying members of any changes in contact details, working practices etc within the ILL network regionally and nationally.

We expect our service users to

• Contribute suggestions and ideas to help us to help our subscribers.
• Complete and submit questionnaires by the required date.
• Attend and contribute to appropriate forums and meetings.
• Notify us of any changes that will affect our members’ database.

The Unit will ensure that North West libraries continue to contribute to the operational development of effective resource discovery tools (currently UnityUK) and improve the currency and comprehensiveness of the UnityUK database

We will

• Establish and facilitate a regional UnityUK user group to encourage user feedback.
• Attend and contribute to The Combined Regions’ (TCR) UnityUK Council and Management Board meetings.
• Liaise with the service provider (currently OCLC) and service users to ensure catalogue addition and deletion information is regularly contributed to the UnityUK database.

We expect our service users to:

• Attend and contribute to UnityUK User Group meetings where appropriate
• Ensure contact details and catalogue holdings within UnityUK are current and accurate.

The Unit will facilitate the provision of a cost effective scheme for partners to loan items between member libraries, other regions and the British Library

We will

• Represent partner library authorities in discussions with external providers and organisations in the area of inter library loans.
• Negotiate cost per item where practical, ensuring transport costs do not exceed competitors’ rates.
• Monitor customer satisfaction and liaise with the transport provider to rectify any problems.
• Monitor the volume of traffic being carried, and its delivery times in liaison with the transport provider.
• Refer areas of concern to the Society of Chief Librarians (NW).

We expect our service users to

• Agree to the principle of standard monograph loans free of charge between partners to the Agreement; however, the transport cost of supplying items may be claimed.

Collect such information as required by the Society of Chief Librarians (NW) to monitor the Unit’s activities and to meet its obligations in measuring ILL activity

We will

• Report on the performance of the service within the Agreement to SCL NW.
• Collect, collate and analyse statistical information from service users.

We expect our service users to

• Submit Inter Lending statistics online by the 10th of each month.