National Library of Australia - Gateways

ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 64 | August 2003


Upgrading of KDD Service
Ordering Items from Other Libraries Has Never Been Easier

The Kinetica Document Delivery (KDD) team. With from left to right: Kylie Moloney, Paul Beer, Margaret Kennedy, Harris Ruan, David Ong
The Kinetica Document Delivery (KDD) team
left to right: Kylie Moloney, Paul Beer, Margaret Kennedy,
Harris Ruan, David Ong

Australian libraries have been able to request and supply material efficiently with other Australian libraries for many years, using the Kinetica Document Delivery (KDD) service. A major milestone was achieved in June this year with the implementation of connections that enable interlibrary loan transactions to be sent from libraries using their own interlibrary loan system. End-users will have fast access to information because libraries can now search and request information from international suppliers—for example, the Canadian Institute for Scientific Information—using one system. 

KDD is a powerful interlibrary loan system using Virtual Document Exchange (VDX) software produced by Fretwell-Downing Informatics. The VDX software now supports the ISO (International Standards Organisation) Interlibrary Loan Protocol (ISO ILL; based on ISO Interlibrary Loan Application Standards 10160 and 10161-1)—which means that KDD can send and receive messages from other interlibrary loan systems and document suppliers while taking advantage of the KDD Payments Service

The first libraries to take advantage of the new service were the Western Australian Group of University Librarians (WAGUL). Using their own interlibrary loan system (VDX), the WAGUL group can now send and receive requests to KDD customers and other interlibrary loan suppliers.

Carolyn Wilson, Library IT Coordinator at Murdoch Library, was the very first user of KDD via a local system. The Library’s document delivery staff have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to provide users with seamless access to the treasure house of resources held by Australian libraries through their local system. The realisation of this vision will result in even greater efficiencies for library staff and users alike.

Of the improved service, Julie Wilson, Document Delivery Services Librarian, RMIT University Library (Victoria), commented, ‘We are “over the moon” about this new development, and many of us have already sent a number of requests through the gateway. Using just one system to manage all our requests is an exciting step that will ensure efficiencies in our workflows and benefits for all our customers.’

The introduction of interoperability has dramatically reduced work for interlibrary loan staff who, until now, have been using two different systems to create and action interlibrary loan requests. Libraries will now be more efficient in managing their internal requesting (e.g., between campuses) and all other ILL transactions, as they will be working on a single system.

Margaret Kennedy, Acting Director of Kinetica Database Services, said: ‘Kinetica has provided a service to enable Australian libraries to form a true national network for resource discovery for over 22 years. The development of the ISO standard and its implementation enables the National Library to support access to these resources and to assist libraries to implement efficiencies identified in the Inter Lending Benchmarking Study undertaken by the National Resource Sharing Working group in 2001.’

As Jan Fullerton, Director-General of the National Library, noted: ‘A major goal for the National Library is to work with Australian libraries to overcome barriers for Australians to access the fabulous collections in Australian libraries and around the world. The Kinetica Document Delivery service is a key in the national infrastructure linking Australians to resources—this development is a very major step forward in achieving the vision of Australians being truly connected to all Australian libraries.’

For further information, contact:
Kylie Moloney
Tel: (02) 6262 1239
Email: kmoloney@nla.gov.au

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Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: pcliff@nla.gov.au