This month, the Library joined the Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF+), a group of 29 libraries including Cardiff University Library, LSE, York, UWE and Royal Holloway, with the aim of facilitating improved services for the lending and borrowing of both print and digital content to our users, as well as users of the other members of the group.  At the heart of the scheme, is a free, reciprocal, interlibrary borrowing system, made possible by the Ex Libris Alma Library Management System used at Sussex and its underlying peer-to-peer functionality. The scheme also benefits from a shared service level agreement for the prompt delivery of interlibrary request items and automated messaging between libraries.

Via WHELF+ we will be borrowing and lending both books and articles, so this is an additional, cost saving route to acquire and lend material to go alongside our use of RapidILL (for articles), the British Library and other non-WHELF+ libraries. There is no change to how you receive the items that you request and it is great to be part of this scheme with colleagues across the Interlibrary Request community that are committed to mutual support and collaboration to improve services to all of our users.

For further information about the Library’s Interlibrary Request service or to place a request, please see our ‘Request an item from another library’ webpage.

Further information: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/find/ilr