FY2002 Activity Report of the Global ILL Framework (GIF) Project Team

1. Status of Project Meetings, etc.

2. Activity Overview

(1) Soliciting Japanese university libraries' participation in the GIF project

The Project Team posted an article "Invitation to the Global ILL Framework (GIF)" in the university library newsletter Daigaku Toshokan Kyoryoku News (Vol.23, No.2, 2002.7).

As of March 31, 2003, the project is participated by 75 libraries of 68 Japanese organizations (51 libraries of 44 national universities [including inter-university research institutes], 2 libraries of 2 public universities, and 22 libraries of 22 private universities).

Reference: U.S. participations: 33 libraries of 32 universities (as of March 18)

(2) Requesting the Japanese participants in the GIF project to prepare the lending policy in English

The Project Team requested the Japanese national university libraries participating in the GIF project to prepare their lending policy in English on August 8. Consequently, most libraries have met the requirement.

(3) Collecting document photocopying charges from the US participants

1. Applying the deferred payment system of interlibrary photocopying charges for the US participants


As stated in the secretariat's notice on deferred payment application (dated October 2, 2002), the application / authorization procedure ended at the end of November, and realized the actual collection of document photocopying charges at the beginning of December.

The application / authorization procedure for deferred payment of interlibrary photocopying charges for FY2003 ended at the beginning of April and 32 US participants were authorized.


2. Requesting the Japanese participants to start the collection of document photocopying charges from the US participants and to edit their lending policies


After the end of the application / authorization procedure for deferred payment of interlibrary photocopying charges for the US participants, the Project Team requested the Japanese participants to start the collection of document photocopying charges from the US participants and to edit the ILL-Copy-Charge field of their lending policies on November 26, 2002.

(4) Producing the "GIF (Global ILL Framework) Guide"

The "GIF (Global ILL Framework) Guide" was produced and posted on the GIF Project page of the Association of National University Libraries website. This guide includes the outlines of the GIF Project, the participating procedures, basic information on the administration of the NII-OCLC ILL inter-system link, and the payment procedures of document photocopying charges.

(5) Opening the GIF Project's website
The GIF Project's website was opened on November 5, 2003. The website features the latest version of the GIF Guide as well as up-to-date information on the Project. Its URL is as follows:

http://www.libra.titech.ac.jp/GIF/e-welcome.html
(6) Discussion with the U.S. Project members
The Project members, etc. went to the US on business and made a discussion with the US liaisons of the GIF Project on the operation of book loan service, the operational test for the book loan service, and analysis of the CANCEL records in the document photocopying service. This business trip was granted by MEXT's "Operation for Promoting Internationalization of Research Environment" to "investigate international scholarly information communications" and the attendants were as follows: Mr. Yasuhumi Tochitani (Senior Library Specialist, University of Tokyo), a member of the Ad-Hoc Committee on International Scholarly Communication; Mr. Ikuo Sasakawa (Associate University Librarian, University of Tokyo), the Project Manager of the GIF Project Team; Mr. Hitoshi Hayase (Associate University Librarian, Tokyou Gakugei University), a member of the GIF Project Team; and Prof. Akira Miyazawa (the National Institute of Informatics). Ms. Mary E. Jackson (Senior Program Officer for Access Services, ARL), Ms. Sachie Noguchi (Chair, NCC) and Ms. Victoria Lyon Bestor (Director, NCC) attended the discussion from the US side. The Japanese members also took a survey of services for Japanese resources and ILL, and exchanged views at Columbia University.

Discussion with ARL on the operation of book loan service

Date:  January 13, 2003

Venue:  Association of Research Libraries (ARL) at Washington, D.C.

As the result of the discussion, the Japanese team shall send their proposal on conditions for the operation of book loan service and the operational test of the book loan system to the U.S. side after revising it based on the needs of the U.S. side. And the two sides came to an agreement to set up a joint committee on analyzing the CANCEL records.
(7) Confirmation of "GIF Project: Agreement on launch of book loan service between Japan and the United States."
Based on the discussion between Japan and the U.S. on January 13 as described above, the Project team sent the revised proposal titled "Agreement on launch of book loan service between Japan and the United States" in English and Japanese to the U.S. side and the agreement was confirmed.

3. Future Schedules and Tasks

[Schedules]

(1) Holding a Japan-US joint meeting

The Project Team is planning to call in two U.S. representatives (Ms. Mary E. Jackson, ARL and Ms. Sachie Noguchi, Chair of NCC) and hold a meeting on evaluation and review of the document photocopying and book loan services between Japan and the United States on July 1, 2003 at University of Tokyo.

[Tasks]

(1) Connecting with RLG ILL Manager
(2) Developing ILL with countries other than the United States, including Asian nations (China, South Korea, etc.) and European countries.
(3) Securing administration system and staff in response to the global ILL, and holding a workshop organized by ILL staffs.