Sep 22, 2026 | Latest News & Updates
By Lesley Gooding, Principal Library Assistant, University of Southampton Library
In August 2026, our Associate Director, Dr Jonathan Chipp, presented the Acquisitions team at Hartley Library, University of Southampton, with a beautiful green plush frog from the Interlend 2026 Conference.
Phil had originally been given to Jonathan as a thank you for co-presenting a session on the Research Libraries UK (RLUK) Collections Strategy Network (CSN) and its vision for redefining interlending. Jonathan generously passed him on to us.
We immediately adopted the name Phil (for FIL), and a space was created for him on the ILL shelves at Hartley Library. He quickly settled into his new habitat, and we decided that his first task should be a tour of the library, as seen in the attached photos.
(Photos by Lesley, location selection by Verna, postcard collage created by Dace)
Left-hand photo – this is from a display called Hidden Hartley, which included some of the interesting finds discovered within the stacks during a large stock move two years ago – including a Darth Vader helmet! Phil seemed particularly interested in the helmet.
Underneath are the Reference Only ILL books, which are signed in and out.
Centre section – the Hartley Library entrance from outside and the foyer.
Right-hand photo – this is where ILL books are kept awaiting collection. We have our own custom-made paper bands to distinguish ILL books from our own library books.
Left-hand photo – this is the most photographed part of the library: our spiral staircase. It is very popular for graduation photos and has even been the setting for at least one marriage proposal that we know of.
Phil waited hopefully for a while. Perhaps he was expecting a frog princess.
Other photos
- The many ILL parcels sent out each day
- The IT Tech Hub
- The stained glass, which forms part of a design by Ray Bradley representing the DNA code of fish
- Some of our many bookshelves
While exploring the shelves, Phil was pleased to discover The Little Frog’s Guide to Self-Care by Maybell Eequay – reassuring evidence that Hartley Library takes the wellbeing of its amphibian visitors seriously.
He was rather less enthusiastic about finding Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog!
A little bit about the library and us
The Hartley Library is the main library on our Highfield campus. We have three other specialised site libraries: Winchester School of Art (WSA) Library; the Health Services Library (HSL) at University Hospital Southampton for NHS and University patrons; and the National Oceanographic Library at the Waterfront campus.
WSA and HSL deal with their own ILL requests, with our assistance if needed. Otherwise, all other requests come to us at Hartley Library.
ILL is part of the University of Southampton Library’s Acquisitions team. At present, we have three colleagues at Hartley Library working on ILL requests and purchasing: Lesley, Verna and Dace. Both Verna and Lesley have been with the University in various roles for over 30 years, and Dace joined us three years ago.
I am very proud to work in Acquisitions on Interlibrary Loans with such a great, hardworking team. We often receive positive feedback from our patrons, which is always well deserved.
ILL is a very individual service, and knowing that we have helped someone track down that elusive reference – and seeing them complete their PhD – is very satisfying. We often feel like detectives, and one of us was once described as a wizard for locating obscure items!
I very much enjoyed the Interlend 2026 conference this year. I was particularly interested in the presentation by Charlotte Jones from the Barbican Music Library, as sourcing orchestral scores is a very labour-intensive task. It is always great to meet other ILL colleagues, exchange thoughts and ideas, and catch up on new developments.
We have loved having Phil in our office. The frog is a real talking point, has brightened our days and has certainly caught people’s imagination.
There was even talk on a family WhatsApp that a knitted Dalek called Derek may have a little crush on Phil.
Who knows where Phil will go next…
Jul 31, 2026 | Articles, Latest News & Updates
Written by Kip A. Darling, with information collected and shared by Rachel Simcock, Collections Team Leader (Document Delivery), Library & University Collections, University of Edinburgh
‘Bookshelves’ by The CCAC North Campus library, licensed under CC BY 2.0 [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/]
What emerged was a surprisingly strong level of consistency across the sector.
Nearly all respondents described applying higher security controls to ILL materials than to their own circulating stock. Staff mediation, restricted access, and controlled handover points appear to be the norm from start to finish. Self-service or open shelf access is very much the exception, and usually only considered where the perceived risk is minimal.
Some of the clearest patterns included:
17 respondents store ILLs in staff-controlled, restricted, or lockable areas rather than on open shelves.
16 respondents issue ILLs only via library staff rather than self-service.
16 respondents also require returns directly to staff or designated drop points.
13 respondents manage ‘library use only’ items through supervised access, often retaining the user’s ID during consultation.
No respondents offer postal home loans of physical ILLs to students.
Only two respondents reported allowing standard physical ILLs to be collected from open shelves, and even then, only for unrestricted loans.
One interesting point was that, while most libraries maintain tight operational control over ILL handling, relatively few use formal tracking systems beyond normal institutional processes. A handful of libraries keep spreadsheets, logbooks, or signed tracking sheets for parcels moving through mailrooms, particularly for international or higher-value items. Most, however, rely on established workflows, staff-only areas, and the general reliability of university postal and facilities teams.
The responses also highlighted how much the smooth running of ILL services depends on colleagues outside the library. In many institutions, library staff are not directly involved at every stage once items enter the university post system, but handover points are still almost always restricted access or staff-only. Libraries generally expressed confidence in these arrangements, helped by the fact that missing ILL parcels appear to be extremely rare in practice.
Perhaps the most reassuring finding was that no library reported having zero staff or security oversight of physical ILLs. Even where additional tracking measures are minimal, there is still a clear culture of controlled handling and professional stewardship surrounding these materials.
Overall, the responses suggest that the current balance of secure spaces, staff mediation, and trusted institutional processes is working well. It was also genuinely interesting to see how much quiet consistency exists across the community. Different libraries may use slightly different workflows, but the underlying principle seems widely shared: physical ILLs are treated with a little extra care, and for good reason.
May 27, 2026 | Events & Conferences, Latest News & Updates, Upcoming Events & Conferences
Join us for our online Interlend 2026 Conference.
There’s only two weeks to go until Summer Interlend 2026! FIL is excited to share our agenda for the conference.
Emails with instructions on how to join the event will be sent on Monday 8th June.
You can still register for Summer Interlend 2026 here.
We look forward to seeing you (virtually) there!
| Timings |
Topic & Speaker |
| 10:30-10:40 (10 min) |
Welcome, housekeeping
Kip A. Darling, FIL Chair
Your FIL Committee
Joanne Booker, (Bodleian), Roana Mourad (Glasgow Caledonian), Sarah Hornby (Newcastle University), Muriel Munguia (Edinburgh University), with apologies from Alex Priestman (Warwick University) & Jo Cox (British Library) |
| 10:40-11:20 (40 min) |
British Library High Density Print Storage
Jonathan Meeson (BL) |
| 11:20-11:40 (20 min) |
BL Update
Richard Ebdon (BL) |
| 11:40-12pm |
BREAK – opportunity to network in breakout rooms (20 min) |
| 12pm- 12:20 (20 min) |
Lightning Talk: ILL Copyright – UK Statutes and Overseas supply
Andrew Johnson (Sheffield University) |
| 12:20 – 12:40 (20 min) |
The Barbican Music Library, the IAML UK & IRL Documentation Committee and the Encore Monitoring Group
Charlotte Jones (The Barbican Music Library) |
| 12:40 – 1pm (20 min) |
Lightning Talk: Redefining ILL: RLUK CSN’s vision
Helen Faulds (University of St Andrews) and Jonathan Chipp (University of Southampton) |
| 1pm-1:45pm |
LUNCH BREAK (45 min) |
| 1:45- 2:45pm (60 min) |
ISO Panelists & discussion:
- Bronwen Blatchford (Cardiff University, on behalf of WHELF+),
- Kevin O’Donovan (London School of Economics)
- Allen Jones (The New School)
|
| 2:45-3:15 (10 min)
(20 min) |
The Google status update sheet/ making use of the FIL website
Roana Mourad (Glasgow Caledonian), on behalf of FIL Committee
An update on future plans for FIL
Kip A. Darling, FIL Chair |
| 3:15 – 3:35 |
BREAK – opportunity to network in breakout rooms (20 min) |
| 3:35-4pm
(25 mins) |
Building a National Lending Network in Australia
Allen Jones (The New School Libraries, NY, USA) |
| 4pm |
Close |
Emails with instructions on how to join the event will be sent on Monday 8th June.
You can still register for Summer Interlend 2026 here.
We look forward to seeing you (virtually) there!
May 1, 2026 | Events & Conferences, Latest News & Updates, Upcoming Events & Conferences
Join us for our online Interlend 2026 Conference.
We’re pleased to confirm that booking for Interlend 2026 is now open! This is a free event and will be online, held on Wednesday 10th June 10:00-16:30.
Register here.
A joining link for the event will be sent to you following your registration.
The draft programme will be confirmed over the following week, and will be published on the website. The event will include a panel discussion on automated resource sharing between library systems, focusing on how ISO workflows are being used in day-to-day practice, for both loans and copies. Other talks will focus on ILL and copyright, the Australian national lending network, the Barbican Music Library, the IAML UK&IRL Documentation Committee and the Encore Monitoring Group.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Feb 5, 2026 | Events & Conferences, Latest News & Updates, Past Events & Conferences, Presentations
Sharing skills and knowledge
The November Interlend 2025 event took place on Friday 14 November 2025 at the British Library, St Pancras, bringing together colleagues from across the interlending and resource sharing community.
Slides are shared with the permission of the speakers and reflect the content as presented at the event.
What is AI and What Does it Mean for Libraries? – Dr Andrew Cox & Dr Suvodeep Mazumdar, University of Sheffield
Copyright and AI: Striking a Fair Balance – Kate Vasili, Copyright Officer, Middlesex University
Update from the British Library – Jo Cox, British Library
Smart fulfilment and AI in resource sharing: transforming modern ILL services – Paul Jansen, OCLC
BFI Reuben Library – Ian O’Sullivan
The Forum for Interlending would like to thank all speakers and attendees, and the British Library for hosting the event. We look forward to welcoming you to future Interlend events.
Oct 15, 2025 | Events & Conferences, Latest News & Updates, Past Events & Conferences
Booking for our November Interlend 2025 event is now open! This is an in-person event taking place at the British Library, St.Pancras, Friday 14th November 10:30-16:00 (Please note AGM will take place 10:30-11:00 followed by optional tour of the British Library, talks begin at 12:30).
Please book your place here.
Light refreshments with be provided and there are catering options on site and nearby to purchase food – Eat, drink and shop at the British Library
We look forward to seeing you all there!
November at the British Library
Draft Programme
Friday 14th November, British Library St. Pancras
10:30-11:00 AGM – committee members + any interested parties
11:00-12:30 Tours, networking and nibbles – Sign up for an optional tour of the British Library at St Pancras via our booking form, we have tours starting at 11:00, 11:15, 11:30 -please note places are limited and offered on a first come, first served basis:
12:30- 13:15 Dr Andrew Cox & Dr. Suvodeep Mazumdar, School of Information, Journalism and Communication University of Sheffield
13:20-13.40 Copyright, AI and the Library – Kate Vasili, Copyright Officer, Middlesex University
13:40-13:50 Update from British Library
13:50-14:00 Update from the Forum for Interlending
14:00-15:00 Smart fulfilment and AI in resource sharing: transforming modern ILL services – Paul Jansen, Senior Product Analyst, Resource Sharing, OCLC
15:00 -15:25 Rochelle Pretsell & Lara Marshall from RNIB – 5 min Q&A
15:25- 15:55 Ian O’Sullivan from the BFI Reuben Library – 5 min Q&A
16:00 Close
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