The IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing (DDRS) Standing Committee wishes to inform you about a new initiative that the Committee is launching to facilitate international resource sharing activities during the time of COVID-19.

The global pandemic has resulted in many library buildings being closed and services moving fully online. Because of the current situation, resource sharing activities have become either impossible or very difficult to perform for many libraries. Yet, our users’ information needs remain the same or, in many cases, have increased because of the situation.

Thus, with the help of committee members and volunteering librarians worldwide, the committee has created a simple way for the libraries around the world to request the materials their users need from other libraries who can provide the materials.

We call this initiative “Resource Sharing in the Times of COVID-19 (acronym: RSCVD)” and wish to urge you to use the service. We are offering several fulfillment options:

An Open Access search tool from Open Access Button to help you find Open Access, full-text content available immediately
An article request form*
A book chapter request form*
*All requests will be fulfilled electronically, so no physical loan request is needed.

Link to Request Service: http://rscvd.org/

Link to FAQ: https://rscvd.org/faq

Upon your request, volunteering committee members and librarians will, first, verify your affiliation and make sure that the request is coming from a library, not an individual. Then, several volunteering librarians will check their collections and provide the materials through the OCLC Article Exchange Service. We cannot guarantee that all requests can be fulfilled, but most of them will be obtainable from the vast digital collections of volunteering libraries.

As a requesting library, you will receive an email notification when the item is ready and the notification will include the link and password to receive the materials. For more information on this service please see the FAQ.

If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact ifladdrs@gmail.com

Special thanks to Joe McArthur at Open Access Button for assistance creating the web pages and search interface.

Thank you,

I wish you all stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Standing Committee

Peter Collins (Chair)
Ertugrul Çimen (Secretary)
Stephanie Kruger (Information Coordinator)
Faten Abdullah Barayyan
Andrew Appleyard
Seangill Peter Bae
Tina Baich
Rasha Barakat
Tainá Batista de Assis
Nicole Clasen
Filiz Ekingen Flores Mamondi
Cecilia Ericson
Ibrahim Farah
Joe Lenkart
Clare MacKeigan
Silvana Mangiaracina
Katia Medawar
Jarmo Saarti
Lei Wang
Huifang Xu
Xiaoxia Yao