Library and Archives Canada Terminates Inter-Library Loan Service

The CLA Govt Library & IM Professionals Network, part of the Canadian Library Association, has published an announcement from Library and Archives Canada (LAC) that the institution is putting an end to its inter-library loan service in the next few weeks.

The LAC's service has been an indispensable tool nationwide for researchers and libraries.

Here is the text:

"Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will end in December 2012.  Users of LAC’s current services should note the following dates:

• November 13, 2012: End of loan requests from international libraries.
• November 16, 2012: End of renewals. All items loaned after this date will be non-renewable.
• December 11, 2012: End of loan requests, location searches, and ILL-related photocopying services."

"LAC’s ILL listserv (CANRES-L) and Canadian Library Gateway also will be archived in December 2012."

"LAC will continue to facilitate interlibrary loan activities among other institutions through the ILL form in AMICUS, and through ongoing administration of Canadian Library Symbols."

"Through our modernized service channels, LAC will emphasize increased digital access to high-demand content.  LAC is working with Canada’s ILL user community in order to inform this approach to accessing the institution’s unique holdings." 

Earlier Library Boy posts about the impact of federal budget cutbacks at LAC include:

• Canadian Library Association Dismayed by Federal Budget Impact (May 2, 2012): "The Canadian Library Association (CLA) today released a statement criticizing the 2012 federal budget which it believes will hit federal libraries and Libraries and Archives Canada very hard."
• Canadian Association of Law Libraries 2012 Conference Resolutions (May 10, 2012): "A number of resolutions were adopted yesterday at the Annual General Meeting ... of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries in Toronto (...) members also voted to support the Save Libraries and Archives Canada campaign ..."
• September 2012 Campaign Update of Save Library and Archives Canada (September 27, 2012): "The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) launched a campaign this year called Save Library and Archives Canada (LAC) because of its fear that recent federal budget cuts would hamper the institution's many collections and activities. The campaign has just published a September 2012 Campaign Update (...)"