International loans in the Main Library of AGH UST: the technical library as a witness of change

Abstract

Workflows and methods used in the Main Library of AGH UST changed with the challenging history of Poland and rapid changes in sourcing information for the Library’s patrons and STEM professionals. The article describes this journey specifically from the point of view of the Interlibrary Loans Department. Since 1952 it has served hundreds of thousands of users domestically and outside of Poland, maintaining continuing relationships with its partners. The most important milestone in document delivery was in 2001, when the library started using IFLA Vouchers, which made managing loans much easier. Nowadays, in times of digitization and open access ILL is still important – as its core role is providing access to materials which often can seem unobtainable.