ILL at the University of Liège: From Fee to Free

Since summer 2022, the interlibrary loan service has become free for the ULiège community. The poster describes the different steps that led to a free ILL service. In 2018, the Library Board requested to carry out a feasibility study, in line with the promoted strategy where services are at the centre (‘Library as a Service’). The study started in 2019 and was completed in 2022. The study paid particular attention to the internal context, the external context, the stakeholder analysis, and a SWOT analysis. In March 2020, because of COVID-19, ILL service had become temporarily free of charge for the ULiège community. This was a great opportunity for a real two-year pilot phase. Thanks to the length of the pilot, solid statistics and usage data were obtained and the ILL operators had two years’ experience in a free context. Additionally, changes in our workflows such as RapidILL subscription, peer-to-peer resource sharing between Alma institutions and more automation in some tasks have reduced ILL charges. Thanks to the feasibility study, the two-year pilot, changes in our workflows and reactions of users and ILL staff, it was recommended to the Library Board to maintain a free ILL service for the ULiège students, faculty, and staff members with some practical safeguards to prevent abuses and avoid uncontrolled costs.