Implementing system of interlibrary cooperation and document delivery services: a study of barriers and problems available in academic libraries of West Region of Iran

Because of restrictions such as budget, space, and manpower, libraries and information centers are forced to meet information needs of their users through resource sharing, interlibrary loan and document delivery services. Therefore, this study intends to investigate implementing system of interlibrary cooperation and document delivery services in academic libraries located in West Region of Iran. To do this, it studies barriers and problems faced by aforementioned libraries.Using descriptive method and distributing questionnaires among managers and librarians in the academic libraries located in western parts of the country, Kurdistan, Ilam, Hamedan, Kermanshah, and Lorestan, needed data were collected. Based on the findings, on the average, about 88/7% of respondents agreed that the creation of interlibrary loan system and document delivery services is a necessity. Findings also indicate that factors such as technical factors (95%), human factors (92/3%), economic factors (85/9%), and organizational factors (68/8%) influence the creation, however, the barriers include: lack of information databases, lack of necessary equipment for document delivery, resistance of managers and librarians for cooperation among local libraries and lack of their belief to cooperate libraries, weakness in technological infrastructure, lack of specialists, tendency to source centralization in libraries, lack of credit securing from mother organization, are also among the important factors that discourage the establishment of such systems and services. According to the findings, some suggestions have been provided.