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Dear colleagues; Sharing special collections through interlibrary loan is increasingly becoming a common and accepted practice: * Several Ivy Plus libraries began a pilot<http://www.borrowdirect.org/sharing-special-collections-materials-via-resource-sharing-pilot-project> to share scans from special collection materials among their members in 2017. * In 2018, the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) developed a framework<https://www.btaa.org/docs/default-source/library/btaa-principles-and-protocols-for-interlibrary-loan-of-special-collections.pdf?sfvrsn=9bbe4bf3_4> of common expectations and responsibilities when borrowing and lending special collections items within their consortium. * The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) and the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) jointly endorsed<http://www.aserl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019_06_ASERL_WRLC_Endorse_BTAA_Resource_Sharing_Docs.pdf> the BTAA framework within their consortia earlier this year. * And an Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) task force<http://www.ala.org/acrl/rbms/acr-rbmtfblsc> is currently reviewing and updating national guidelines for borrowing and lending special collections materials. SHARES, a resource sharing consortium for members of the OCLC Research Library Partnership, is proud to support and join this community-wide conversation of promoting greater access to special collection items. Earlier this year, members of the SHARES consortium formed the OCLC SHARES Sharing Special Collections Working Group. This group conducted a survey to gather information on the current state of sharing special collections through interlibrary loan across the SHARES partnership<https://www.oclc.org/research/activities/shares/partners.html>. The Working Group presented its initial findings from the survey on July 9 in an RLP Works-In-Progress webinar<https://www.oclc.org/research/events/2019/070919-special-collections-working-group-update.html> and has prepared a comprehensive written report concerning the survey results. View: OCLC SHARES Sharing Special Collections Survey Results Report<https://www.oclc.org/research/partnership/working-groups/shares-sharing-special-collections.html> The Sharing Special Collections Working Group invites the broader interlibrary loan community to review this interim report. Many libraries are already sharing special collections through article/chapter scans, digitization of whole works in the public domain, or physical loans of selective materials with appropriate usage and shipping restrictions. The SHARES survey demonstrates that there is still opportunity for additional collaboration across library units as well as across institutions to meet the continuing research needs of our communities. We urge ILL practitioners to share this report with your institution’s special collections librarians and administrators. We also encourage you to have local and consortial conversations on how best to optimize access to special collections materials while balancing stewardship and preservation with a collaborative mindset. The next step for the SHARES Sharing Special Collections Working Group is to recommend a framework of protocols and practices for sharing selective special collections materials among members of the SHARES consortium. We hope that this initial report sparks continuing interest in the subject, adds to momentum begun by the Ivy Plus, BTAA, ASERL, WRLC, and ACRL RBMS groups, and starts broader discussions in the ILL community that are vital to enhancing access to special collections materials through interlibrary loan in appropriate and responsible ways. For questions/comments, please feel free to reach out to any member of our working group. OCLC SHARES Sharing Special Collections Working Group * Brian Miller, Chair, The Ohio State University Libraries (OSU), [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> * Ralph Baylor, Frick Art Reference Library (FXM), [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> * Lesliediana Jones, The George Wash. Univ. Law Library (GWL), [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> * Dennis Massie, OCLC, [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/membership/join-arlisna Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~