Are you familiar with Find More Illinois (FMI)? It’s an interlibrary loan platform that provides access to a growing number of library holdings in one seamless interface. To help you learn more about it, RAILS put together some resources to help you make the case for this amazing resources.
What it is:
Find More Illinois connects participating standalone and shared online catalogs. Anyone can search the holdings of all of these catalogs in a single search. Users from participating FMI libraries can locate and request materials from libraries across Illinois to be delivered to their home library.
Why it's important:
FMI helps fulfill RAILS’ mission to connect libraries and the goal in our strategic plan to “provide leadership in ensuring sustainable, equitable resource sharing for all member libraries.” Find More Illinois greatly levels the resource-sharing field in Illinois and allows every library to participate.
Who to talk to about FMI:
- Encourage your library’s director to investigate FMI if your library doesn’t currently participate
- Encourage colleagues at all type of RAILS libraries (academic, public, school, and specialized) to investigate FMI
- Encourage public library trustees to check out FMI and to encourage their library directors to check it out as well
- If your library has FMI, encourage patrons to use it.
Talking points
All Illinois libraries are eligible to participate in Find More Illinois, regardless of size, type, or catalog software.
- Academic libraries can offer students access to a wide variety of popular materials that they might not be able to find in the academic library collection.
- Specialized libraries can offer users access to these popular materials as well.
- Patrons of public libraries can access the extensive collection of the University of Illinois at Chicago through Find More Illinois.
- K-12 schools can greatly expand the number of resources available to students and teachers with minimum investment or obligation.
- Standalone libraries that are not part of a shared online catalog can easily participate in resource sharing while retaining local control of their catalog.
- Smaller libraries get access to a much larger collection with a wider variety of materials than they would be able to afford on their own.
- For nonautomated libraries without their own catalog software, FMI can serve as an online catalog with interlibrary loan functionality.
For some libraries, Find More Illinois provides an affordable alternative to OCLC for interlibrary loan and/or as a source of cataloging records. RAILS started Find More Illinois to directly benefit Illinois library users, which distinguishes it from OCLC.
Find More Illinois includes over 4.2 million titles from Illinois libraries of different types and sizes, and it’s growing quickly. All of these titles are available for participating libraries to request via interlibrary loan.
Anyone can use Find More Illinois to search multiple library catalogs in one search. Patrons and staff from participating libraries can log in to place interlibrary loan requests.
RAILS has made a lot of improvements to Find More Illinois since it first launched. including better display of search results, and for shared catalogs, only the holdings of participating libraries are included. RAILS continues to add and enhance services based on user feedback. For example, soon they will add an optional new service to connect to other statewide groups using the same software for seamless out-of-state interlibrary loan.
Since libraries of different types participate, your patrons will likely have access to materials they can’t find in your current catalog. Find More Illinois fees are subsidized by RAILS to make participation affordable for all sizes and types of libraries. Now is the perfect time to join. All setup fees are waived for libraries that join through June 2023. No annual fees will be billed until July 1, 2023.
Find More Illinois is a good alternative for libraries unable to join existing shared online catalog consortia for financial or other reasons.
Implementation is quick and easy. Find More Illinois is web-based and there’s no software to install. RAILS staff provides training, consulting, and technical support.
No matter what your current catalog situation (nonautomated, standalone, or member of a consortium), Find More Illinois can greatly improve your resource sharing options. For more information, including video testimonials from actual Find More Illinois libraries, check out the videos below:
