Identifying and Troubleshooting Link-Resolution Issues with ILL Data

Troubleshooting when a link resolver goes wrong can be difficult as it usually relies on the user to report the problem. Using data on interlibrary loan requests that have been cancelled because the materials are available online is one way that libraries can examine where link resolvers may be failing. For the 2012/2013 school year, the Samford University Library looked at this cancelled interlibrary loan request data to determine where their new link resolver and knowledgebase needed further customization to improve the user experience. This process not only identified a number of problems all along the link resolution chain, but it also put in place an ongoing process for identifying and troubleshooting link resolution issues in the future.