51ĀŅĀ×

The 51ĀŅĀ× Libraries system is in the top 15 nationally ranked institutions in regard to the number of materials provided to other libraries, as well as materials received, a recent study by the Chronicle of Higher Education showed.

The , from the 2014-15 academic year, showed that 51ĀŅĀ× Libraries shared 52,889 items with other libraries, ranking OHIO the 14^th-highest in the country, and took in 40,660, with a 15^th ranking in the nation. In both cases, the number is the second-highest in the state of Ohio, behind only Ohio State University.

ā€œThose numbers demonstrate OHIOā€™s commitment to resource sharing and keeping our access to information highā€”and [keeping] our costs as low as possible,ā€ said Janet Hulm, assistant dean for collections and digitization strategies.

The number of interlibrary loans jumped in 2014-15 in part due to an expansion by OhioLINK, a statewide funded consortium, which added another group of libraries a few months before the academic year began.

ā€œThe jump is a direct result of the Universityā€™s commitment to sharing in OhioLINK and to interlibrary loans nationwide,ā€ 51ĀŅĀ× Libraries Dean Scott Seaman said. ā€œOur goal is to provide the best service possible to our primary users, and the interlibrary loans program plays a role in fulfilling that goal.ā€

Due to its size, OHIO routinely maintains a high availability setting with OhioLINK, the stateā€™s inter-library sharing network, making the University more likely to get called when an item is needed. Similar numbers were maintained in the 2015-16 academic year.