Inter-network collaboration (INC) schemes and tools

This page details the inter-network collaboration (INC) schemes, INCDocs by ThirdIron, and other resources.

INC scheme

The INC scheme is a reciprocal inter-library loan and document supply (ILDS) scheme for NHS libraries in England.

There is a rota to determine the order in which to approach networks to satisfy ILDS requests. This is to ensure a fair distribution of requests between regions.

Inter-network collaboration (INC) member libraries rota
Own network Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3 Choice 4 Choice 5 Choice 6
Own network

Eastern Document Exchange Network

(EDEN) 		Choice 1 EDEN Choice 2 PANDDA Choice 3 SWIMS Choice 4 LENDS Choice 5 MIDS Choice 6 KSS (SENDS)
Own network Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SENDS) Choice 1 KSS (SENDS) Choice 2 SWIMS Choice 3 MIDS Choice 4 LENDS Choice 5 PANDDA Choice 6 EDEN
Own network London and Environs Network Document Supply (LENDS) Choice 1 LENDS Choice 2 MIDS Choice 3 KSS (SENDS) Choice 4 EDEN Choice 5 SWIMS Choice 6 PANDDA
Own network MIDS Choice 1 MIDS Choice 2 LENDS Choice 3 EDEN Choice 4 PANDDA Choice 5 KSS (SENDS) Choice 6 SWIMS
Own network Pan Northern Document Delivery Agreement (PANDDA) Choice 1 PANDDA Choice 2 EDEN Choice 3 SWIMS Choice 4 KSS (SENDS) Choice 5 MIDS Choice 6 LENDS
Own network South and West Information Management System (SWIMS) Choice 1 SWIMS Choice 2 KSS (SENDS) Choice 3 PANDDA Choice 4 EDEN Choice 5 MIDS Choice 6 LENDS

Inter-network collaboration scheme

EDEN may be approached for journal article and book ILDS requests

The order in which EDEN libraries approach other INC networks is:

  1. EDEN
  2. PANDDA (N-)
  3. SWIMS
  4. LENDS
  5. MIDS
  6. KSS
  7. zAFF

For INC scheme members, see the list of EDEN libraries on HLISD. For EDEN network members see the full list of member libraries in the table below.

EDEN network lead: Beverley Walsh ([email protected])

Check availability

Professional collections

The library staff professional collections within KSS and PANDDA are available to library staff in the NHS in England.

Requests should be submitted via local NHS libraries and the usual interlending processes.

If you cannot source the article you are seeking within any of the networks, and your user is likely to need to share the copy with others, consider obtaining a Copyright Fee Paid (CFP) copy.

See copyright for more information.

Important information about using the scheme

Before utilising the scheme, here are a few pieces of notable information about using the scheme.

  1. Use the good practice guidelines, and any regional or local protocols for supplementary information. See the summary/training aid.
  2. State your network and network code clearly when requesting from another network.
  3. Check whether a potential supplying library has last resort status and apply elsewhere if possible.
  4. In your library record on Health Library and Information Services Directory (HLISD), add only the collaborative networks of which you are a member. For the INC scheme, list only the network for your geography.

INCDocs

INCDocs is provided by Third Iron using their LibKey technology. It uses the electronic journal holdings listed in holdings management of all instances of the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub. It provides:

  • links to the PDF of articles available in nationally, regionally or locally subscribed content
  • links to the PDF of open access articles
  • the functionaility to request articles from other NHS libraries with electronic holdings of the journals in which articles are published

INCDocs uses randomisiation to select a library, from those with holdings, to supply the article in response to a request. More information may be found on the knowledge and library services (KLS) service desk.

Standards for INCDocs

The following are standards for INCDocs.

  • Use INCDocs first for journal article requests.
  • Respond within 24 hours and a maximum of 2 working days
  • If a request is urgent, contact the supplying library to check whether they can supply within your time frame.
  • You must process INCDocs requests, unless your reason for declining is listed in the guidance.
  • Ensure your holdings are kept up-to-date and accurate.
  • Remember that there are alternative sources for articles. If you receive more than 3 declines from INCDocs, consider using one of these alternatives.

PrintDOCs

PrintDOCs is now live. It includes:

  • print journal holdings held by NHS libraries in England
  • print or electronic journal holdings made available to the NHS by non-NHS libraries affiliated to the INC scheme
  • NHS electronic journals without DOIs from which articles have been requested

See the PrintDOCs solutions on the service desk. If you need to update your holdings, use the PrintDOCs - change to holdings service request.

More information

Why PrintDocs?

INCDocs has been a tremendous success; you report it as having been transformational. Following a review into the impact of INCDocs, we found:

  • about 33% of document supply requests were being satisfied from print holdings
  • INCDocs is estimated to save 15,000 hours of staff time each year

As INCDocs is the place to go for NHS electronic journals, it makes sense to have one place to go for NHS print journals, hence PrintDOCs.

It will save staff time having to search mutliple regional catalogues for print journal holdings.

Affiliates (non-NHS libraries) which are members of the INC Scheme will be able to add their holdings to PrintDOCs too.  Our analysis found that there were a substantial number of requests which can only be satifsfied from affiliates' journal holdings

How should I add my holdings to PrintDOCs?

Holdings information is added to PrintDOCs in this format:

year range; start volume(issue)-end volume(issue); missing issues

If you have all issues in a volume, you do not need to add issues. If your run starts or ends part way through a volume, do.

If an issue is missing, please describe both volumes and issues.

Issues may not be numerical.  Add the issue as described to the issue element within parenthesis.

Use semi-colons to separate parts of the record, commas to separate elements within parts, and full stops for separate runs. Alternatively, runs may be added to separate lines. 

Examples:

2014-; 25-;

2020-; 152(3258)-

1998-2011; 15-28

2010-2015; 15(2)-20(10); Missing: 15(2, 5-8)

2010-2015; 15(2)-20(10); Missing: 15(2, 5-8). 2018-2020; 18-20; Missing: 19(2, 9)

Other sources

As a last resort, before turning to paid-for services, email requests to the HealthILL or LIS-ILL mailing lists.

These are sources for which you need to pay to obtain articles, books or chapters:

Strategic Inter-Network Collaboration Group (SINC)

Strategic Inter-Network Collaboration (SINC) group has oversight of inter-lending and document supply (ILDS) in NHS Knowledge and Library Services (KLS) in England.

EDEN member libraries
Hospital HLSID entry Contact details
Hospital HLSID entry Arthur Rank hospice library (ARH) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Bevan library (BED) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Basildon healthcare library (BHL) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Cambridgeshire and Peterborough foundation trust library (CF) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Colchester healthcare library (CGH) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry University of Cambridge medical library (CM)* Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry Broomfield healthcare library (CMA) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Colchester institute library (COLC)* Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry East Anglia medicines information service (DIU) Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Sir James Paget library (GY) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Hinchingbrooke healthcare library (HB) Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry Hemel Hempstead general hospital medical library (HEM) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry

Hertfordshire partnership university foundation trust (HRP)

 Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Ipswich hospital library and learning resources (IM) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry University of Suffolk library (IN)* Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry

Queen Elizabeth hospital, King's Lynn (KL)

 Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Butterfield healthcare learning resources centre (LBP)* Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry Lister Healthcare Library (LIS) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Danielle Freedman library (LUT) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Norfolk and Suffolk foundation trust (NH) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Sir Thomas Browne library (NN) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Harlow healthcare library (PAH) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Laxton library (PB) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Royal Papworth hospital library and knowledge services (PW) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry Southend healthcare library (SMC) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry St Albans city hospital staff library (STA) Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry University of East Anglia nursing and midwifery library Contact details [email protected]
Hospital HLSID entry Watford general hospital library Contact details N/A
Hospital HLSID entry West Suffolk hospital library and information centre Contact details N/A

Inter-lending and document supply (ILDS) best practice guidance

The knowledge and library services (KLS) has a number of recommendations for the ILDS, which are surmised below.

  • Use INCDocs first for journal article requests.
  • Respond within 24 hours and a maximum of 2 working days.
  • If a request is urgent, contact the supplying library to check whether they can supply within your time frame.
  • You must process INCDocs requests, unless your reason for declining is listed in the guidance.
  • Ensure your holdings are kept up-to-date and accurate.
  • Remember that there are alternative sources for articles; if you receive more than three declines from INCDocs, consider using one of these alternatives.

If you are interested in ILDS and in joining the SINC group, contact Richard Bridgen on [email protected].

Page last reviewed: 15 January 2024
Next review due: 2 January 2025

Related information