How It Works:
- Anyone can search the holdings
- Patrons and staff of participating libraries can place loan requests
- Items are transported via RAILS delivery service
- Fees are subsidized by RAILS
Find More Illinois simplifies resource sharing between participants but does not replace catalog software or LLSAP membership. For more details, view a comparison of FMI and LLSAP functionality.
Find More Illinois Services
For Your Patrons:
- Search and request items in participating catalogs
- Place and manage their own requests
- Access book reviews, tables of contents, and cover art (when available)
- View real-time status of local holdings
- Access quick redirects between local OPAC search and FMI
For Your ILL staff:
- Staff interface for request management
- Patron authentication against the local integrated library system (ILS)
- Optional NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (NCIP) connectivity streamlines requests
- MARC record uploads into FMI union database
- Statistical reporting
- Quality MARC records available to download
- Training, consulting, technical support, and vendor relations provided by RAILS
Frequently Asked Questions
FMI is open to Illinois libraries of any type that are interested in resource sharing with other libraries in Illinois. Participation is simple if your library already has cataloging software and access to MARC records. For those libraries without cataloging software and who may not have MARC records, there are some special considerations for participation.
Yes. You will not need to change your ILS software to use FMI. FMI uses SHAREit software as an overlay with your existing ILS software.
There is no cost to send or receive items requested through FMI. Items requested through FMI travel via RAILS delivery.
If your library does not currently receive RAILS delivery, RAILS staff will set up delivery service for your library.
FMI helps to bring more resources to Illinois library patrons by providing another layer of resource sharing regardless of the size, type, or consortia status of participating libraries. For libraries looking to further expand their patrons access to the resource sharing landscape, participation in FMI can be a straightforward way to fulfill this goal.
FMI is not a catalog consortium and is unable to fulfill the role of one.
No. FMI does not serve the same function as membership in a catalog consortium does. FMI was designed to provide an additional layer of resource sharing that all libraries can take part in regardless of their membership in a catalog consortium, location, size, or type of library.
No. For some small libraries, it can offer an affordable alternative to OCLC for interlibrary loan.
The SHAREit software used by FMI balances the requests across all FMI libraries. This ensures that a single library will not be overwhelmed with the most requests.
FMI follows ILLINET Interlibrary Loan Code, which says, If damage or loss occurs, the requesting library is responsible for compensation in accordance with the policy of the supplying library. If an item is lost or damaged, the requesting and supplying libraries work together to remedy the situation.
Best Practices for Consortial Cataloging can help RAILS libraries and consortia to fine tune their existing cataloging standards and practices, or to develop consistent practices in areas that are not standardized.
Need More Information?
Individual or groups of libraries can contact RAILS Find More Illinois staff to schedule a demo or an informational meeting.