An Evaluation of ReadCube as an Interlibrary Loan Alternative

Libraries are continually searching for more affordable ways to provide access to research materials. The rising costs of journal subscriptions, site licenses, and interlibrary loan have made libraries look for new methods of providing those materials. In 2014, Auburn University Libraries began a pilot project to test the feasibility of using ReadCube, an article delivery service, as a method of patron‐driven acquisition for scholarly journal articles. ReadCube allows users immediate access to articles from Nature Publishing Group journals at a lower cost than document delivery, but with usage restrictions. This case study evaluates ReadCube as an alternative to interlibrary loan by comparing the costs and usage of ReadCube Access to those of interlibrary loan. Users were also surveyed to determine their satisfaction with ReadCube. The results indicate that ReadCube is a cost‐effective method of obtaining Nature articles, although some users have reservations about the usage restrictions.