General SWIFT Questions

Is SWIFT a Software or a Service?

SWIFT is a service of the Colorado State Library that supports statewide Interlibrary Loan (ILL) for libraries of any size or type, allowing your patrons to search and place requests for materials located throughout the state of Colorado. SWIFT does this by providing and supporting a software platform to facilitate ILL for Colorado libraries. 

What is Prospector?

Prospector is a union catalog of over fifty academic, public and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. Prospector gives library patrons and staff access to more than 30 million books, journals, DVDs, CDs, videos and other materials held in the Prospector member libraries. With a single search, patrons can find materials and request free delivery to their local library via the Colorado Library Courier. 

I want to re-activate my SWIFT account. Who do I contact?

Please reach out to us at swift-support@coloradovirtuallibrary.org, or call Marisa Wood at 303.351.2338.

How are courier costs affected by participating in SWIFT?

Because courier costs are calculated based on total volume for all items sent and received by the library during your renewal period regardless of the network through which ILL requests are created (i.e. SWIFT, Prospector, OCLC, etc.), it is possible that your courier costs will be impacted. Libraries that have only done ILL through SWIFT in the past could see an increase in volume because they are borrowing and lending with a larger network. Libraries that choose to offer patron initiated borrowing through Prospector could see increases because patrons request more when they don’t have to go through a librarian to place a request. That said, your volume could stay the same.

Do I have to lend?

No, you do not have to lend. You can be a borrower only, though libraries are encouraged to participate in lending if they can.

Does my library have to participate?

State Grants to Libraries funding requires that a (public or academic) library “will participate in interlibrary sharing of resources at no charge to other Colorado libraries” and participating in the SWIFT program is one way to meet that requirement at no charge to your library.

Does it cost anything to participate?

There is no cost to the library associated with using the the SWIFT Service. There are costs associated with transporting and/or mailing items back to lending libraries, but that is outside the purview of the SWIFT service.

What if I’m not on the Courier?

Libraries that are not on the courier can use either an existing community stop for delivery and return, or send and receive materials by mail.

Are schools part of SWIFT?

School libraries are invited to participate in SWIFT/Prospector through buddy relationships between school libraries and their local public libraries. School libraries can be an additional staff member for the buddy public library and borrow items, working with the buddy public library to ensure that the requested material is picked up from and delivered back to the buddy public library when it is no longer needed. For more information regarding this school and public library partnership, contact SWIFT-Support@coloradovirtuallibrary.org.

Who do I contact if I have a question

If you have questions or need assistance, or if you encounter any problems while placing requests, logging into, or reviewing requests in the RSB Client, please contact us via email at swift-support@coloradovirtuallibrary.org. In your message, please share as much detail about the problem as possible, including:

• RSB Client Username you were logged in with
• Staff Card Barcode you were using
• Any Error Messages received
• Steps you were taking when you encountered the problem

What happens if I change my ILS?

Depending on a number of factors, including your level of participation in Prospector (Staff Initiated borrowing only or Patron Initiated Borrowing and/or Lending), your current ILS, and the ILS you are migrating to, there could be charges associated with exit services (from the RSB server), and implementation services for integration with a new ILS. Please contact us at SWIFT-support@coloradovirtuallibrary.org if you have questions or are thinking about changing your ILS.

What if I need to borrow something that is not available from a library in Colorado?

The Colorado State Library is partnering with Denver Public Library (DPL) to facilitate SWIFT + requests for out of state material. Currently, there is no fee associated with placing SWIFT + requests. To submit a request, send an ALA ILL form via email to LendILL@denverlibrary.org. DPL will reply with information the borrowing library can use to contact the lending library directly. Note that DPL will not request from any library that charges a fee, and the requesting library will be responsible for any overdue/lost fees.