Let me attempt a brief description of how I think reference and interlibrary loan intersect. First, I want to say that the departments in the library do not operate in a vacuum, even though some of our accounting practices would have us think so. I see reference and interlibrary loan as a continuum. In my institution the reference librarians teach our users how to find the information and then direct them to what's available locally and refer them to us for things that are available remotely. One of the things that keeps me continually interested in interlibrary loan is the varied aspects of the job, e.g., circulation, reference, solving mysteries, and acquisitions.
Interlibrary loan covers everything that libraries do.
We searched all of our national utilities. We searched Books in Print, NUC, and we couldn't find it. I think the question that was asked, if I understand it right, for public library people is one of the most profound things shaping the business at the moment. Sometimes he needs lots of help from the librarian and sometimes he doesn't want any help. I think that is going to happen online as well as in person.