Empire Express: Case Study of a New York State Resource Sharing Model

ABSTRACT

The article presents a case study of Empire Express, a resource sharing network among the libraries of the State University of New York (SUNY) University Centers at Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, and Stony Brook, along with Syracuse University. The network involves an expedited interlibrary loan service, in which requests and documents are transmitted via Ariel and books are delivered by UPS, The service was formed in 1993, based upon an analysis of interlibrary loan patterns which revealed considerable potential for equitable resource sharing among the SUNY University Center Libraries. Syracuse University, as a peer institution with complimentary collections, later joined the network, which is formed on the “miniature cooperative” resource sharing model. With data now available about Empire Express, it is possible to assess the service and gain insight about the “miniature cooperative” model as a strategy for equitable resource sharing.     

E-Mail Reference: Improving Service by Working Cooperatively

SUMMARY

E-mail reference service provides complex challenges, but the service can be planned effectively and improved through cooperative work among reference staff and various library departments. Staff members from the Michigan State University Libraries have engaged in extensive cooperative work to evaluate, improve, and maintain effective e-mail reference services. Two library committees and an e-mail reference team have developed new service procedures, and have worked with other library departments to improve e-mail reference service. This article explores the collaborative work of the MSU committees, and discusses how e-mail reference has improved through cooperative work.     

BOOK REVIEWS

ABSTRACT

During the fall 1999 semester, the College Libraries at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Arts and Sciences at Geneseo conducted an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) survey of the entire faculty, staff and student body. The purpose of the survey was to find out whether patrons using ILL are satisfied with the service, and to discover the reasons why non-ILL users are not using the service. We received 538 responses in total (a 10% response rate). Of these, 60% were from students and 40% were from faculty and staff.     

Proposals for Interinstitutional Serials Cooperation at the SUNY Centers

This paper discusses CLR grant-assisted projects undertaken by the four SUNY University Center Libraries regarding the issue of resource sharing of low use/high cost periodicals. Other recent consortial initiatives are mentioned. The impact of "Rethinking SUNY is discussed.     

An Experiment: Combining Interlibrary Loan with a Science/Engineering Reference Department

ABSTRACT

This article reports on survey findings investigating the impact of statewide library consortia on Interlibrary Loan departments and their potential impact in the State University of New York library system as it moves toward creating its statewide integrated system, called SUNY Connect. The surveys were sent to a sampling of 75 libraries in three existing statewide library consortia, VIVA in Virginia, GALILEO in Georgia and OhioLINK in Ohio. The results of this survey indicate what changes Interlibrary Loan departments may see in workflow, staffing, and technology when joining a statewide consortia.     

Finding the Answers to Legal Questions: A How-To-Do-It Manual. Tucker,Virginia, and Lampson,Marc

Abstract

In an effort toward establishing a standard for academic library hours, this article surveys and compares hours of operation and service for ARL libraries and IPEDS survey respondents. The article ranks the ARL libraries according to hours of operation and reference hours and then briefly discusses such issues as libraries offering twenty-four hour access and factors affecting service hour decisions.     

Beyond Consultation: A New Model for Librarian's Office Hours

ABSTRACT

Given the many changes in our students and their study and research practices, libraries are finding it necessary to seek new ways to reach these students. The Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created a new model to do so. Librarian's Office Hours are a hybrid of reference and instructional services that fulfill the dual purposes of meeting the needs of term paper research counseling and library workshops. This article discusses the strategies involved in the creation and implementation of this service and examines suggestions for the future of such a service.     

Electronic Document Delivery in Pakistan: A Case Study

SUMMARY

Describing her experience of establishing an Electronic Document Delivery Service at the library of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the author discusses the various issues, which significantly effect the net cost, delivery time and management process of providing such a service by a library in Pakistan. While presenting multiple options leading to an effective solution, the advantages and disadvantages of each option have been highlighted, and their implications, with particular reference to Pakistani libraries, have been discussed. The various points to be considered by Pakistani Librarians, while selecting a commercial Document Provider, have also been discussed. In the end, the author discusses the potential of using the Electronic Document Delivery facility as a time-saving and cost-effective tool for Resource Sharing among libraries in Pakistan.     

Interlibrary Loaning Special Collections: A Test Run for the University of California

ABSTRACT

In June of 2001, the University of California Libraries initiated a pilot project that enabled library patrons to direct request items held in the University of California Special Collection Units. The pilot ended the need for patrons to initiate most requests for unique items in person through the Special Collections department and allowed patrons to self-determine the need for a unique item when searching the shared UC-wide catalog, Melvyl®. The following article discusses the process used to handle the requests, includes perspectives from the two units overseeing the requests, evaluates the overall success of the pilot and offers considerations for implementing a similar service elsewhere.     

Durability of Interlibrary Loan Envelopes

Abstract

InfoQuest is a fee-based document delivery and research service provided by Auburn University Libraries to patrons who may or may not be affiliated with a library. InfoQuest operates on a cost recovery basis and opens up the library's collection to the general public. This article presents an overview of InfoQuest's document supply service including statistics and offers insight into the client base.     

Aiming for service excellence: Implementing a plan for customer service quality at a blended service desk

ABSTRACT

This article discusses a public service review and redesign that resulted in a blended service desk combining reference and circulation functions, staffed by nonlibrarians. The redesign implements a number of organizational structures that encourage service excellence, as found in the business literature and in examples of nonlibrary organizations that excel in customer service. The article identifies key organizational structures that have been shown to support or hinder good service and discusses the process of implementing these structures in practice and the results of an assessment process designed around determining success.     

When the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Development of Cooperative Service and Resource Sharing in Libraries: 1876–2002

SUMMARY

This article will look at the historical development of cooperative service and resource sharing in libraries. Interlibrary Loan, union catalogs, library consortia, and electronic reference, have all impacted library work in the past century. The dissolving of walls is one of the main themes of library history in the 20th century. The developments of these years has clearly put the ability to use both human and institutional resources at the heart of contemporary library service. In looking at how this came to be, this article will examine developments in societal infrastructure and technology that made cooperative schemes both possible and economical. This article will also discuss how these developments have forced libraries to consider cooperative ways to respond to their primary service function. Lastly, conclusions will be drawn about how the emerging cooperative environment is changing the educational role of the librarian.     

Going Where the Students Are

Summary

Increased student use of the Internet and declining reference desk statistics are factors encouraging academic reference librarians to look for new ways to reach patrons. Web-based customer contact center software gives librarians the tools to provide interactive, 24/7 reference service to Internet users. This article describes how the library at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona developed its live/web reference service. We discuss the factors that encouraged us to launch the service, the challenges that we encountered along the way, and examples of our experiences to date.     

SACO: Past,Present, and Future

Abstract

This article discusses the history and development of the SACO (Subject Authority Cooperative) Program of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). The current proposal process is examined. The University of California, Davis Library is presented as a participating institution, with some forward-looking utilization of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).     

An Interlibrary Loan Network Among Academic Libraries of Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Global information explosion, escalating prices of books and periodicals, fiscal constraints, and above all, demand for faster supply of information through electronic means has forced the academic libraries, world-wide, to share their resources through local, national, and regional cooperative networks to fulfill requirements of their patrons. The article presents a model plan of an interlibrary loan network (ILLN) among academic libraries of Saudi Arabia and discusses its organizational structure, governance, operational requirements, finances, etc. The proposed ILLN will be formal, regular, and systematic to provide greater cooperation, coordination, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and will ensure comprehensive sharing of available resources.     

加强对合作书商服务质量监管的实践与探索

阐述新形势下高校图书馆对合作书商建立服务质量评价制度的重要性,以北方工业大学图书馆实践为例,探讨对提高书商服务质量监管力度的有效途径,提出今后工作需要完善的几点建议。     

UCF Library Express: Planning a Faculty Delivery Service

As it becomes increasingly difficult to demonstrate the worth of the library to the academic community, gate counts and usage statistics are no longer enough. Showing the impact the library has on the community requires planning new services with outcome measurement from the start. This article outlines a project plan for launching a faculty book delivery service at the University of Central Florida's John C. Hitt Library using Rhea Rubin's (2006) Outcome Measurement model. The article reviews the relevant literature, analyzes the current internal and external climate in which the service will be implemented, discusses the logistical aspects of the service such as cost, delivery method, and staffing, and concludes by determining the goals and outcomes of the service based on these factors. This article is the first in a series of three articles that together make up an entire project planning and management document, including planning, marketing, and assessing the service. The plan in its entirety provides an example of how to apply the Outcome Measurement model in an academic library setting.     

Floating and Idea

Abstract

During the 2001-2002 academic year, Augustana College Library (Rock Island, IL) and St. Ambrose University Library (Davenport, IA) began a unique joint venture of peer observation between the reference staff members of the two libraries. Librarians from each college took turns visiting the other library and conducting peer observations of reference desk service. Although the reasons each library had for initiating this venture differed, both libraries benefited from this project. This article discusses the development of the program, the results, and plans for the future.     

Major and Minor Mold Outbreaks: Summer of 2002

SUMMARY

In the summer of 2002, the University of Iowa Libraries Preservation Department responded to an unusual number of mold incidents, large and small. This article discusses the strategies used and outlines steps to a successful mold remediation.     

Virtual Reference Services

Abstract

Researchers performed a cost and benefit analysis of the University of South Florida's locally controlled chat service and compared the results to the advantages and expenses associated with a chat consortium. An evaluation of chat sessions revealed that a substantial portion of the inquiries received relate to university-specific interests. In addition to the local nature of chat questions, library staff used USF statistics to estimate the staffing, software, and training costs of the current chat reference service. The collaborative service under consideration involves both additional costs and benefits. A final decision, however, requires an in-depth assessment of several factors. Supplementary factors in this examination include a brief history of USF virtual reference service and the current trends in instant messaging that support the continuance of chat reference.