Julian Aiken, Access Services Librarian, Yale Law Library
Becoming more like Amazon Prime/Netflix (but for free)
On-Demand services: Scanning, Collecting, Delivering.
- Scan on demand: way to get print into users’ hands, not just digital; print collections opened up; remote access to local print collection; ready access to print holdings would be very valuable to off-site students and staff. Illiad used to manage this. Getting word out not difficult — 1,000 students. Electronic signage, orientation sessions, emails. Feedback was tremendously positive. Unsolicited feedback. People loved it.
- Deliver on demand: accessing other libraries’ collection isn’t always straightforward. No other academic libraries were doing delivery on demand, except for remote online students or homebound. Illiad used to manage this in ILL dept. Shipping costs only additional cost. Direct existing staff into a better service for the students.
- Collect on demand: Kind of patron-driven acquisitions. Patrons don’t directly request purchase; instead, patrons analyze requests made through ILL, and decide whether or not to purchase. Trends through ILL and off-site requests. No precise formula, repeat requests are good indicator of interest in a title. Faculty member ILL requests are handled immediately; 90 percent of faculty ILL requests are purchased, instead of ILLed. Developed without any extra funding; redone budgets to meet patron needs. Careful analysis and dynamic response to patron requests make the library more proactive to patron needs.
- “Many thanks! You are super responsive, often thinking of student needs before we even anticipate them.” –unsolicited student response
I left this session earlier to take care of some work business.Â