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Start Date
7-10-2020 4:15 PM
End Date
7-10-2020 5:00 PM
Description
The Interlibrary Loan Office in the Marx Library at the University of South Alabama had been informally using ILL statistics to manage collections, and we had been conducting satisfaction surveys of patrons for years, but we had not used the data to look at our collections in a more formal and structured way, nor had we examined using the data to offer new or expanded programs or to change existing policy. In 2016, we decided to change that. We looked at data on the requests that had to be cancelled because the cost was too great, we looked at the Reasons for No reports, and we looked at the comments on the faculty and graduate student surveys. The results led us to conclude that the most useful step we could take would be to pilot a program where the library, instead of faculty and graduate students, paid for ILL requests from institutions that charged to fill such requests. In the middle of the COVID-19 closure, we continued to keep track of this ILL data and feel that it will provide valuable insight for future planning. This presentation will show the results of that pilot and cover options that the Marx Library investigated to offset the anticipated increased cost. It will also look at the beginning steps that we have taken toward using ILL data to improve our collections and develop future crisis planning.
Poster pdf
CobbWheeler GLASELA Poster Script 10-7-2020.pdf (133 kB)
Poster script pdf
Using ILL Statistics to Change Policy, Manage Collections, and Develop Crisis Planning
The Interlibrary Loan Office in the Marx Library at the University of South Alabama had been informally using ILL statistics to manage collections, and we had been conducting satisfaction surveys of patrons for years, but we had not used the data to look at our collections in a more formal and structured way, nor had we examined using the data to offer new or expanded programs or to change existing policy. In 2016, we decided to change that. We looked at data on the requests that had to be cancelled because the cost was too great, we looked at the Reasons for No reports, and we looked at the comments on the faculty and graduate student surveys. The results led us to conclude that the most useful step we could take would be to pilot a program where the library, instead of faculty and graduate students, paid for ILL requests from institutions that charged to fill such requests. In the middle of the COVID-19 closure, we continued to keep track of this ILL data and feel that it will provide valuable insight for future planning. This presentation will show the results of that pilot and cover options that the Marx Library investigated to offset the anticipated increased cost. It will also look at the beginning steps that we have taken toward using ILL data to improve our collections and develop future crisis planning.