Simplifying Borrowing Privilegesto improve access and accuracy

Nancy Abashian, Head of Reader ServicesJill Dixon, Director of Public Services

Binghamton University Libraries

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• SUNY AffiliatesLibrary Staff Jessica Armstrong assisting patron.

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In the Beginning….

There was Aleph…

*Know thy patron status *Know thy patron type*Know thy item status

(WHAT?)

Patron Type vs. Status

Patron Type = broad descriptor

Patron Status = determines relationship to items

The Problem Access & Accuracy • What’s your status?

• Who are you really?

• So many to choose from!• Aleph says: pick a

number between 1 and 100.

• So many mistakes!• Data entry- so many

keystrokes, so little consistency…

It was so bad….

How bad was it?Follow these steps:

1.) Which of 12 statuses does patron belong?It depends….2.) Which of the 100 types does patron belong?It depends…..3.) What kind of ID is involved?It depends….4.) What’s the loan period for patron’s status?

It depends….5.) What are the limits for the status?It depends….6.) Can patron recall or use ILL?It depends…7.) When should the patron expire?It depends….8.) Wait, who are you again?I have no idea, return to step one or refer patron to Head of Reader Services

The Birth of a Committee:

Borrowing Privileges Committee Membership:• Head of Reader Services• Assistant Director of Access Services• Assistant Head of Reader Services• Science Library Information Services Desk Coordinator• Resource Sharing Coordinator

The Mission

•Improve accuracy• reduce clerical errors • reduce patron duplication• reduce errors in categorizing patrons

•Increase access• increase loan periods• increase access to all material

The Proposal

•Simplify Privileges• Reduce Borrower Categories• Standardize Loan Periods• Standardize Material Limits

• Ease Recall Demand on Patrons• Utilize ILL Workflow • Create Courtesy Reserve Program

•Provide Accessibility for Visiting Scholars and Faculty • Sponsored Borrowing Programs

To simplify privileges:

Clean up ALEPH

• Total Patron Records: 82,236 • Total records eligible for immediate purge: 45,465• Expired as of 1/1/2011• No loans• No holds• No outstanding fines or fees transferred to Banner

• Exp. Patron with fines transferred to banner: 3024• Exp. Patron with active fines NOT transferred: 1696• Exp. Patron with active holds: 941• Exp. Patron with lost loans: 267

To simplify privileges:

Reduce ALEPH Statuses• Old:• 01 Undergrads• 02 Summer Programs• 11 Grads• 12 PhD• 13 ABD• 30 Faculty/Staff• 40 Other Staff• 41 Auxiliary Staff• 56 Alumni• 57 Visiting

Scholars/Volunteers/Courtesy Borrowers

• 59 Retirees• 81 SUNY Affiliates/Clinical Campus

• New:• 01 Undergrads• 11 ALL Grad students (grad, PhD ABD)• 30 State Employees• 57 Courtesy Borrowers• 80 Special Programs

To simplify privileges:

Simplify Patron TypeFaculty/ProfessionalsManagement/ConfidentialEmeritus/EmeritaResearch Foundation EmployeesStaffUndergradsGradsPhDABD

Local CitizenHigh School StudentAlumniSUNY AffiliateSpecial Programs Older AdultsClinical CampusAuxiliaryVisiting Faculty/ScholarVolunteerRetiree

To simplify privileges:

Simplify Patron Type30 State Employees

Faculty/ProfessionalsManagement/ConfidentialEmeritus/EmeritaResearch Foundation Staff

01 Undergrads11 Grads

PhDABD

57 Courtesy BorrowersLocal CitizenHigh School StudentAlumniSUNY AffiliateSpecial Programs

80 Special ProgramsOlder AdultsClinical CampusAuxiliaryVisiting Faculty/ScholarVolunteerRetiree

Simplify (& Increase)

Loan & Material Limits

Standard Loans: Before:• 4 weeks

• 6 weeks• Annual• End of term• End of summer

After:• 6 weeks• Annual

Book Limits: Before:

• 15• 25• 50• 100• 200• To infinity and beyond…

After:• 15• 50• 200

Updating Aleph, Forms & Website• Coding borrower status and type for university

affiliates was done through campus IT

• All manual, in-house records were globally changed by system administrator

• Forms were reviewed, revised and distributed by committee

• Library website was updated to reflect changes

The Proposal

•Simplify Privileges • Reduce Borrower Categories• Standardize Loan Periods• Standardize Material Limits

• Ease Recall Demand on Patrons• Utilize ILL Workflow • Create Courtesy Reserve Program

•Provide Accessibility for Visiting Scholars and Faculty • Sponsored Borrowing Programs

To Ease Demand:

Reduce recalls-Use ILLItem is owned AND requested through ILL:• Item is NOT on loan Document Delivery• Item is on loan

• Textbook:• Cancel ILL Request• Recall Courtesy Reserves

• Not a textbook:• Request has multiple recalls Courtesy Reserves• Process ILL request: IDS, SUNY, SCRLC, in-state free

reciprocal libraries• Request not filled by lenders• Recall Courtesy Reserves

To Ease Demand:

Courtesy ReserveCourtesy vs. Traditional Reserves:• Not course related• No communication with teaching faculty• Based solely on demand• Short term loan period of 1 day vs. 2 hours

Pilot:• 5 books were identified for Courtesy Reserves• 50 circulations (Per item: high of 16, low of 3)

The Proposal

•Simplify Privileges • Reduce Borrower Categories• Standardize Loan Periods• Standardize Material Limits

• Ease Recall Demand on Patrons• Utilize ILL Workflow • Create Courtesy Reserve Program

•Provide Accessibility for Visiting Scholars and Faculty • Sponsored Borrowing Programs

To Provide Access:

Visiting Scholars & Faculty

Before: Courtesy Borrowers• No access to ILL• No recall• 15 loan maximum

After: Sponsored Borrowers• ILL Permissions• Recalls Allowed• 50 loan maximum• Fees/Fines paid by University Provost’s Office

The Proposal

•Simplify Privileges • Reduce Borrower Categories• Standardize Loan Periods• Standardize Material Limits

• Ease Recall Demand on Patrons• Utilize ILL Workflow • Create Courtesy Reserve Program

•Provide Accessibility for Visiting Scholars and Faculty • Sponsored Borrowing Programs

Summary:

• Simplifies borrowing types from 12 to 5• Increases loan periods to at least 6 weeks• Standardizes book limits • Visiting Scholars and Faculty receive ILL privileges• ILL processes borrowing requests on items

owned & checked out• Courtesy Reserves provides short term access to

in demand items

Approval & Feedback:

Library Administration• Borrowing Types: • Addresses issues of accuracy • Simplifies training of staff about privileges

• Loan periods & book limits:• Increases access to collection (longer time periods)• Less confusing for staff & patrons

• Visiting Scholars Privileges:• Preferred option for department sponsorship of visiting scholars• Needed approval from Deans Council & Provost

• Courtesy Reserves:• Purchase-on-Demand vs. Courtesy Reserves

The Mission

•Improve accuracy• reduce clerical errors • reduce patron duplication• reduce errors in categorizing patrons

•Increase access• increase loan periods• increase access to all material

Opportunities for the Future

•Review of Fines/Fees•Review of LOST/MISSING procedures•Review record retention

Questions/Comments?

Thank you!!Nancy Abashian, Head of Reader Services

Binghamton University Librariesabashian@binghamton.edu

Jill Dixon, Director of Public ServicesBinghamton University Libraries

jdixon@binghamton.edu