Rethinking Resource Sharing: Inspiring Librarians, Empowering Users

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Rethinking Resource Sharing Inspiring
Librarians, Empowering Users

• Brenda Bailey-Hainer
• OCLC Members Council
• February 2008

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What is the Rethinking Resource Sharing
Initiative?
an ad hoc group that advocates for
a complete rethink of the way
libraries conduct resource
sharing
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Why Rethink? User
Expectations Have Changed

• Self service
• Tiered service
• Fee for added services
• Options
• provider
• price
• time
• convenience

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Why Resource Sharing instead of ILL?

• ILL
• Request through fulfillment to return
• Presumption of scarcity
• Presumption of controlling policies
• Presumption of being the sole supplier
• Process is within the library

• Resource Sharing
• Discovery to delivery
• Presumption of abundance
• Presumption of user-controlled options
• Presumption of being one of many suppliers
• Process may start and/or end outside the library

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Perspective
Focus on users not enhancing staff tasks

• Vendor neutral

Global context
Broad definition of resource sharing

• ILL

Consortial borrowing
Digital services
Reference

• Delivery

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Four Initiative Subgroups

• User Needs
• Evaluate user expectations, needs, behavior
• Policies and Culture
• Lower barriers, change policies
• Interoperability
• Leapfrog todays interop issues
• Delivery
• Improve delivery through innovation, convenience

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Manifesto

• Fewer restrictions
• Users can choose from options
• Global access
• Libraries and cultural heritage institutions
• Reference service facilitates sharing
• Offer service for a fee rather than refusing
• Everyone a library user

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Service outside the library venue

• Hooks into library from non-library web venues
• Online environment
• Physical environment
• Hooks from library into non-library applications
• E-learning environment
• Shopping environment
• Research environment
• Business environment
• Mobile environment

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The GoGetter Project

• Modular plug-in for web browsers (Firefox 1)
• Extensible
• Open source, cross-vendor
• Functionality
• User downloads plugin enters location,
• preferences
• Parses web pages to identify published materials
• Displays button
• User clicks to see matrix of options, cost,
  delivery

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Service Options Exposed

• Provider
• Price
• Format
• Delivery terms
• Convenience factor
• Loyalty factor
• Geography factor

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Ideas for rethinking.

• Use floating collections
• Buy and hand to patron
• Impose no fines
• Mail to patrons choice of address
• Lend everything
• Use courier delivery
• Provide return mailers
• Expose content in non-library venues
• Encourage catch and release of materials

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Ideas for rethinking.

• Streamline user requesting
• National contract for delivery
• Options for international delivery
• Encourage standardized lending policies
• Support user plug-ins to identify options
• Investigate regional print-on-demand
• High volume materials at storage facilities in
  regional hubs

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Stimulating Innovation

• Initiative will give 3 awards for innovation in
  resource sharing
• Rewards changes made to improve services to users
• Each winner will receive 1,000 USD cash award
• Awards sponsored by Alliance of Library Service
  Networks
• On-going support for initiative provided by OCLC
  and BCR, with additional support from other groups

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Rethinking Resource Sharing Inspiring
Librarians, Empowering Users

• Brenda Bailey-Hainer
• OCLC Members Council
• February 2008

www.rethinkingresourcesharing.org