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Requests Direct

Forum for Interlending Workshop 2 July 2002

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Introductions

Margaret van Mellaerts Document Supply Manager

Essex County Council

Katie Anstock Product Manager

Fretwell-Downing Informatics

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About Essex County Council Largest public library service in

the UK Unitary authorities include

Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea Population - approx. 1 million Number of ILL requests per month

- 3000 LMS - GEAC

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In the beginning...

25 years of Interlending at Essex County Council

How has the service developed from 1975 - 2000?

What was the ILL service’s objectives?

From manual to semi-automated

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A new broom…

“Times they are a changing” October 2000

Management changes ILL service - new post created

New managers = Radical change

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A new broom…

New managers Librarians ILL experience?

Workshop exercise (1): Take your “ILL hats off” and think about

your ILL service and your public library ILL service from the users’ perspective….

Utopian exercise!

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Initial impressions

Not service-oriented ILL Department not public-facing

Slow and labour-intensive paper dominated service

Time consuming process e.g.: searching multiple bib databases

Semi-automated with multiple tools

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UK Public Library Model Distinct from academic libraries Supplier order:

Region i.e. Co-East Outside region ie Conarls, non-

Conarls British Library OCLC & IFLA libraries

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Year 1: Action packed

Day 1 British Library changed their

service model price charge increase for books Cost?

September 2001 LASER

ceased trading

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In the background...

Co-East developing library community Essex fully committed Cutting edge:

innovative services:– ILL, CI, cooperative purchasing of e-

resources ILL

– distributed standards-based model– resource sharing model using ISO ILL

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A bright idea!

February 2001

Defined strategy and business plan for Essex County Council

ILL Service

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Visionary strategy

Front-line service Utilise IT to the full Automate and eradicate the

paper chase

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….. But how?!

Hmmm - let’s come back to that one, but

don’t get bogged down in the

detail!

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Demise of Laser

… and the rise of Co-East Essex had to radically rethink

Workshop exercise (2): What would you do? New service model? “Go it alone”?

– Loose LASER’s V3 - what then?

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What about Co-East? Local government reorganisation Start-up members:

Essex (includes Thurrock and Southend)

Suffolk Cambridge (includes Peterborough)

Essex more eastern region than London and South-East

10 members

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Co-East’s resource sharing model Distributed not centralised Standards based

Z39.50 for searching ISO ILL for requesting

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The distributed model

Z client&

ILL/DDSystem

http

ESSEX

End User

LocalCatalogue

Z39.50

Admin User

Z client&

ILL/DDSystem

Cambridge

Catalogue

Z client&

ILL/DDSystem

Suffolk

Catalogue

ISO ILL

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Co-East and Essex

Requesting system for Co-East items

… but can it be used for more? Requirements analysis

May 2001

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A potted history

LIDDAS consortium in Australia Australian academic libraries

State wide library systems in USA up to 3000 libraries in Colorado and Ohio

Pharmaceutical companies RIDING Virtual Union Catalogue British Library’s ISO Gateway Docusend project Essex County Council (last but by no means

least!)

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So here we are…

Z39.50 simultaneous searching Essex and Cambridge catalogues an in-print source other library catalogues inc. OCLC

Further service development UnityWeb searching via VDX

Web-based interface for public use requesting and monitoring

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Innovative messaging

Live ART ISO messaging with British Library

Co-East requests via ISO ILL Further service development:

OCLC interoperability testing scheduled Improved communication with

branches currently automated using email

Email to non-ISO library suppliers

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Requests Direct - why?

A direct requesting service telephone email web branch library

i.e. whichever way the user prefers

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Requests Direct - the team ILL team

direct contact with users responsibility for public face of

service no longer second hand with branch

as intermediary

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Requests Direct - communication Call centre model

tell user directly when item available locally from Essex or Cambridge

whether it’s in print available from Unity members

user told directly that request has been actioned

user defines pick up location

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Requests Direct - communication

Push technology: user emailed with request status

reports Pull technology:

user can check request status on the web

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Requests Direct - Objective

“The mystery of Interlending will be a thing of the past and

the service will be truly direct“

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Lessons learned Be prepared for frustrations but...

Don’t lose sight of the vision! Don’t run before you can walk! Go for incremental service development

radical service development doesn’t happen overnight!

staged go-lives Invest in staff training and technology

but be patient!

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Vendor perspective

Interoperability in a competitive environment -

a contradiction in terms?! Customer expectations?

Let’s be realistic! Project management -

on-going problem-solving Maintain positive attitude Communication is key

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So, what now?

Workshop exercise (3): Is RequestsDirect the ideal model? Could this model be adopted in

your library or sector? Academic?, public?, NHS? Regional?

What would you do next?

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Requests Direct