Simplifying Borrowing Privileges

1. Simplifying Borrowing Privileges to improve access and accuracy Nancy Abashian, Head of Reader Services Jill Dixon, Director of Public Services Binghamton University Libraries

2. About Binghamton University • Binghamton University Mission Binghamton University is a premier public university dedicated to enriching the lives of people in the region, state, nation and world through discovery and education and to being enriched by partnerships with those communities. • Founded in 1946 • Elite Public University: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Princeton Review, Fiske Guide, and U.S. News & World Report Peace Quad, Binghamton University Campus. Photo by Jonathan Cohen.

3. Binghamton University Academics • Students • Undergraduates: 12,997 • Graduates: 3,080 • Top 25% of high school class • 15% International students from 100+ Countries • Academics • 641 Full-time faculty and 267 Part-time faculty (includes visiting scholars, clinical faculty, researchers, and lecturers) • 50+ Degree programs in Arts & Sciences, Management, Nursing, Engineering, and Community & Public Affairs Bartle Library Group Study Room. Photo by Jonathan Cohen.

4. Binghamton University Community • Campus Community • BU Staff • BU Research Foundation • BU Retirees • BU Alumni • Special Programs • Binghamton Community • High school students • Local citizens • Volunteers • SUNY Affiliates Library Staff Jessica Armstrong assisting patron.

5. Binghamton University Libraries Binghamton University Libraries are the center of the University's intellectual community, providing a welcoming environment for the creation and management of knowledge through innovative thinking, open inquiry, and collaborative partnerships. Reason for Being (Mission Statement) • Binghamton University Libraries bring people and information together utilizing value-added local initiatives to enhance learning, teaching, and research in ways that achieve national and international acclaim while strategically advancing our University’s mission and vision. Core Values • We value a collegial, collaborative, and creative organizational culture that encourages experimentation focused upon assessing and improving the effectiveness of our users’ experience.

6. Binghamton University Libraries :Locations & Collection • Four Locations • Glenn G. Bartle Library (main library) • Science Library • University Downtown Center Library • Library Annex @Conklin • Collections • 2.4 million volumes (print, e-books , government documents) • 1.8 million microforms/microfilm • 93,414 journals • 125,560CD-Roms, sound recordings, videotape, DVDs) • 120,959 maps Bartle Library Stacks. Photo by Jonathan Cohen.

7. In the Beginning…. There was Aleph… *Know thy patron status *Know thy patron type *Know thy item status (WHAT?)

8. Patron Type vs. Status

9. Patron Type = broad descriptor Patron Status = determines relationship to items

10. The Problem • 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… Access & Accuracy

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. To simplify privileges:Simplify Patron Type Faculty/Professionals Management/Confidential Emeritus/Emerita Research Foundation Employees Staff Undergrads Grads PhD ABD Local Citizen High School Student Alumni SUNY Affiliate Special Programs Older Adults Clinical Campus Auxiliary Visiting Faculty/Scholar Volunteer Retiree

18. To simplify privileges:Simplify Patron Type 30State Employees Faculty/Professionals Management/Confidential Emeritus/Emerita Research Foundation Staff 01 Undergrads 11 Grads PhD ABD 57Courtesy Borrowers Local Citizen High School Student Alumni SUNY Affiliate Special Programs 80Special Programs Older Adults Clinical Campus Auxiliary Visiting Faculty/Scholar Volunteer Retiree

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. To Ease Demand:Reduce recalls-Use ILL Item 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

23. To Ease Demand:Courtesy Reserve Courtesy 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)

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. Opportunities for the Future • Review of Fines/Fees • Review of LOST/MISSING procedures • Review record retention

31. Questions/Comments? Thank you!! Nancy Abashian, Head of Reader Services Binghamton University Libraries abashian@binghamton.edu Jill Dixon, Director of Public Services Binghamton University Libraries jdixon@binghamton.edu