Development of user-oriented library services: a troika model

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Development of user-oriented library services a
troika model

• John Gilbert, Peter Niesten Trudy Meijers
• Universiteit Maastricht
• 5 April 2004

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Contents

• Introduction
• Troika a Russian carriage drawn by three
  horses
• Library (technology push)
• User (market pull)
• Faculty (financing)
• Service development
• Example of document delivery
• Managing the three horses

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Introduction

• Universiteit Maastricht (UM)
• University library of UM
• Financing of library services
• Service contracts
• Importance of user focus
• Faculty users and faculty management not the
  same!
• Three forces library, users, faculty
• Forces (horses) pulling in the same direction?

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Library development

• Application of new technology
• Co-operation with other libraries shared
  services
• (Shared) cataloguing
• Interlibrary lending, document supply
• Digital resources co-operative bargaining
• Hybrid libraries merging services
• Efficient work processes

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User needs

• Know the user! Understand their needs
• Distinguish between user groups per discipline
  and per role
• Role student - staff, teacher - researcher
• User input
• Day-to-day observation, feedback
• Questionnaires, site for complaints, suggestions
• User forums
• Library committees

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Faculty management

• Faculty pay the bill library as cost factor?
• Who or what is faculty management? Who pulls the
  strings (key players)?
• Not only costs but also benefits
• Clear overview of products and services
• Back up product overview with user demands and
  use statistics
• Key players in library committees

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Service development in perspective

• 70s and 80s technology push automation and
  networking library systems, union catalogues
• 90s digital resources hybrid libraries
  concern about rising costs
• 2000 - integration of library services in
  user environment accent on added value

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Interlibrary Lending (ILL)

• Development of national system on basis of
  central system
• Books and journals all types of libraries
• Standard solutions, standard software, standard
  tariffs
• However increasing pressure to adapt system
• Different libraries have different wishes
• Library users have different expectations
• Impact of e-journals

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Local ILL issues

• Library as both supplier and requester (balance
  between import and export)
• Direct ordering for researchers via campus
  network
• Students (un)limited ILL?, payment?, direct
  ordering?
• What about e-journals? How to avoid ILL for
  journals on line to UM staff and students?
• Integral costs of ILL?

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ILL solutions

• 2003 Consultant report on national ILL system
• Tariff differentiation, e-journals also in
  database
• UM focus on direct ordering, staff and students
• Merging of ILL service and e-journal worlds
  with library portal (MetaLib/sfx)
• Splitting costs of ILL-export (central funding)
  and ILL-import (faculties)
• Each faculty determines ILL budget

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Service development

• What are the lessons? Service development
  requires
• Co-operation between libraries!
• Good technical infrastructure
• Good contacts with faculties
• Respondent library organisation (UM has matrix of
  departments and faculty librarians)
• Awareness of user needs and user environment
• Insight in costs
• Good PR and communication

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Service development (2)

• Library personnel are key factor
• Attitude and skills
• Library skills
• Communication skills
• Business skills
• Awareness of role of library in research and
  education
• Binding force library strategy as part of
  university strategy

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A model for service development

• Make optimum use of library know-how and
  technology co-operate where appropriate
• Keep in touch with your users and their research
  and education environment enable the user
• Communicate with faculty try to establish
  partnership
• In brief manage the Troika