2013 Charleston Conference

After three years of doing electronic book PDA with EBL, Cowles Library decided to expand our PDA offerings to include print. Some of the reasons for expanding the EBL program to include print were low usage of approval books; librarian uncertainty about which slips to purchase; a desire to make more efficient usage of acquisition funds; and our desire to determine if PDA was a workable acquisitions model for print materials.

This presentation will discuss the factors the Library considered in selecting a vendor, including the ability to integrate the two formats without duplication, technical considerations, and real-time stock availability to enable rush delivery. Additionally, the presentation will discuss librarian and teaching faculty roles in developing PDA profiles, and profile considerations (e.g., selection of format, delay in electronic publication, costs).

Cowles Library worked closely with the vendor Ingram Coutts to develop the integrated print & ebook plan. The vendor representative will compare Cowles Library’s approach to print PDA with other customers, and share details of the choices libraries have when establishing a print PDA plan (determining which titles should be included in the PDA, mediated vs. direct to vendor ordering, collecting information about the requesting patron, stock check and rush delivery, etc.) These comparisons will show how the choices made by Cowles Library staff, along with the energy invested in setting up the plan and integrating it into the catalog, make this print PDA a great example of best practices for others to follow.

Finally, we will discuss developing metrics for determining the success of the project, and future considerations, including refining existing profiles, expanding subject areas, budget impact, developing weeding method for records in the catalog.