Opening up access for the end user

Lynette LewisCo-ordinator Online Services

Yarra Plenty Regional Library

Aim of today’s session

Yarra Plenty’s involvement in its development

How Yarra Plenty uses Libraries Australia Effects/impact its introduction has had at

Yarra Plenty The future

Pilot Project – Information Australia

Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service Brisbane City Council Library Northern Regional Library Service Thuringowa Library Service Southern Tablelands Regional Library

Service

From Information Australia …..to Libraries Australia

Pilot program finished in 2005 and Libraries Australia was launched

Based on Information Australia Seamless changeover for pilot libraries Same functionality All libraries were now able to join it.

…Let’s look at how Yarra Plenty uses Libraries Australia

What Yarra Plenty library members can do

Search Libraries Australia and APAFT– Via Bruce subscription to APAFT

Place their own inter-library loans Search & retrieve full-text journal articles on

APAFT Request journal articles if not available in full-

text

…available 24/7 from anywhere

Limit to online

Selection of databases

Sorts Libraries Australia and APAFT results

How does this portal differ?

Not just online material as with a regular webpage

Allows patron to be in control Does not necessarily give “instantaneous

results” Still reliant on the library for the end result

Issues

Remote Access Library Australia records not up-to-date Information on the Australian libraries

gateway not up-to-date Inter library loan charges Not all libraries use Libraries Australia

– As a bibliographic database– The inter library loan request module

Who Benefits? The public

– Accessible 24/7– Able follow up a search by requesting a resource

without moving from the computer– Empowers user more

The staff– Able to search and request using the same

webpage– Empowers staff more– able to provide better customer service

– Good back up if LMS is down

The Effects at YPRL…

Inter-library loan workflow Inter library loan workload Reference staff skills and workflow Added depth to our collection

Borrowers ability to select and order items for themselves

24/7 remote access– taking the library to the borrower

The futureWe need to look at what might be…

not just what we have now

Federated searching Library link Web 2.0 technology…what borrowers will

expect of the library Taking the library to the borrower Partnerships with Google/Yahoo

– Book search– Google scholar

Libraries Australia

Better access to Australian library collections Better outreach service to library members Better customer service within the library

Google provides exposure to a world of resources…it’s our job to provide access

Lynette LewisCo-Ordinator Online ServicesYarra Plenty Regional Library ljlewis@yprl.vic.gov.au