ILL Committee Annual Report: 2006-2007

MOBAC COMMITTEE REPORTS FY 2006/07

ILL Committee

1. What are your committee’s long-range goals? What are your short-term objectives for the 2006/07 fiscal year?The committee’s short-term objectives are:

  • To oversee completion of the batch loading of records in OCLC for the remaining MOBAC libraries whose holdings are not completely represented in OCLC;
  • To assist in the transition from the BVA ILL software to OCLC;
  • To increase the number and frequency of courier deliveries to member libraries.

 

The committee’s long-range goals are:

  • To monitor the ongoing maintenance of MOBAC libraries’ OCLC   records;
  • To make resource sharing among MOBAC libraries a priority;
  • To provide excellent customer service through the sharing of resources.

2. Within the areas of responsibility of your committee, what are the issues that MOBAC should address to meet member needs and improve library service by member libraries? Are these issues best addressed by the Administrative Council? Or by one or more of the other Committees?

  • The most important ILL issue is the transition from the current   ILL software to OCLC. The Administrative Council should have a comprehensive plan, including a timeline, for this transition.
  • It is important that all libraries are able to participate fully in OCLC interlibrary loan activities. Financial support from MOBAC may be necessary for OCLC training and interim OCLC access for some member libraries.

3. In the opinion of your committee, what opportunities in your areas of responsibility lie ahead for MOBAC members? What barriers or potential barriers are we facing? How can these barriers be overcome?

  • The California Libraries Catalog will allow our patrons to have greater access to materials throughout the Monterey Bay region and California. This is an opportunity to add value to the already high level of service provided to MOBAC library patrons.
  • The challenges to MOBAC libraries are:
    • Keeping holdings records up-to-date and accurate ;
    • Managing ILL staff loads;
    • Giving MOBAC libraries ILL priority in the face of increasing non-local requests;
    • Providing sufficient courier deliveries to accommodate the increased flow of materials among member libraries and to meet our customer service standards.
  • It is important that ILL staff attend Committee meetings (the ILL Committee meets six times per year). These meetings provide an opportunity for staff to discuss the issues and solve the problems that will be challenging them in the short and long terms.      Council liaison attendance is also important to provide committee members with direction and clarification.

4. What policy decisions will the Administrative Council need to make to help your committee achieve your objectives for FY 2006/07? Please be specific.Administrative Council policy should reflect that:

  • OCLC records need to be kept current for all libraries;
  • The ILL software migration process will be monitored until all members are participating;
  • Council will offer continuing and consistent support for ILL services, including timely delivery of materials.

5. What are the fiscal requirements relating toward objective and policy recommendations for FY 2006/07? Are you aware of outside funding sources, such as grants? If so, please describe them. What are your budget needs for FY 2006/07?

  • Training/retraining for the OCLC software may require paying OCLC for training sessions. The committee suggests budgeting $2000 for this purpose.
  • Restoring courier service should be a priority.
  • The Council may need to subsidize OCLC access for those   libraries unable to participate because of limited budgets.

6. What else does the Administrative Council need to know about your objectives for the upcoming fiscal year?

  • To summarize: Increased access to library holdings is both an opportunity for our patrons and a challenge to our staff and financial resources. Particular diligence will be needed during the software migration process, and the resulting increase in interlibrary loan activity will need to be managed so that library staff is able to continue to provide high quality service to our patrons. The ILL Committee looks forward to working with the Administrative Council on these issues.

 

 

 

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