Carrie Volk of Wofford has generated a brochure for our Resource Sharing Interest Group of SCLA. Her fast facts inside the brochure inspired me to do some quick calculations:
In FY 2006 (July 2005-June 2006), public libraries in South Carolina borrowed 37,472 items. CCPL borrowed 5,095 items, or 13.6% of items borrowed (1st in SC).
In FY 2006, public libraries in South Carolina loaned 20,164 items. CCPL loaned 1,491 items, or 7.4% of items loaned (5th in SC).
Friday, October 12, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Silent library
The library is eerily silent tonight - the only sound is the click click click of computer keyboards. No kids wandering the stacks, no one asking for copier change, very very quiet.
If you saw me right now at the reference desk, you wouldn't think we have increased interlibrary loan services over 35% since 2001. We may not look busy at this moment, but go back to the ILL desk and watch the requests roll in from our branches and departments - and from patrons via e-mail.
The pursuit of knowledge connects us all - I'm glad to have an opportunity to share (and be shared with, too)!
If you saw me right now at the reference desk, you wouldn't think we have increased interlibrary loan services over 35% since 2001. We may not look busy at this moment, but go back to the ILL desk and watch the requests roll in from our branches and departments - and from patrons via e-mail.
The pursuit of knowledge connects us all - I'm glad to have an opportunity to share (and be shared with, too)!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Crazy September
We have been absolutely slammed with requests throughout the month of September and are just now to a point where we can breathe, relax, and maybe even post to the blog. More musings to come!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The textbook question, and some answers
School starts this week, and about this time requests for textbooks begin to trickle in.
Textbooks can sometimes be borrowed via interlibrary loan. The main problem is that the maximum time we can have these books is about six weeks, less than half of a semester. If patrons decide to keep them longer, their accounts will be frozen by overdue fines (25 cents per day).
The lending library may need the item back for their own patrons, and we receive unpleasant e-mails and letters until the item is returned. This jeopardizes our ability to borrow items in the future.
An article in the Post and Courier's business review on Monday offers a few options for students who are trying to avoid the outrageous costs of textbooks. A number of online booksellers offer significant discounts on textbooks:
Textbooks can sometimes be borrowed via interlibrary loan. The main problem is that the maximum time we can have these books is about six weeks, less than half of a semester. If patrons decide to keep them longer, their accounts will be frozen by overdue fines (25 cents per day).
The lending library may need the item back for their own patrons, and we receive unpleasant e-mails and letters until the item is returned. This jeopardizes our ability to borrow items in the future.
An article in the Post and Courier's business review on Monday offers a few options for students who are trying to avoid the outrageous costs of textbooks. A number of online booksellers offer significant discounts on textbooks:
- Half.com
- Amazon.com
- CheapestTextbooks.com
- AbeBooks.com
- Alibris.com
- Campusbooks.com
- BestBookBuys.com
- BarnesandNoble.com
- Vitalsource.com
To see the article, click this link and scroll down to "Other UMPC news:"
http://umpc.com/default.aspx?story_id=109326928
Additional information found via Librarian's Internet Index sites of the week:
MakeTextbooksAffordable.com is a site devoted to a national student campaign against the rising costs of textbooks. California and Massachusetts have legislative bills pending to cap the costs of textbooks.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Resource sharing and SCLA
The Resource Sharing Interest Group (RSIG) of the South Carolina Library Association (SCLA) has been inactive for a while. Carrie Volk of Winthrop University, the chair of this group, is making efforts to revive it.
Their membership has leaned largely toward the academic libraries, and they want more public library participation. Via the State Library, Carrie was given my name as a public interlibrary loan librarian. Today, I was officially appointed secretary of this group for 2007 and 2008.
As library budgets are squeezed, no one library can have everything, and resource sharing is becoming vitally important to obtaining the information our patrons need. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to participate in dreaming and visioning for the future of interlibrary loan in South Carolina.
Their membership has leaned largely toward the academic libraries, and they want more public library participation. Via the State Library, Carrie was given my name as a public interlibrary loan librarian. Today, I was officially appointed secretary of this group for 2007 and 2008.
As library budgets are squeezed, no one library can have everything, and resource sharing is becoming vitally important to obtaining the information our patrons need. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to participate in dreaming and visioning for the future of interlibrary loan in South Carolina.
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