[Publib] Integrated Library System - Benifits

[Judith Cremer, Pott. Wab. Regional Library]

We are a two county rural library. We have four Branch Libraries and Four 
Mini Libraries (Min Libraries are open limited hours, have no card catalog 
of their own, and share resources from the Branch Libraries). The Library 
has a collection of approximately 130,000 items including some unique local 
history titles that are available exclusively at PWRL. The Library’s direct 
service area supports the information needs of a population of 21,222 
persons and covers 1612 square miles. We have an integrated shelf list at 
our headquarters library. Each of the three other branches have a card 
catalog that includes all items at their location, but not what is at any 
other location. 30% or our records are in the state union catalog. These 
can be accessed electronically, but a portion of those records are not 
correct due to past system migrations so all must be checked against the 
shelf list at the headquarters library for complete certainty. In 2004 the 
Library as a whole circulated 59,859 items the old fashioned way with cards 
and date due slips.

Our goal is secure, install, and maintain an Integrated Library System that 
provides remote electronic access through a general web interface to our 
eight location, two county library catalog.

What we need are practical examples of how the achievement of this goal 
will make a difference to the people we serve and the staff we employ. In 
other words, who benefits and how. I’m looking for simple scenarios aimed 
at non librarians that illustrate what would be possible with an ILS that 
is not possible with a manual card system.

i.e. businessman x needs y; student a needed b; stay at home mom looking 
for xyz?
staff z wants to ABC ???

If you have personal example, know of possible resources, anything to help 
put the project in terms that the public can easily understand and identify 
with...

So far our presentation has failed to have a strong enough impact to 
overcome the cost in dollars and the reality of the bottom line. Since 
grant money for this project has been very scarce, or else we haven’t been 
looking in the right places, we need to do some heavy duty convincing of 
our funding agencies.

I appeal to your collective experience


Thanks,
Judith

****************************************************
Judith Cremer, Assistant Director
Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library
306 N. 5th Street
St. Marys, KS 66536

Phone / Fax: 785-437-2778
E-Mail: cremerj at oct.net