Missing Link: Optimizing Access to Reduce Unnecessary ILL Requests

All events will be held online. It is worth noting that all times in the program are quoted in British Summer Time (BST ; = UTC+1).

You can register here. As we are running multiple streams, we have had to break down the registration process to a day-by-day and session-by-session registration process.

Patrons were submitting an unsettling number of interlibrary-library loan requests for articles the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point already owned electronically. Patrons could have accessed the full-text themselves but opted for ILL instead, thereby consuming staff time and delaying delivery. From 2017-2018, these unnecessary requests accounted for nearly 44% of ILL article borrowing transactions. Library staff suspected the confusion stemmed from Ex Libris Primo, which required a vexing, multistep process to download articles.

In 2019, the UWSP Libraries integrated LibKey into Primo, condensing article downloads to a single link. In the first year with LibKey, ILL experienced a substantial drop in unnecessary requests. Primo usability also has improved thanks to one-click article access.

In this presentation, ILL staff will share results of implementing LibKey in Primo. Third Iron Co-founder Kendall Bartsch will add perspective on related findings from other libraries.

2020 Digital Conference and Developers Day

September 14–17, 2020

Missing Link: Optimizing Access to Reduce Unnecessary ILL Requests

Conference or Developers' Day

Session Abstract

Track

Applicable Ex Libris Product

Target Audience Skill Level

Registration

Presenter

Troy Espe, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Presenter's job title

Co-Presenters

Rebecca Wisniewski, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Co-presenter's job title

Kendall Bartsch, Third Iron

Co-presenter's job title

Moderator

Maribel Alvarado, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and IGeLU Steering Committee