Tech Lending Working Group
- Julie Petzold
Brief description of project
Proposal and charge for a Technology Lending Working Group from RTLSC
Problem Statement
Because the loaning of technology and equipment from our libraries across campus is now such a ubiquitous service, we are in great need of ensuring a consistent user experience in having access to this equipment. We are also in need of providing an effective and consistent means of managing and reporting on the Library’s inventory and use of its technology and equipment for loan. Our users should be able to easily discover what equipment is available in which libraries across campus for their classroom projects, research projects or digital scholarship projects. We in the library need the means to measure our impact in proving this service and be able to strategize about how we grow and evolve this service in support of our users and our growing support of tools for digital scholarship.
To begin to address these issues, the goal of the proposed Technology Lending Working Group will be to:
- To establish consistency and clarity for users regarding the range of services and array of technology lending across the library; eliminating unnecessary variability in the user experience; and to bring cohesion and better awareness to this library service across service points
- Managing analytics to understand trends and user needs over time in order to plan proactively for change/growth in the services
- Capturing data that allows for refresh of the technologies at appropriate times, keeping the equipment relevant and tied to needs
- Creating workflows for staff that allow smooth purchase and processing of new equipment rather than the non-standard and ad hoc manner that occurs now
- Bringing best practices to a service that is being offered by many campus libraries at this time but lacks coordination now
4/30/20 Updates:
- Recommendations have been sent to RTL
- One recommendation included the creation of an implementation group
- This group could work on creating clean metadata that the web group could use going forward
Information gathering
Imagine that this example is the front and back of a camera: https://hollis.harvard.edu/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=HVD2&search_scope=everything&tab=everything&lang=en_US&docid=01HVD_ALMA212146905340003941
Analysis of options
Option 1: use DRS / URN process as defined in Scanned Key Content workflow, with a different value in 9XX $x (to be determined)
Option 2: identify new workflow exclusively for tech loan
- Create one or more images per bibliographic record in Alma
- One image must be a thumbnail for use in the search results, within 60px wide and 90px high
- Additional images may be used for display in Full Details page (max size pending requirements discussion)
- Store images outside of DRS, on a https server
- Insert links to images in Alma bibliographic records in new 9XX field (exact field to be determined after functional requirements have been defined)
- do you require image captions?
- sample (pending requirements discussion): 956 $$a https://domain.harvard.edu/techDevice.png
- thumbnail: 956 $$a https://domain.harvard.edu/techDeviceThumb.png $$x thumb
Other
- Use dedicated location code in each library to identify tech (e.g. 852 $b CAB $c TECH or $b KSG $c EQU)
- Create new scope in HOLLIS (e.g. search box dropdown) for tech loan (pending review by D2D)
Testing
Alma Config Needs:
- Circ Equipment Alma Work order for damaged equipment or equipment with missing parts so we can track them and mark them as unavailable. This would be for all locations that have tech.
- Higher overdue charge threshold ($45 current reserves limit.)
- Configure borrowed equipment so it goes lost on patron account when it becomes 3 (?) days overdue, creating replacement and overdue charges.
- Configure libraries (at least LAM and CAB) with Tech collections w/ reserves fulfillment profiles.
- Dedicated policies for lost/overdue/claims returned as it relates to equipment.
- Process for removing lost item from patron account after they have been billed. (When will we no longer accept the return of billed items?)
- Explore patron blocks policies and test functionality.
Records for testing discovery layer:
- GUT Equipment (EQU)
- HKS/KSG Technology Reserve (EQU)
- CAB Equipment (TECH)
Email from J to Julie Petzold with another example: "Holdings records for Canon EOS." Can't be used for testing because these items are in GEN currently.
Recommended practice or policy
- Approval needed? (Determine by who and how to obtain)