Everything Old Is New Again: Adding a Second Library to a Local System

Susan GoldnerUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law / Pulaski County Law LibraryAALL July 15, 2001

[Cartoons were removed to avoid copyright complications. Cartoon in this slide shows a boater tentatively sticking her toe in a pond full of alligators and snakes. Nearby is the treasure chest she wants to reach]

The Decision to Share

• Approached by Arkansas Supreme Court Library

• Time was not right, reconsidered later

• Talked to a library with similar experience

• Negotiated most of the terms

Cons

• Time spent setting up shared system

• Need to coordinate with another library

• Added complexity to our procedures

Pros

• Access to Supreme Court holdings• Cooperative collection

development• Cost sharing advantages• Increased interaction between

two libraries • Service to the state

[Cartoon pictures a cowboy facing a large herd of cows. He is trying to tell them where to go by pointing his finger.]

Communication

• Share the excitement• Share the frustrations• Informal• Formal• Documentation

[Cartoon pictures a mother chastising her daughter for talking about imaginary Martians, while the Martians are right outside the door.]

The Informal Contract

• Items new library will purchase• Items original library will provide• Annual fee• Preparation of data• Standards to follow

The Formal Contract

• Legal document• Approval of outside parties

– Arkansas Supreme Court– Director, Administrative Office of the Courts– Law School Dean– UALR Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration– UA System Counsel– Pulaski County Library Board

[The cartoon shows cave men trying to invent a cart. The wheel on the cart is a square, and other shapes litter the ground abound them.]

Data Migration

• Profiling– Existing profile to use or modify– Additional coding for new library– Shared or duplicate records– Location of call number

• Loading records• Testing• Clean-up : Deduping

[Cartoon pictures a man on a diving board. The pool in front of him is full of sail boats. But all he can see is

the sails which look like shark fins.]

Implementation & Training

• Procedure changes• Coding changes• Statistics more difficult to extract • Patrons and Public Services staff

see holdings of two collections

[The quarterback in the cartoon is being chased and tackled by cheerleaders, water boys, and fans.]

Ongoing Activities

• Training– New features– New staff members

• Revisions to procedures– Normal changes in routines– Upgrades

[Cartoon pictures firemen with their heads caught in their tee-shirts as they struggle to slide down the pole in response to the fire bell.]

Recommendations

• Consider the compatibility of your collections and your library cultures before agreeing to share

• Expect complications and delays• Share with someone knowledgeable,

flexible, creative, cooperative and humorous

• Feel good about maximizing limited resources

[Cartoon pictures a surgeon in a Jimmy Durante nose and glasses peering at his patient.]