Unmediated Borrowing from Outside Institutions (URSA) - Implementation
Status of URSA Recommendations: Approval and Next Actions, February 22, 2007
1. Partners
a. The MIT Libraries should consider joining both the Virtual Catalog and Borrow Direct.
Action: Recommendation accepted. The Implementation team should remain in contact with the BLC and Ivy Plus Group to learn about their URSA 4 implementation schedules, focusing first on launching the service with the BLC, and later with the Ivy Plus Group. The implementation team’s timeline will be influenced by these external schedules, and require adjustment as information becomes available.
2. Access to MIT Collections:
a. Follow network-wide guidelines for lending whenever possible.
b. Apply consistent policies across traditional Interlibrary Loan and Unmediated Borrowing.
c. Decisions about exclusions to our lending agreements should be made by CMG and other stake holders.
Action: Recommendations accepted. The Implementation team will work with CMG, Document Services, and others to determine exclusions and evaluate/update ILL lending policies.
3. Circulation Policies:
a. Follow network-wide guidelines for borrowing periods whenever possible.
Action: Recommendation accepted.
b. Adopt standard practices for circulation of unmediated borrowing materials at MIT, in line with other loan periods of 28 to 30 days for locally owned material, including Interlibrary Borrowing/Lending.
Action:Recommendation accepted. The Implementation team will work with CMG, Document Services (ILB) and others to evaluate possible borrowing periods for interlibrary borrowing/loan materials.
c. Create consistent hold shelf policies for materials across library locations.
Action: Recommendation accepted. The Implementation team will work with members of ASG, LSA, and other units to standardize hold periods.
4. Service Eligibility:
a. Unmediated Borrowing services should be made available to faculty, students, and staff. Holders of Privilege Cards, BLC Library Cards, and Harvard Library Cards should be excluded.
b. ISG should examine the “MIT Other” patron status in Aleph, determine which types of affiliates should be eligible, and work with BAG and ASG to define Aleph patron status categories as needed.
c. ISG should examine and map MIT Card types to Aleph patron types, and work with BAG and ASG to bring patron types and MIT card types into closer alignment.
Action: An ASG subgroup is currently working with BAG to revise Aleph patron status and types appropriately. The Implementation Team will work with ISG to determine the eligibility of appropriate categories.
d. Policies for Unmediated Borrowing services and traditional Interlibrary Borrowing should be standardized. Current policies for use of Interlibrary Borrowing should be reviewed by ISG.
Action: Recommendation accepted. Work with ILB staff and the ISG to propose updated policies for ILB access.
5. Feasibility of including Haystack Observatory and Lincoln Laboratory:
a. Steering Committee should discuss this issue, in consultation with other stake holders.
Action: The Associate Director for Public Services will be responsible for investigating, and will act as liaison with the Implementation Team.
6. Pick-up of materials:
a. Offer the standardized pick-up locations for Unmediated Borrowing currently offered for Interlibrary Loan materials.
b. The implementation team should carefully explore and test the logistics of setting up multiple pick-up locations for materials borrowed by MIT patrons.
Action: Recommendations accepted. The implementation team should test this functionality in Phase II of implementation.
7. Staffing:
a. Use the Hybrid staffing model to support this service.
Action: The implementation team should test the feasibility of having materials delivered directly to local units, and work with local units to create appropriate workflows and operational procedures.b. Allocate appropriate FTE and student budget funds across the MIT Libraries system to support:
- Local units (including Library Storage Annex) for circulation and retrieval of materials
- Delivery Services for transporting materials between library units
- Document Services as a central point of contact for customer service, coordination, resolution of complex transactions, and shipping of materials
Action: The Implementation Team will develop initial staffing recommendations and submit them to PSLG during phase II of the implementation project.
c. Decisions about staff allocation and organization should be made by PSLG.
Action: Recommendation accepted.
8. Physical Infrastructure:
a. Work with Facilities Administrator and local public service units to identify short term and long term space needs and develop options to meet those needs.
b. Work with Facilities Administrator, Document Services and Delivery Services to satisfy space needs for shipping operations.
Action: Recommendations accepted. The implementation team will work with the Facilities Administrator in Phase I.
9. Testing of URSA:
a. The implementation team should fully test communication between URSA and Aleph 18, in consultation with BAG and UIG.
Action: Recommendation accepted. The implementation team will test URSA interoperations with Aleph as soon as testing is possible, most likely during Phase II of implementation. The implementation team will follow testing efforts at other institutions such as Boston College, and remain in contact with the BLC.b. STS should investigate and recommend an authentication strategy.
Action: Recommendation accepted. The implementation team will work with STS during Phase II of the implementation, after URSA 4 is available.
10. Implementation Team:
a. The URSA implementation team should include representatives from: Barton Advisory Group, Systems and Technology Services, ISG, ASG, Document Services, and others as needed.
b. The Document Services Librarian should lead the implementation team.
c. The Implementation Team should report to ISG.
Action: Recommendations accepted. The implementation team will work closely with ISG to determine appropriate roles and project timing.
March 9, 2007