Incoming!: Surviving the Barrage of Vendor Communications

For those in collection management, dealing with vendors is an integral part of the job. Yet the sheer volume of e-mails, phone calls, and other communications can sometimes leave one feeling as though under assault. This paper analyzes real-world examples of vendor communications and assesses their relevance and usefulness. It also provides tips and strategies for managing such communications effectively. Conveying library needs and expectations back to vendors, for example, is a critical step. For their part, vendors will have an opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t from a librarian’s perspective so that they may in turn learn how to communicate more efficiently with their customers

Taking the Long View: A Case Study of E-Book Usage at a Comprehensive Research University

The University Libraries at Virginia Tech made their first major acquisition of e-books in 2008 with a purchase of new e-book collections from Springer. While the business relationship has evolved over time, it has continued forward to the present day. Currently, the library’s online holdings include most of the frontlist subject collections available from what is now Springer Nature, as well as the Springer book series and the Springer Book Archives. In all, the University Libraries make over 120,000 e-books available to patrons through the SpringerLink platform. The cumulative usage of this material represents over two million chapter downloads by the university community just since 2012. The large number of titles available and the long-term nature of the acquisitions provide unique opportunities for in-depth analysis. The Springer Nature e-book collections also offer a variety of material types including monographs, textbooks, and reference works integrated onto the same platform. This session provides a case study of Springer Nature e-book usage at Virginia Tech and shows how working directly with a vendor partner can provide an enhanced and more multifaceted view of usage

ILL as Acquisitions: Implementing and Integrating POD in a Research Library

This paper describes Virginia Tech\u27s implementation of a purchase‐on‐demand (POD) program designed to complement the traditional interlibrary loan workflow. POD can offer a way to obtain otherwise unavailable or unlendable content or to get many items at lower cost than a typical borrowing transaction. POD also offers another means of building the collection through purchases of materials we know will get at least one use. We share key details of our program from pilot phase to its broader integration into the acquisitions workflow

Hosting a Library Vendor Week: A Better Way to Manage Site Visits?

Scheduling meetings between vendors and the appropriate library staff members is often a challenge, and the number of requests for site visits can quickly overwhelm any library calendar. The University Libraries at Virginia Tech recently held its first library vendor week in an attempt to address such concerns. Nearly two dozen vendors took part in the five-day event. This paper provides key lessons we learned during this experience and shares tips and strategies for libraries that may be interested in hosting their own multivendor event. With one perspective provided by the host library, and another from a vendor who took part, readers will learn from both sides about this uncommon approach to organizing vendor visits

Redesigning Workflows and Implementing Demand-Driven Acquisition at Virginia Tech: One Year Later

Library budgets are often stagnating, staff time is being redirected towards other needs, and demand for online resources is seemingly insatiable. These realities were part of the impetus behind Virginia Tech Libraries’ decision to begin a one-year demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) pilot program. This paper provides an overview of the DDA implementation challenges at Virginia Tech’s University Libraries and will detail the collection opportunities and financial benefits gained. Our goal is to provide participants with information to assist with their implementation of DDA. In summer 2012, Virginia Tech implemented a multivendor DDA option with YBP Library Service. The implementation and integration of DDA was not a one-step process. We continue to assess our workflow to meet the challenges of integrating DDA with our discovery layer Summon, managing cost, and addressing access problems. In our study, we compared cost and usage data from our 2010 and 2011 approvals and firm orders, COUNTER BR1 reports, and other vendor-provided data

Thirty Days and Counting: Conducting Effective Product Trials for Library Resources

Product trials for evaluating potential new resources can be a challenge for any library. To be most effective, several key elements must be addressed including determining suitable trial dates, establishing and confirming access, creating appropriate links, publicizing product availability, collecting usage data, and gathering feedback from participants. If one or more of these steps is missed, it is all too easy for trial access to run out before much useful data is gathered. The University Libraries at Virginia Tech have developed a method for managing this process through a Trials Workflow team and the use of free, Web-based project management software from Trello. Readers will learn about our workflow for conducting trials and discover how we work with our vendors to better manage the process for product trials