The University of Louisville's Ekstrom Library needed to remove 260,000 items from its shelves, and shift a further 95,000 within an extremely short deadline ahead of plans to redesign its third floor into an inviting, modern, student-friendly space for patrons to enjoy. The move faced three distinct challenges: space, item tracking, and…

Access Service Departments are dynamic units that often thrive in an ever changing environment. This became more apparent as libraries across the world faced the outbreak of COVID-19. The Access Services Department of one mid-sized academic library was one of a handful of libraries in the state that remained open to serve patrons on campus. This…

As libraries of all types and sizes continue to re-envision themselves to remain relevant in a rapidly changing information landscape, the single service point is visible evidence of this effort. In a complex environment, combining formerly disparate functional or service units is for many libraries both an innovative and effective way to manage…

At some point in our library career, we may find ourselves in charge of an intern, volunteer, part-timer or even full-time staff, whether of our own initiative or not. There might be an organizational shift: someone retires or divisions merge and you might find yourself in charge of one person, or many. Sometimes even a simple situation, such as…

In the summer of 2013, staff in the Access Services unit of an academic library began a cross-training and collaboration project in an effort to provide continued library service to the campus community. The cross-training was established in an attempt to address a shortage of staff as a result of budget cuts. The cross-training resulted in the…

The 24-hour/5-days-per-week (24/5) model at Belk Library & Information Commons has experienced multiple changes since first implemented in 2006. First the library started small, then expanded, then reduced, and finally expanded again. This article tells the story of a library's 24/5 evolution within the assessment cycle framework, describes…

This article examines multiple inventory methods and findings from the inventory processes at the University of Mississippi Libraries. In an attempt to reduce user frustration from not being able to locate materials, the University of Mississippi Libraries conducted an inventory process beginning with a pilot inventory of a branch library and a…

This article analyzes the aging of academic librarians and the potential shortage of librarians to replace those who are retiring. Recent statistics indicate that the exodus of retiring librarians may not be as severe as predicted several years ago. Recent articles show potential benefits as new librarians enter the workforce in large numbers to…

While the National Library of Medicine created the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) as a network to provide medical and health information, historically few nonmedical academic libraries have participated. University medical libraries and hospital libraries have been the major focus of the Network. Recently, the NNLM has…

Interlibrary lending is often overlooked when resource-sharing operations are evaluated. The relevant literature shows a lack of current lending studies. It can be difficult to convince administrators that lending should be considered to be as important as borrowing in spite of the fact that one cannot operate without the other. 26,800 cancelled…

Are librarians doing all they can to ensure that customer services are delivered with the customer in mind? Librarians are great at helping, but we sometimes need help with identifying customers, defining their needs, developing services, and reviewing the processes behind the services. Fourth Generation Management provides new insight for…

Access services is not unique in its need for effective personnel management. A review of the literature indicates that there are many publications on or relating to library personnel administration; however, relatively few of them are dedicated to the narrow topic of access services. As such, this review encompasses literature that is general to…

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library participated in the statewide conversion to a new integrated library system in the summer of 2002. Prior to the system's implementation, various local and statewide committees coordinated efforts to train their staffs so as to ensure a seamless transition. This case study analyzes, in…

Today, it is advantageous for academic libraries to look outside their own organizations to other potential campus and commercial partners when considering new services. This case study describes the planning and implementation of electronic reserves at the University of Kansas Libraries, including the integration of two commercial partners,…