Systemwide Library and Scholarly Information Advisory Committee

Resolution D: World-Wide-Web Based Request as the Preferred Method for User Initiated Intercampus Loan Requesting

Resolved: The Committee recommends that all UC library users be encouraged to use the World-Wide-Web Based Request service as the preferred method for placing their UC intercampus library borrowing requests. The Committee further recommends that campuses make every effort to complete the transition to WWW Based Request by the end of the 2000-01 academic year.

Background:

World-Wide-Web Based Request service has proven to be a highly successful service supporting the University’s strategy of enhanced sharing of library resources among the UC campuses.

The WWW Based Request service provides the platform for additional resource sharing services of great value to faculty and students. These services include real-time tracking and notification of request status by the requesting user and Web-based delivery of requested articles directly to the requesting user’s desktop computer.

These enhanced services cannot be efficiently and effectively provided by any other means, including the older Telnet-based Request service.

For these reasons, the Committee believes that UC faculty and students should be encouraged to use the WWW Based Request as the preferred method for initiating their intercampus borrowing requests. The continued use of older methods of requesting, including paper forms and Telnet-based Request, has the effect of diverting staff effort and system resources from investment in the development and growth of new services that are based on the WWW Request platform. Because the development of new Request-based services is a high priority for faculty and students, it is the Committee’s expectation that the campuses will transition fully to WWW Request by the end of the current academic year, so that legacy requesting methods can be phased out and resources focused on enhanced services using the WWW Request platform.

Approved by the Committee October 30, 2000