4. Objectives, issues, and key strategic initiatives 2008-2010

Key Area 4: Lending Services

Objective: To support teaching, learning and research by making course-related and research collections readily available for undergraduate and postgraduate students and staff.

Ongoing Activities:

To provide loans services from any branch of Monash University Library;
To provide reserve collections and electronic reading lists;
To provide access to special and off-site collections;
To facilitate access to other libraries' collections;
To obtain materials from other libraries for postgraduate students and staff.

Issues: Students, regardless of their place or mode of study, need to locate information resources promptly. In order to support changing course and campus requirements, the Library moves items in its collections to the campuses at which they are needed.

Increasing the number of self loan machines in branches and promoting their use to support student preferences for self-help and reduces staff intervention. Several branches and reserve collections have yet to install self loan machines. Self help technologies should be considered for other applications, such as DVD management.

Electronic Reading lists and Reserve are valued services. The Library is moving to open reserve as refurbishments permit. Where implemented this has proved popular and effective. The electronic reserve service is staff intensive and under-promoted. An improved service model is being investigated.

Wide-ranging research undertaken by staff and postgraduates calls for Library staff to draw on resources held at Monash University Library and worldwide. Changing demands and technologies mean that Document Delivery requirements are changing significantly and the Library needs to continue to review its practices accordingly.

The Library participates in a number of co-operative borrowing schemes that require relatively high levels of management to ensure proper protection of Monash University collections. Monash needs to work with other libraries to ensure that this is done as cost effectively as possible.

Key Strategic Initiatives

Strategies	Actions	Measures/Targets/KPIs	Responsibility
4.1 Improve the efficiency of the readings and reserve service.	Establish an improved electronic reading list management model. .	Improved electronic reading list management model is implemented.	Directors, Client Services; Director, Central Services; Readings and Reserve Co-ordinator.
	Evaluate and recommend technology improvements to support electronic reading lists.	Technology improvements have been recommended. .	Director, Central Services; Directors, Client Services; Readings and Reserve Co-ordinator.
	Evaluate and improve ordering processes to support Readings and Reserve services.	Processes are documented and improvements implemented.	Directors, Client Services; Director, Information Resources; Branch Managers.
4.2 Improve the efficiency of Lending Services.	Implement recommended changes to the holds process and seek further improvement in providing intercampus loans.	Recommendations implemented and further improvements recommended	Directors, Client Services; Lending Services Librarian.
	Review SMS notification services.	Review completed and recommendations made on continuing the SMS service.	Director, Central Services.
	Investigate and cost options for open reserve collections and secure open access DVD collections.	Recommendations and costings completed. Model implemented.	Directors, Client Services; Director, Central Services; Lending Services Librarian.
	Investigate service desk options as a means of improving service delivery	Investigation completed and recommendations implemented.	Branch Managers; Lending Services Librarian; Lending Services Supervisors; Loans staff.
4.3 Extend lending services support to international campuses.	Provide toolkits to assist with the development of policy, procedures and practice for lending services for international campuses. .	Lending services available for international campuses. .	Director, Central Services; Directors, Client Services.