Resource Sharing Site Visit
to Carnegie Mellon University Libraries
Joan Stein
Resource sharing among Oakland Library Consortium member libraries has a long and successful history of borrowing and lending that actually predates the formation of the Consortium. After the creation of the Consortium, committees and task forces within the OLC formalized and expanded the existing informal agreements, as well as providing guidelines for service, record-keeping, and reimbursement. In order to best meet the needs of our users and to provide the best possible service to our OLC partners, it is important that each participating library have a sound knowledge and understanding of how OLC member libraries' requests are handled at each member library. It is also important to be familiar with the staff at each library to facilitate communication and goodwill among the participants. Early in the existence of the consortium, site visits were made to the resource sharing offices at both Hillman Library and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Since those early days, there has been enough staff turnover, as well as changes in resource sharing policies and procedures among member libraries, to warrant holding more site visits. The first of these visits was recently held at the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries' resource sharing departments this summer, on July 24, 1997. Approximately twenty-five interested staff members from OLC member libraries, both resource sharing staff and those from other departments, attended the tour and demonstration of resource sharing services at Carnegie Mellon University's Engineering & Science and Hunt Libraries. Staff were given an opportunity to view first-hand the handling of OLC requests and to have any questions answered.
Following the tours, staff members had an opportunity to socialize together at a reception held in the Hunt Library Staff Lounge and hosted by the CMU Libraries' resource sharing staff. This provided a welcome opportunity to meet new colleagues and to reconnect with old ones. Similar site visits will be hosted in the near future by both the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh University Library System.
If you want to request more information, please contact Joan Stein, Head, Resource Sharing, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries at 268-5826 or by email: joan@andrew.cmu.edu.