Academic Health Sciences Center Library Bridges Gap to Non-Medical Life Long Learning Resources Through a Symbiotic Relationship with a Public Library System

摘要

The authors describe how multiple factors (declining circulation statistics, awareness of other collaborations and desire to bring services to an Academic Health Sciences Center Library (AHSCL) users not served by the biomedical collection, lead to exploring an innovative idea with the public library (PL). The project's logistical considerations included legal (ILS licensing, contracts, patron confidentiality), financial (equipment, transportation costs), technology (circulation systems, stand-alone equipment), security (access to proprietary systems, patron records) and plans for training. The service has grown steadily since beginning in 2014 and in the last year has seen a 68% increase.