In case you missed it, we joined an exciting webinar with ALA/Choice, The University of North Alabama Library and Springshare where we explored how to elevate library value and improve the patron experience at the point of need.
We’re thrilled to present 5 insights from Derek Malone, University Librarian and Associate Professor at The University of North Alabama Library, regarding how Lean Library has amplified their library resources in patron workflows, and influenced their overall library strategy.
Here are Derek’s 5 insights:
1. Libraries need to increase awareness of their resources.
The University of North Alabama are an expanding university with a lot of their growth being online. The university library felt a need to go further with their instruction and wanted to guide and assist their patrons beyond what they were doing in the classroom. Increasing the awareness around the resources the university library provides and what is available for students is crucial!
2. Communicate with patrons at the point of need.
The University of North Alabama Library has used Lean Library’s Assist messaging feature to communicate important messages to their students, for example, letting patrons know that they can access resources, such as their local newspaper, through the library.
3. There’s multiple possibilities for discovery.
Even when patrons begin their research journey on Google Scholar, there’s numerous ways that Lean Library can direct patrons towards library resources and support. Lean Library knows the library’s subscriptions and can redirect patrons to the library’s discovery service. Plus, Assist messages can encourage students if they are struggling to arrange a research consultation and receive one-to-one support.
4. Embrace new technology – it may just have internal benefits!
Lean Library not only benefits patrons with their research, but is a useful tool for internal library staff and faculty. From Acquisitions Librarians to requests from external faculty members, Lean Library has helped internal staff to see more easily what the university library owns and access these resources immediately.
5. Create a dedicated apps and downloads page.
Lean Library has helped the Collier Library staff at the University of North Alabama towards attainment of one of its strategic goals and aided in increasing the visibility of digital tools. They’ve recently created a page for patrons to visit to download apps and browser extensions which will improve their experience of conducting research. They’ve also added Point of Need messaging to an Electronic Resource Login page (which hadn’t been updated in 11 years) to encourage patrons to download the Lean Library browser extension and try it out.
Look out for more librarian insights on our blog soon!