Increased staff effectiveness Trips to the stacks for materials already in use will be eliminated. Instead, the staff could respond to user-initiated reservations and recalls for materials in use. Unified displays of data integrated from across the system will free staff from multiple look-ups and resolving inconsistent or conflicting information from disparate systems. The Library's expert staff can focus on management of the Library's heritage assets while the ILS handles data management. The Library's highly trained staff can build the national resource files of bibliographic and authority information while the ILS assures authority control over the Library's catalog. Automation staff can be deployed on other high priority Library projects, not reinventing the ILS. Improved asset management Automating inventory information will make available the space currently used to house the shelflist card file and the serials visible file (approximately 9,000 sq. ft). Storage space planning can be more directly tied to growth rates and usage patterns in specific collection areas. Unified presentation of order information and receipt information will enable better choice of dealers, subscription agents, and exchange agents. Consistent and reliable statistics and management information will encourage accountability among all staff. An integrated library system (ILS) is an online system that integrates the major function's of a library's operations through the use of a shared bibliographic database. The Library is seeking an ILS that is vendor-supported, that is based on modern software and system design standards, and that runs on widely available hardware. "1 Projections for 2001 assume no data archiving of completed acquisition actions and related support records. 12 Each of these records represents a single payment made on a single order, copied from invoices, credits, and vouchers. 13 Item records currently in CCF. 14 Assumes conversion of manual shelflist records and other manual inventory records in the ILS. Is Those who are allowed to charge materials for use outside the Library (Members of Congress, their staff, etc.). 16 Persons who are not "authorized borrowers," but who are permitted to use collection materials in the Library's reading rooms and study facilities. 17 The Library expects to register 100,000 patrons per year now that the Patron Registration system has been activated. However, registration is only valid for a two year period. Therefore, the rate of growth of the patron file is affected by new registrations, renewed registrations, and expired registrations. |