Purchase on demand: Recommendations and final report to LAMP

The Purchase on Demand (POD) pilot conducted at OSU Libraries from February 2009 - February 2010 was well-received and very successful based on several different measures. The 190 items that met the pilot criteria were purchased and available to patrons within 6 days (on average) of the initial request which is comparable to the typical ILL delivery turnaround average. Items averaged circulations of 1.61 times per item; this circulation frequency is 3.3 times higher than circulation for firm and approval fund items received during the same period. Future circulation should continue to be strong with over 50% of patrons indicating they would borrow items again, recommend them or place them on course reading lists. Patrons indicated high satisfaction with an average 4.7 rating (scale 1-5) across all four satisfaction categories.\ud One dominant concern that patrons expressed was the desire to provide input on the decision to purchase ILL requested items that otherwise meet the purchase criteria. They recognize that the Libraries’ budget is limited and acknowledge that not all requested items are appropriate for the collection.\ud In light of these findings, the Purchase on Demand Task Force recommends that LAMP:\ud 1) Make “Buy Request” a permanent service of OSU Libraries with the current selection criteria and workflow;\ud 2) Disband the current task force and determine departmental responsibility and direct report for the service;\ud 3) Determine funding source for approximately $15,000 per fiscal year;\ud 4) Approve investigation of an ILL requesting interface (e.g. GIST) that allows for patron input on the purchase decision