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Research Article

Interlibrary Loan Use among Staff Members at a Small Liberal Arts College

 

Abstract

The object of this study is to assess why staff at Lyon College, of Batesville, Arkansas, utilize the Mabee-Simpson Library and its interlibrary loan service at a disproportionately lower rate than faculty, students, and visitors, a fact revealed through a prior analysis of interlibrary loan statistics. To determine the cause for this imbalance, a survey was created and emailed to staff. After they were permitted a month to participate in the survey, the instrument was closed and analyzed. Results from that analysis suggest a large percentage of respondents did not know they could use the Library, and an even larger percentage of respondents failed to realize they could use the Mabee-Simpson Library’s interlibrary loan service. These results are unsettling since staff total roughly 66% of all employees at Lyon College. Also, staff enjoy the same privileges as faculty, students, and visitors. In addition, several staff members are enrolled in higher education courses that require reading materials for class. The results of this study indicate the need for the Library to better promote itself and its interlibrary loan service to staff.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laren Anderson

Laren Anderson is the Resource Sharing Librarian at the Mabee-Simpson Library, within Lyon College, Batesville, AR.

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