Optimizing Document Delivery at Simmons College Beatley Library

Abstract

After receiving numerous communications from libraries dropping the Ariel document delivery system during 2010 and early 2011, the Technology & Access Services staff at Beatley Library at Simmons College decided to assess our document delivery workflows and systems environment. During the summer of 2011, the library surveyed 139 libraries on document delivery processes and performed an internal analysis of local document delivery statistics to assess external trends as well as to understand internal demands. After assessing our findings we recommended to Library Administration to prioritize document delivery systems and phase out the Ariel system at Beatley Library. This article describes the analysis, findings, and outcomes of retiring Ariel and streamlining the document delivery workflows at Beatley Library.

KEYWORDS:

• Ariel
• assessment
• document delivery
• interlibrary loan
• Odyssey
• systems analysis