Streetcar, Berlin, Ontario. Schneider Family Collection.
GA134-14-14.7-12.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO RESOURCES
Streetcar, Berlin, Ontario. Schneider Family Collection.
GA134-14-14.7-12.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO RESOURCES
CONVENIENT INTERLIBRARY LOANS
Library users can now more conveniently request items outside Waterloo’s collection directly from the Library’s online catalogue, Omni. As part of an affiliated network of 18 Ontario universities and colleges, Waterloo library users have access to this extended collection of more than 23 million resources right at their fingertips. Previous to this change, users requesting a print item outside the Waterloo collection were required to complete a separate request form and could wait up to seven days to receive the item; the service time for this type of request has now been reduced to an average of three days by removing this additional step.
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE W STORE SAVES STUDENTS MONEY ON TEXTBOOKS
Typically the Library has not prioritized the purchase of physical textbooks, given the number of items needed to support the whole campus and their short shelf life. However, as costs rise and learning shifts to digital platforms, the interest in digital textbooks has increased. Working behind the scenes, the Library and W Store launched a pilot project during the pandemic to coordinate the sharing of textbook requirements for upcoming terms to pre-emptively secure digital access through the Course Reserves system. The success of this project has now opened the door for further partnership opportunities with the W Store to provide a more streamlined experience for students seeking access to course materials.