Creating a Richer Patron-Driven Acquisitions Experience for Your Users: How the University of Arizona Forced Three PDA Programs to Play Nicely Together

Patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) has been an integral part of developing the collection at the University of Arizona Libraries (UAL). The Libraries currently has three PDA programs using two different vendors. The print PDA program from Ingram’s Coutts is the most complicated, involving several steps, including working with patron data to make sure the customer who placed the order is informed when the book is ready for checkout. The electronic PDA program from Ingram’s Coutts includes two files based on two different profiles. One is the standard UAL profile, but the other is a consortium profile that picks up local, fictional, and children’s titles. Currently, all Ingram’s Coutts e-books are on the MyiLibrary platform. The electronic PDA program from Yankee Book Peddler (YBP) is new, having started it in 2013. We are receiving e-books on both the ebrary and EBL platforms. In order to cut down on duplication, we send holdings updates monthly to each vendor. One possible future enhancement to our PDA program is the inclusion of print on demand. UAL purchased an on-demand book maker in 2013, and we are investigating how we can integrate this new service into our PDA program.