Abstract
The Liberty University Jerry Falwell Library serves a student body of over 100,000 students, most of whom are enrolled in online programs. By necessity the library prioritizes electronic resources, and in recent years, it has begun to invest more heavily into e‐books. In spring 2010 the library adopted a patron‐driven acquisition (PDA) program with ebrary in an effort to better support the needs of the online students. The program was very successful, but as patrons became more comfortable with e‐books and the online student population increased, costs also rose dramatically. In addition, the library had implemented an evidencebased method for additions to the patron‐driven acquisition selection pool in fall 2012. This strategy added to the higher costs involved in running the program. In order to control the expenses in light of limited funds, the library decided to pilot short‐term loans (STLs) in fall 2013. The pilot was very successful and resulted in significant cost avoidance. In fall 2014 the library included STLs as a standard fund in the budget. In the summer of 2014, however, STL prices were raised by some publishers, so the cost‐effectiveness will need to be monitored.
Serious Savings With Short‐Term Loans
The Liberty University Jerry Falwell Library serves a student body of over 100,000 students, most of whom are enrolled in online programs. By necessity the library prioritizes electronic resources, and in recent years, it has begun to invest more heavily into e‐books. In spring 2010 the library adopted a patron‐driven acquisition (PDA) program with ebrary in an effort to better support the needs of the online students. The program was very successful, but as patrons became more comfortable with e‐books and the online student population increased, costs also rose dramatically. In addition, the library had implemented an evidencebased method for additions to the patron‐driven acquisition selection pool in fall 2012. This strategy added to the higher costs involved in running the program. In order to control the expenses in light of limited funds, the library decided to pilot short‐term loans (STLs) in fall 2013. The pilot was very successful and resulted in significant cost avoidance. In fall 2014 the library included STLs as a standard fund in the budget. In the summer of 2014, however, STL prices were raised by some publishers, so the cost‐effectiveness will need to be monitored.