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Making Free Cheaper: Streamlining Library Gift Processing

Making Free Cheaper: Streamlining Library Gift Processing. Oregon Library Association 2012 Xan Arch Reed College. Background. Reed College is a small liberal arts college in Portland with about 1400 FTE. The library receives many offers of donation from alumni and local residents.

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Making Free Cheaper: Streamlining Library Gift Processing

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  1. Making Free Cheaper: Streamlining Library Gift Processing Oregon Library Association 2012 Xan Arch Reed College

  2. Background • Reed College is a small liberal arts college in Portland with about 1400 FTE. • The library receives many offers of donation from alumni and local residents. • I started as the Collection Development Librarian in September 2010.

  3. Old Procedure • Heavily dependent on FileMaker Pro • Redundant data entry • Lots and lots of paper printouts • History of large gift backlogs • Most gifts accepted

  4. Goals Analyze needs of stakeholders Reduce duplication of effort Streamline evaluation Standardize communication

  5. Analyze needs of stakeholders • Problem: • Unsure how much of our current procedure is required and how much of it is legacy. • Questions: • What do I need to send to the donor? • What does the Development office need to record gifts?

  6. Reduce duplication • Problem: • Process dependent on two parallel databases, resulting in duplicate data entry • Questions: • What should be our system of record for gifts? • Which gifts need to be recorded?

  7. Streamline evaluation • Problem: • Liaison librarians not taking the time to evaluate, resulting in gift backlogs • Questions: • Could some of the evaluation be done automatically? • Could we put a deadline in place?

  8. Standardize communication • Problem: • Communication with donors individualized and time-consuming • Questions: • How to communicate our library’s needs? • How to make donor interactions clear and efficient for both parties?

  9. Current Procedure • Much less paper-intensive • Single system of record for gifts • Evaluation of material is quicker and more streamlined • Efficient and clear communication with donors

  10. Remaining Challenges • Exceptions to process remain in sciences and arts • Tracking status of gifts through the process can be difficult

  11. Conclusion • Find out what record-keeping and donor communication is necessary • Set criteria for evaluation so every book doesn’t require professional attention • As much as donations can be a benefit, don’t let them take over your workload!

  12. Questions?

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