Doing More With Less: Increasing the Value of the Consortial Catalog

Purpose - This case study describes how one library leveraged shared resources by defaulting to a consortial catalog search. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use a case study approach to describe steps involved in changing the catalog interface, then assess the project with a usability study and an analysis of borrowing statistics. Findings - The authors determined the benefit to library patrons was significant and resulted in increased borrowing. The usability study revealed elements of the catalog interface needing improvement. Practical implications - Taking advantage of an existing resource increased the visibility of consortial materials to better serve library patrons. The library provided these resources without significant additional investment. Originality/value - While the authors were able to identify other libraries using their consortial catalog as the default search, no substantive published research on its benefits exists in the literature. This chapter will be valuable to libraries with limited budgets that would like to increase patron access to materials. 2013 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Doing More With Less: Increasing the Value of the Consortial Catalog Academic Article