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. Why Three PDA Programs? The University of Arizona Libraries (UAL) has embraced the changes occurring within library acquisitions and have been involved in using the customer as a way to develop library collections. In 2011, we implemented two patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) programs, one print and one electronic, with the company Ingram’s Coutts. In 2013, we added a third electronic PDA program with Yankee Book Peddler (YBP). Our three PDA programs now account for a significant portion of our acquisitions purchases. When developing the profile that we use for all three programs, we worked with selectors, faculty, and our existing approval plans to create a comprehensive profile to serve the needs of our vast array of customers. Because we have such a wide range of disciplines and academic levels, as is typical of a large research university, and because we rely so heavily on PDA for our collection development needs, for us it made sense to have three PDA programs. We need a print program so we could continue to receive physical materials that our customers request. We also need to have as comprehensive as possible a collection of library catalog selection records for our customers to discover. Though there are similarities between the two vendors that we work with, we added YBP because they offer different publishers and ebook platforms that Ingram’s Coutts did not, and vice versa. We want to provide as large a selection as we can based on our profile. Our Technical Services Workflow When UAL started with the one vendor, Ingram’s Coutts, the acquisitions workflow, though complicated, was less complex than it is now. Figure 1, which is the poster that I presented at Charleston, shows the current workflow of all three programs. Print PDA: The Complicated Program Starting with the print program, the initial setup included us sending Ingram’s Coutts a holdings file so duplications did not occur. After the profile and holdings updating occurred on their end, UAL started to receive a weekly file of selection records. These typically contain 60–500 selection records in MARC format. The wide variance in number of records per file is mostly due to embargo issues. Our agreement with Ingram’s Coutts specifies that they withhold a selection record on a print title for 90 days to allow for the electronic format to be published. After 90 days, if