UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new collaboration between Penn State University Libraries and Schlow Centre Region Library in downtown State College, Pennsylvania, now enables University Park students and employees and Schlow Library patrons to return checked-out materials at any on-campus or Schlow drop-off location. What started as a cost-savings inquiry has evolved into a potentially scalable model for town-gown partnerships to increase Pennsylvanians’ access to library materials statewide.
If successful, this model of a reciprocal materials-return service may enable the University Libraries to expand it among many of its other Penn State locations, for added savings and expanded access to University and public library services in Penn State’s regional communities across Pennsylvania.
“The reciprocal materials-return service is the latest example of Penn State Libraries’ and Schlow Library’s growing number of creative collaborations. Libraries are known as organizations that support partnerships, and when we can find innovative and especially cost-effective solutions that help all our patrons as well as our library colleagues, we are interested in developing them,” Ann Snowman, University Libraries’ head of Access Services, said. “We hope to increase our partnerships as other mutually beneficial opportunities that also benefit our communities present themselves.”
The collaboration stemmed from a small request to discuss a cost-savings solution for Schlow Centre Region Library. On occasion its visitors have accidentally returned Penn State University Libraries materials at Schlow drop-off sites, and Schlow staff hoped they and their library colleagues at Penn State could find a way to avoid shipping costs to return those items to University Park. An ad hoc group representing both libraries met to discuss possible solutions, and an idea formed that transformed accidents into a purposeful and convenient service for both organizations’ borrowing communities.
Upon hearing the group’s proposal, University Libraries’ Receiving Room employees agreed to expand their delivery route from Pattee Library and Paterno Library to University Park branch libraries. Three times a week they also stop at Schlow Library to deliver Schlow’s materials returned to on-campus library locations and retrieve University Libraries materials collected at Schlow’s drop-off sites in and beyond the Centre Region.
The organizations also have agreed to extend a brief return grace period to accommodate the delivery schedule. Schlow or Penn State library borrowed materials dropped off by their due dates at any of the other library’s locations or remote book drop sites will be considered returned on time to the location of origin.
However, this arrangement excludes any borrowed items received via Interlibrary Loan. Those items still must be returned to the original library pickup location so they can be mailed back in a timely fashion to the U.S. or international libraries from which they were received.
This collaboration hopes to minimize inconveniences and expand access to library materials for both borrowing communities. Non-University affiliated community members, like all Pennsylvania citizens, have borrowing privileges at all Penn State University Libraries locations, and may visit any Penn State Libraries location to obtain a borrowing card. Both borrowing communities now can return materials at 14 locations in Centre County.