Electronic Reserve in Health Science Center Libraries

Abstract

The University of Florida (UF), Smathers Libraries has a centralized electronic reserve service, supported by Docutek's ERes software, to serve the needs of onsite and distance education courses. At the same time, the Health Science Center is experiencing explosive growth in distance education courses, particularly in pharmacy, nursing, occupational therapy, audiology, and forensic toxicology. Because the UF Health Science Center Libraries (HSCL) did not have an electronic reserve system and the library automation system did not offer a satisfactory option, the HSCL implemented ERes for their patrons in the six colleges they serve: Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, and Health Professions (Rehabilitation Counseling, Physical Therapy, Clinical Psychology, Communicative Disorders, Health Services Administration, and Occupational Therapy). This joint venture has given both the HSCL staff and Smathers staff the opportunity to collaborate, yielding many benefits for the Libraries, faculty, and students. The ultimate goal is for the Libraries to share the same policies and procedures and to have a seamless transaction for the faculty and students who utilize them. This article will not only address the issues that led to the implementation of ERes and “how we did it,” but will also discuss the positive changes of such a project.