Speaking to the Value of PALCI
Amy Lee Heinlen, Duquesne University
Q. How has PALCI been important to you or your library?
A. “PALCI has been integral in supporting my ability to meet the needs of the academic communities I serve. From my first role as an Access Services Librarian at Chatham University in 2010 to my current position as AUL for Access Services at Duquesne University, the PALCI community has provided insights and guidance, as well as the space to ask questions, learn new systems, and to improve service to patrons.”
Q. What makes PALCI uniquely valuable to you or your library?
A. “The strength of this consortia directly and uniquely impacts the services and resources Gumberg Library is able to offer our patrons. And the offerings get better every year! From our partnership with IDS, to EZBorrow — truly easy-to-borrow AND easy-to-lend print books and scores our partner libraries, to numerous databases we wouldn’t be able to afford on our own, the cost savings being a member of PALCI speaks for itself. On a person level, the professional development opportunities offered because of these partnerships and patron-centered resources have been fundamental to my growth as a library professional.”
Amy Lee Heinlen, Assistant University Librarian for Access Services, Duquesne UniversityScott Anderson, Millersville University
Q. How has PALCI been important to you or your library?
A. “From expediting traditional resource sharing services to securing value pricing and innovative purchase terms from vendors, PALCI has been a huge contributor in our ability to make quality research available to our university community.”
Q. What makes PALCI uniquely valuable to you or your library?
A. “Innovative purchase terms with vendors.”
Q.What would you say to someone at an institution that was considering joining PALCI?
A. “Just ask colleagues at institutions that are already PALCI members what their experience has been with mainstay services such as EZB and more recently with purchase or license offerings.”
Scott Anderson, Information Systems Librarian, Millersville UniversityBoaz Nadav Manes, Lehigh University
Q. How has PALCI been important to you or your library?
A. “PALCI is extremely important to Lehigh. With the partnership’s help, we are able to be more innovative, take greater risks, and do so in a way that is scalable and measured. In addition, we count on PALCI best-in-kind ILL services to quickly and successfully fulfill our patrons’ requests and assist us to emphasize collections of priority and distinction. Our users love these services and praise us constantly for PALCI work.”
Q. What makes PALCI uniquely valuable to you or your library?
A. “PALCI creates a trusted network of dedicated professionals who are more than able to face together the many challenges libraries like ours face nowadays. We build collections and services together and imagine new systems to the benefit of our users. We are also not afraid to lean on each other to provide additional professional development opportunities and seek assistance from our peers when such is needed. We work extra hard on increasing the diversity and inclusion of our communities with actions and a strong commitment.”
Q. What would you say to someone at an institution that was considering joining PALCI?
A. “Library work without PALCI is much more complicated, costly, and boring – just join.”
Boaz Nadav Manes, University Librarian, Lehigh University
