2008 Woodie Awards
New service allows direct borrowing
WINborrow partners with Gonzaga, other local campuses
Rosa Gibbons, Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/27/07
Last Updated: 8/9/07
Whitworth students can now directly borrow books from the Gonzaga, Spokane Falls Community College or the Spokane Community College libraries without having to go through a staff member.
The new system, called WINborrow, not only allows students to directly place a hold on a book, but also makes the courier system more efficient, meaning students can place a hold on a book at another library and have it in one to two days.
WINborrow is a product of the Washington Idaho Network of Libraries, a consortium of about 90 libraries in Idaho and Eastern Washington who have committed to sharing resources. It is housed at Gonzaga, where four staff members are employed to support the network.
Cindy Kirkpatrick, applications specialist for WINborrow, said she expects more libraries in WIN to become part of the WINborrow program soon.
The University of Idaho, North Idaho College and Lewis-Clark State College should join within the next month.
"These libraries all share the same database, so they all had to come at once," Kirkpatrick said.
The biggest obstacle in getting WINborrow off the ground has been the problem of getting materials back and forth quickly and efficiently when many of the libraries are hours apart.
"There are libraries right up to the Montana border, so it's a long way to go," said Eileen Bell-Garrison, president of WIN.
Though students have been able to borrow books from other libraries, only library staff could put a book on hold.
In addition, because all Whitworth's requests for books went onto one card, one late book blocked requests for all other students. The new system will put the responsibility onto each individual student.
WIN was created in 2000 out of a smaller network of six libraries. Its purpose is to enable different types of libraries to share resources quickly, easily and cheaply.
"WIN is unique in that it is a mix of public, school, law, and medical libraries," Bell-Garrison said. "We are sharing our resources; we all have something to offer, and it's in all our best interests."
Students can either go directly to another library in the network and check out a book using their ID cards, or go to their own library's Web site and place a hold on a book at another library.
"WINborrow is very patron-driven," Bell-Garrison said. "You don't have to go through a staff member."
Whitworth library director Hans Bynagle said they have been working on this idea for quite some time, but have only just been able to achieve it technologically.
Step-by-step instructions can be found under the spotlight section on the Whitworth library Web site, www.whitworth.edu/library.
Bynagle said that if students encounter any problems with the system, they can contact the library reference desk or click on "Ask a Librarian" on the library's Web site.
The new system, called WINborrow, not only allows students to directly place a hold on a book, but also makes the courier system more efficient, meaning students can place a hold on a book at another library and have it in one to two days.
WINborrow is a product of the Washington Idaho Network of Libraries, a consortium of about 90 libraries in Idaho and Eastern Washington who have committed to sharing resources. It is housed at Gonzaga, where four staff members are employed to support the network.
Cindy Kirkpatrick, applications specialist for WINborrow, said she expects more libraries in WIN to become part of the WINborrow program soon.
The University of Idaho, North Idaho College and Lewis-Clark State College should join within the next month.
"These libraries all share the same database, so they all had to come at once," Kirkpatrick said.
The biggest obstacle in getting WINborrow off the ground has been the problem of getting materials back and forth quickly and efficiently when many of the libraries are hours apart.
"There are libraries right up to the Montana border, so it's a long way to go," said Eileen Bell-Garrison, president of WIN.
Though students have been able to borrow books from other libraries, only library staff could put a book on hold.
In addition, because all Whitworth's requests for books went onto one card, one late book blocked requests for all other students. The new system will put the responsibility onto each individual student.
WIN was created in 2000 out of a smaller network of six libraries. Its purpose is to enable different types of libraries to share resources quickly, easily and cheaply.
"WIN is unique in that it is a mix of public, school, law, and medical libraries," Bell-Garrison said. "We are sharing our resources; we all have something to offer, and it's in all our best interests."
Students can either go directly to another library in the network and check out a book using their ID cards, or go to their own library's Web site and place a hold on a book at another library.
"WINborrow is very patron-driven," Bell-Garrison said. "You don't have to go through a staff member."
Whitworth library director Hans Bynagle said they have been working on this idea for quite some time, but have only just been able to achieve it technologically.
Step-by-step instructions can be found under the spotlight section on the Whitworth library Web site, www.whitworth.edu/library.
Bynagle said that if students encounter any problems with the system, they can contact the library reference desk or click on "Ask a Librarian" on the library's Web site.
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