Flexible loans

This paper will outline how the University of York is striving to improve both satisfaction with library loans and customer engagement via the work undertaken by a recent loans review project. Radical changes have been made to the circulation of library stock at York with the introduction of 'flexible loans' from October 2012; this new loans model has created a simpler, fairer and more consistent approach to loans and aims to make items work harder and circulate in a more responsive manner. In particular the paper will highlight the Lean project management methodologies that were used, allowing a fast-track approach to making changes. The project team went from idea to implementation within seven months; the paper will also explore the impact of the ongoing shift of culture to one of continuous improvement and how the approach is inspiring other service developments within the library.