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G2S Project Code: 2021-CO-86799
State: Colorado
Fiscal Year: 2021
Grantee
Colorado State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Regan Harper
Director Phone: 303-866-6907
Director Email: harper_r@cde.state.co.us
General Information
Title: Resource Sharing Services: SWIFT
State Project Code: 160K3
Start Date: 10/01/2020
End Date: 09/30/2022
Abstract: SWIFT is a statewide interlibrary loan (ILL) service for libraries that allows staff and patrons to search and place requests for materials located in member libraries throughout the state of Colorado. The service was originally launched using the OCLC VDX software in 2000 but as of January 1, 2021, the service has migrated to Innovative Interface’s INN-Reach software, joining the Prospector service of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. By joining Prospector, close to 200 Colorado libraries, composed of academic, public, correctional, and special libraries, have the ability to meet the resource needs of their patrons with enhanced access to academic library collections and electronic resources, through a shared system that reduces the overhead for larger, net-lender, libraries.
State Goal: Resource sharing
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$242,502.20
$1,492.44
$0.00
$243,994.64
Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
Literacy
Library Infrastructure & Capacity
Activities
Activity Details
Title: General Consultation
Narrative:

Consultations include general topics relating to the SWIFT (StateWide Interlibrary Fast Track) program, the Prospector Migration, INN-Reach software, and resource sharing.  

- SWIFT program: broad questions about the program, participation information, and requests for additional information.

- SWIFT User Support: INN-Reach software questions, INN-Reach support inquiries, requests for training sessions, and INN-Reach statistical reports.

- General Interlibrary Loan: basic resource sharing questions and courier questions.


Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 1,078
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 90


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 84
Academic Libraries: 14
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 3
School Libraries: 4
Other: 30
Activity Details
Title: RSB Exit Procedures for AspenCat Libraries
Narrative: Project update and review of the procedures for early adopter libraries exiting the SWIFT Resource Sharing Broker to enable direct integration between their ILS and the Prospector INN-Reach system via D2IR APIs.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 60
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 12


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: FORT MORGAN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 414 MAIN STREET
City: FORT MORGAN
State: CO
Zip: 80701
Name: LYONS DEPOT LIBRARY
Address: 430 FIFTH AVENUE
City: LYONS
State: CO
Zip: 80540
Name: NEDERLAND COMMUNITY LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 200 HIGHWAY 72 NORTH
City: NEDERLAND
State: CO
Zip: 80466
Name: SECURITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 715 ASPEN DRIVE
City: SECURITY
State: CO
Zip: 80911
Name: UPPER SAN JUAN LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 811 SAN JUAN STREET
City: PAGOSA SPRINGS
State: CO
Zip: 81147
Activity Details
Title: D2IR Training for AspenCat Libraries
Narrative: Training for early adopters in the use of the Interlibrary Loan module in Koha to process Prospector requests as both the borrower and the lender. Presented in partnership with CLiC staff.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 60
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 8


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: FORT MORGAN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 414 MAIN STREET
City: FORT MORGAN
State: CO
Zip: 80701
Name: LYONS DEPOT LIBRARY
Address: 430 FIFTH AVENUE
City: LYONS
State: CO
Zip: 80540
Name: NEDERLAND COMMUNITY LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 200 HIGHWAY 72 NORTH
City: NEDERLAND
State: CO
Zip: 80466
Name: SECURITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 715 ASPEN DRIVE
City: SECURITY
State: CO
Zip: 80911
Name: UPPER SAN JUAN LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 811 SAN JUAN STREET
City: PAGOSA SPRINGS
State: CO
Zip: 81147
Activity Details
Title: Resource Sharing Broker Training for Staff-Initiated Borrowing
Narrative: Training provided an overview of SWIFT and Prospector and covers placing, receiving, and returning staff-initiated requests.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 45
Number of presentations/performances administered: 12
Average number in attendance per session: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 84
Academic Libraries: 14
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 3
School Libraries: 4
Other: 30
Activity Details
Title: Resource Sharing Broker Troubleshooting, Tips, and Tricks
Narrative: Session provided a review of the Resource Sharing Broker client, solutions for commonly reported problems, and tips and tricks to help staff with their day-to-day interlibrary loan tasks. 
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 30
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 12


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 12
Activity Details
Title: Resource Sharing Broker Circulation Training
Narrative: Training provided an overview of SWIFT and Prospector and covers placing, receiving, returning patron-initiated requests, procedures for lending, hold maintenance, staff functions and reports.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 120
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: ESTES VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT
Address: 335 EAST ELKHORN AVENUE
City: ESTES PARK
State: CO
Zip: 80517
Activity Details
Title: Colorado Resource Sharing Preconference, SWIFT Update
Narrative: General update on the SWIFT program and ongoing migration to the Prospector network and a demo of the new SWIFT website and support ticketing system.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 20
Number of presentations/performances administered: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 84


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 84
Academic Libraries: 14
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 3
School Libraries: 4
Other: 30
Activity Details
Title: Website and Knowledge base
Narrative:
Staff developed written documentation that included: a user manual covering paging slips, library check out, transfer requests, cancel requests, library check in, hold cancellation notices, and policies and best practices; troubleshooting guides; and answers to frequently asked questions.


Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Combined physical & digital


Quantity
Number of items digitized: 0
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 0
Number of physical items: 1
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 10
Number of plans/frameworks: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 84
Academic Libraries: 14
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 3
School Libraries: 4
Other: 30
Question 1: I am satisfied that the resource is meeting library needs.
Strongly Agree: 2
Agree: 4
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 13
Disagree: 1
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: Applying the resource will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 2
Agree: 3
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 14
Disagree: 1
Strongly Disagree: 1
Non-Response: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
During the reporting period, SWIFT libraries placed and fulfilled 45,551 requests for library materials. This represents a significant decline in activity from previous years, and can, most likely, be attributed to the ongoing migration from VDX to INN-Reach (Prospector) because: Fewer libraries are participating (some having opted out of the service, some previous participants were excluded for contractual reasons, and some libraries have struggled with technical aspects of the new system); Most SWIFT libraries are currently participating as staff-initiated borrowers only and are not currently lending. However, participating libraries report that the SWIFT program is useful to their work, and improves their ability to serve their patrons, but many libraries find the new user interface (Windows client) challenging. Feedback includes: “The SWIFT service enables our library to provide interlibrary loan service to our students and faculty in a cost-efficient, easy-to-use, and timely manner for our patrons.” “The SWIFT Service is always professional and prompt in answering questions and giving guidance. Technical problems are cleared up within a reasonable timeframe, given the complexity of the services.” “Participating in resource sharing via Prospector allows us to more seamlessly provide our patrons with materials and increases our ability to share with other libraries, which positively affects our circulation.” “It’s tough being a small library on the plains and most times you feel pretty isolated and the services [like SWIFT] are what keeps us equal to the other libraries in the State.” “The software is not very user friendly, I have to use the manual each and every time I process materials to make sure I do all of the steps necessary.” “Very pleased with the improved service -- the interface looks (and works) like 2005.” Migration projects and program support activities to mitigate some of the challenges are ongoing and include: Two additional libraries implemented staff-initiated borrowing and all libraries that had not initiated migration activities were contacted regarding participation via email, phone, and finally, physical letters; Five AspenCat (consortium of small and medium libraries that use a shared Koha Integrated Library System (ILS)) libraries transitioned to the use of direct integration with INN-Reach within their ILS. Planning was completed to transition the remaining 50 libraries, and the State Library completed negotiation to secure this service for the 21 correctional libraries that participate in the SWIFT program as well. Taking advantage of the direction integration option offers a major improvement in terms of staff and patron user experience. Full implementation for lending and patron-initiated borrowing was completed for one library. Two other libraries have initiated full implementation projects. A SWIFT website and Knowledge Base was launched to provide additional options for support and asynchronous training through written documentation and basic training videos on the INN-Reach platform, answers to frequently asked questions, and policy and best practices resources. While users that know about the Knowledge Base report that it is helpful to their work, many SWIFT participants were not aware that this resource was available.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
SWIFT is a fundamental resource for all types and sizes of libraries within the state. The service is especially vital for the small and rural libraries, many of which are geographically secluded and do not have the financial or staffing resources to travel throughout the state for training and support. The SWIFT service levels the playing field, keeps them connected to their peers, and enables them to meet the growing needs of their patrons in ways they could not achieve alone. The migration to the INN-Reach software has created a tighter network for resource sharing for Colorado libraries. The shared system benefits the large metropolitan libraries by reducing their workload, since they no longer must access two different software platforms to perform resource sharing tasks. Smaller libraries benefit from access to a broader array of resources and a more robust network of lenders. The technical and logistical hurdles encountered during the migration process are preventing some SWIFT libraries from participating in statewide resource sharing as lenders and from offering their patrons the ability to place requests without the assistance of library staff. While member libraries broadly benefit from the service and now have greater access to more resources, until those that wish to lend can do so, their ability to be full participating members of the resource sharing community is limited.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Partnering with willing vendors and consortia to undertake projects such as direct system integration has a lot of promise to improve the staff and patron user experience of a program like SWIFT, but comes with a loss of control, in terms of timelines and scheduling, which can impact the perceptions of the program among participants. Simply making a resource like the SWIFT Knowledge Base available is not enough to meet the support and training needs of the SWIFT community. While consistent promotion of asynchronous training resources, delivered over the right communication channels can improve awareness, a high touch service model remains the preferred mechanism for support among participating library staff.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:
Due to the migration of service for participating institutions to a new platform, there will be increased implementation activity, training, communications, and customization that will need to be completed. Once this process is complete, the basic activities will return to the usual – support, training, presenting.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: Yes
Exemplary NarrativeThe SWIFT program offers a good model for other State Library Agencies because it expands services for all libraries through centralized support and maintenance of a shared software platform. Most SWIFT libraries are small and rural, and don’t have the resources to support a resource sharing platform on their own. By covering the cost, and providing technical and functional expertise, the SWIFT program enables participating libraries to provide more materials than can be maintained locally, without their limited staff having to devote extensive time and resources that are better spent serving their communities in other ways.
Project Tags: Interlibrary loan