1. Talis Aspire and University
of Portsmouth:
An ‘Aspire-ational’
journey into digitisation?
Annushka Donin MA MCLIP

2. University of Portsmouth Library
Stop dreaming about your future – start living it.

3. Beginnings
 This is David our Map librarian. He used to deal with any
digitisation requests which lecturers emailed to him and
checked those sent to our Distance Learning Team.

4. What we used to do:
 Very ad hoc.
 Often had to chase for more information.
 No workable database to store details of what
we had already scanned. Relied on memory.
 Had to check each request which came via
email, phone or in person using the CLA title
search. I still use this as a back up when I
disagree with the “computer says no” issue.
No!
What do you
mean no?!
Let’s just see
about that!

5. What made us choose TADC?
 We were looking for a way to improve accessibility
to resources for students.
 We had been using Aspire Reading List software for
a number of years.
 The only thing the library is criticised for on the NSS is
not having enough books.
 Motivation for lecturers.
 We have enormous take up of eBooks and journals
by students.
 Trial started June 2013.

6. Me
 I started in this post in April 2013.
 Official title is Assistant Librarian (Accessibility)
 Responsible for:
 Implementation and operational management of the
library’s new scanning service
 Supporting students with additional needs to access
the resources they need, including obtaining
alternative formats
 Assisting with the running of the Map Library and it’s
Large Format Scanning Services.

7. The many-hats juggling act!
But it’s good, and keeps me busy, especially as I work part-time.

8. Workflows using TADC:
 As you will see sometimes hardly any interaction is
required.
 Under option 2, where we don’t have an item in
stock, we identified an area that really needed
streamlining – and the new BL ordering service
through TADC will cut out most of this workflow.

9. Receive request via email
Does req. include
unit details?
Yes
Lecturer /
Reading list
manager
Others
Scanning service
Go to Reading list
Raise request via
email
Yes
Full & correct
metadata?
No
Is item on
RL?
Search for item on catalogue
Add/correct
metadata
No
Yes No
No
Yes
Is item in catalogue?
Locate and use ‘Add to
bookmark’ tool
Return to RL and add item in
correct position
Click ‘Request digitisation’
link
Return to RL & create
manual bookmark
Add item in correct position
Send email with unit
details
Send email request for
full details
Does unit have
reading list?
Yes
If long reading list forward to
FL/AFL to create.
FL/AFL requests digitisations
once RL completed
No

10. Receive request via TADC
Copy to be
uploaded
Serials
coverage
undetermined
Is item on
our catalogue?
No
Create BL electronic
copyright cleared
request via
LinkedSource or our
internal form.
Place slip in book at start
position for scan. Place
in scanning tray.
20% team do scan
20% team return book to
‘completed’ tray in ML.
Completion email
with link to scan is
sent from TADC to
requester.
Yes
View details
Raise request via
‘Request digitisation’
link on Reading List
View in Campus edition
(catalogue)
Record location on a
slip with Req number,
unit number and page
range at top as filename
NO
Reserve item Reservation team send
book up when returned
Option 1.
Option 2.
Yes
Is
item in stock?
Locate item
Print form and take down
to P&M
P&M raise request
via BL
Item collected and
uploaded
Item returned to trolley Shelved by CM
team
P&M raise
search
elsewhere
Rejection email
from TADC to
requester.
No
Yes
Email received.
Item uploaded
Successfu
l?
Successfu
l? Yes
No
Periodic check on progress

11. Receive request via TADC
No
View details
Raise request via
‘Request digitisation’
link on Reading List
Discern reason for error
Try to identify via online
search engines , catalogues
etc
Option 3.
Yes
Can metadata be
improved?
Edit and resubmit
Try to identify via CLA
website
Successf
ul?
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Can item now
be identified?
Yes
Is item in catalogue?
Cannot
identify
resource
Improve metadata
No
Refer
back to
requestor
for
additional
informatio
n
Successf
ul?

12. Receive request via TADC
Duplicate request?
No
Yes
View details
Raise request via
‘Request digitisation’
link on Reading List
Discern reason for
referral
Option 4.
Yes
Override concierge
Doublecheck via CLA
website
Can item
be
scanned
?
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Has the user
exceeded
copy limit?
Yes
Is item in catalogue?
Cannot copy
under licence
Refer
back to
requestor
for
additional
informatio
n Option 5.
Referred by
requestor
View details
Discern reason for
referral
Override
Error with TADC?
Other requestor error? Incorrect metadata?
Solveable?
Edit and resubmit

13. My desk is littered with these!!!
Request
number:
Unit code:
Page
range:
Shelf mark:
Title:
Volume/Issue
/
edition
Author:
On loan
items-
Reserved:
Yes/No
Uploaded to
TADC:
Yes/No
Moved to
unit folder:
Yes/No
Scanning
done by:
Initials here:
I have hundreds of
these little slips
littering my desk.
This is how we
keep track of
what we’ve
reserved, ordered,
scanned and
need to scan.
If the search
functionality were
improved I’d have
a tidier desk!

14. Hardware:
 We started off with a really old and quite basic
book-edge scanner. Staff with physical issues with
their arms couldn’t operate it.
 Fairly slow going as couldn’t check
progress/quality until the end.
 In the Despatch Room, so noisy and cramped.

15. After more proposal writing we
got a lovely new scanner:
Bookeye Professional
with v-glass.
Though it doesn’t like
the light sometimes!

16. Where we’ve
got to so far:  Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences
 Portsmouth Business School
 Faculty of Creative and
Cultural Industries, (CCi)
 Faculty of Technology
 Faculty of Science
Three Faculties have
employed graduate trainees
for a year each to build the
reading lists.
Two of these have been
since we started using TADC,
and one has generated
most of the scanning
requests – closely followed
by me. I maximise the digital
content for any course with a
declared Visually Impaired
person registered.

17. R.I.P. Reprints collection

18. Current usage:
We hit the 1000 live requests mark back in July – but now many are
waiting for new editions to come in so they can be redone.

19. What next?
 Keep working by stealth and word of mouth to expand the
number of reading lists used.
 Keep prioritising VIP lists and DL.
 Hope to open up the option of requesting straight from Moodle.
 Combine my accessibility and digitisation roles to ensure all
students can access what they need when they need it.
 One year to get through roll over with no dramas.
 Our aim is that eventually every student will have access to
reading lists for every unit taught within the university.
 To deal with the irony that most of my job is spent making it
unnecessary for students to come into the library!