Resource Review #2: Texas A&M's "Resdesk: An Automated Solution for Course Reserves Request Tracking and Process Management."

Arant-Kaspar, W., Carter, H., Desai, S., Byrd, J., & Hahn, D. (2007). ResDesk: an automated solution for course reserves request tracking and process management. Library Hi Tech, 25(2), 197-210.

What: Case study of the creation of a system-wide course reserves CRM software at Texas A&M.

Why: Course reserves is an important user-centered service and reserves management is its most critical component. Previously, all Texas A&M libraries had their own idiosyncratic systems for reserves management. Through the creation of ResDesk, the library system was able to increase its efficiency and provide better service in regards to course reserves.

Summary: The article gives an overview of the functions of a course reserves operation and enumerates necessary components for course reserves software. The authors then provide a detailed guide of how they went about the process of creating and implementing ResDesk, which is a modified version of the in-house IT helpdesk software. The guide briefly covers everything, including mapping out the entire course reserves process from start to finish, determining software functions and features, and getting faculty to use the software to submit their reserves.

Conclusion: ResDesk has greatly increased course reserves efficiency and customer satisfaction. Texas A&M libraries are now looking into expanded the software to manage the customer relationship side of such circ functions as lost or missing items, and holds requests.

Article Evaluation: The article provides an excellent overview of the development and implementation of the software, along with detailed flow charts of the reserves process. Texas A&M is unique in that they have developed their own in-house software, which is much better suited to the library's needs than vendor software, as there is currently no library-specific CRM software. Even if your library is not currently planning on implementing CRM, the article is useful for its thorough and holistic diagrams of the entire course reserves process, which are valuable to anyone who works in this area of the library.