| Innovative’s INN-Reach Direct Consortial Borrowing
System is the only available solution of its kind. Since its initial installation
in 1992, INN-Reach’s success has grown steadily, with systems now
used in several hundred libraries.
Resource
Sharing
Statistics
and Collection Analysis
System
Management
Cost-Saving
Results

Resource Sharing
INN-Reach is the ultimate in resource sharing for libraries that want
to partner with a group of libraries, whether or not they're part of a
formal consortia. It seamlessly connects multiple library automation systems
and allows patrons from one library to request and borrow materials belonging
to another library—expanding the library's catalog without having
to spend resources on new acquisitions.
Functionality between individual library systems is seamless, requires
minimal system management, and exponentially expands patron empowerment
and interlibrary loans among libraries.

Find
- Searchable access to bibliographic and holdings data of participating
libraries
- Easy to use; extremely powerful; fast response
Master bibliographic records and holdings of all participants
Holdings contain individual item-level detail and circulation status
- Catalog is always current, receiving updates from participating libraries
in real time
Request
- Patron-initiated requesting
- Patron verification: Remote verification to local site
- Customizable INN-Reach requesting options
- INN-Reach software automatically selects lender
- INN-Reach software calculates lender strings and re-routes request
when initial lender cannot supply
- Request load balancing: Customizable options by library and groupings
of libraries
- Pickup locations: Customizable selection for each participating library
- Pick up anywhere: Allows patrons to pick up at any circulation desk
within consortia
Borrow
- Extended circulation functions manage all lending and borrowing activities
- Direct loans (visiting patron)
- Pick up anywhere and return anywhere
- Entire suite of circulation functions
- For Innovative libraries: Integrated into the circulation module of
either Millennium or INNOPAC
- For non-Innovative libraries: Direct Consortial Borrowing (DCB) client
software manages sending, receipt, and return of items. DCB clients
interact with local circulation modules via NCIP (NISO Circulation Interchange
Protocol) messages
Manage
- Patron empowerment to place and track requests
- Staff use familiar circulation functionality to process and track
requests
- For Innovative libraries: Automatic transmission of all additions,
changes, or deletions to the INN-Reach catalog, without staff intervention
and in real time
Statistics and Collection Analysis
Because it's a physical—not virtual—catalog, INN-Reach enables
libraries to create reports and analyses quickly and easily.
- Web-based reports on requests/fulfillments between all sites
- Database size and contributions from sites; title overlap and uniqueness
statistics
- Classification analysis of INN-Reach catalog
- On local Innovative systems: Web-based reports between library and
other sites
- On local Innovative systems: Web-based report of requested materials
by author, title, or classification
System Management
- Easy to run
- Easy to configure
- Minimal system librarian needs for central site
- System tools to monitor transactions and load
- System management tasks include:
- Customization for load balancing and request options
- Customization for additions of new libraries
- Backups
Cost-Saving Results
Libraries realize a tremendous cost benefit with an INN-Reach system.
Share purchasing power by sharing resources. Integrate the processing
into faster and lower-cost circulation activities. Patrons find materials
themselves, eliminating staff verification of citations. INN-Reach selects
lender automatically. With low transaction costs and quick turnaround,
INN-Reach is a service you can't afford not to have.
What does your library achieve when it uses INN-Reach?
An exponential expansion of each member library's collection, even among
libraries of similar size and age. INN-Reach libraries have discovered
that volume and growth expand, while costs shrink.
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