How to increase INN-Reach usage using PowerPac

 

INN-Reach is our resource sharing solution used by over 200 library systems worldwide to provide a simple, cost-effective way for institutions to share resources and offers a more efficient alternative to interlibrary loans. But how can you ensure patrons know about this extra pool of resources? 

Expert Polaris Sales Engineer Dennis Todd offers some examples of raising the prominence of INN-Reach resources in your Polaris PowerPAC. 

Add links to INN-Reach on the portal page 

There are multiple ways to give your users access to your shared resources through INN-Reach right on your online catalog. One option is to create a “Partner Libraries” link in your navigation menu to alert users that they have access to a larger system of resources. 

You can do this along the top of the window, like Poplar Creek Public Library District. 

Image of the Poplar Creek Public Library District online catalog with a hyperlink in the top navigation menu to “Search LINKin,” their INN-Reach resource sharing network.
PowerPAC page showing link to INN-Reach resource LINKin on navigation menu

 

You can also configure a link for your INN-Reach network to appear on the navigation menu on the left, like the example below from Salem Public Library with links to SearchOhio and OhioLink. You can even add an image or logo to the hyperlink. 

 

Didn’t find what you want? Links for INN-Reach resources from Salem Public Library
“Didn’t find what you want?” Links for INN-Reach resources on the navigation pane on the left

  

Create colorful graphics 

By configuring the portal page custom content for PowerPAC, you can make your resources even more colorful, like the banner below for Red Rock Library’s summer reading challenge.  

 

This custom HTML content on the PowerPAC portal page displays an image from the library.
Custom HTML on the PowerPAC portal page highlighting a summer reading challenge

 

To have a banner image like the one above, you generate a snippet of HTML that points to an online location for the image and connect to it using the Portal custom content (URL) using the Administration Explorer.

Image of the Polaris PowerPAC Administration Explorer highlighting the Profiles configuration options
To add an image to the PowerPAC Portal page, go to library name > Profiles, and populate the Portal custom content (URL) with the URL link to your code

 

Point users to INN-Reach directly from the search results 

Another way to drive users to your shared resources is from within the search results page itself. When a patron performs a search that yields no results in your local catalog, the resulting “No hits” message is an ideal opportunity to offer an entry to INN-Reach resources. 

Denver Public Library has modified their default “No hits” message to a custom message that includes a link to the Prospector INN-Reach catalog. 

Image of PowerPAC page with "No titles found" message that includes link to the Prospector INN-Reach network
Link to Prospector INN-Reach catalog in a customized message on the Denver Public Library PowerPAC results page

  

Finally, if you’re ready to empower your users to search INN-Reach resources with minimal effort, you can configure the link to your INN-Reach catalog to automatically forward your user’s search term so that they are presented with the search results as soon as they click on the INN-Reach link. 

These are only a few examples of exposing INN-Reach resources in your Polaris PowerPAC. For even more options and for details on how to configure INN-Reach links like these, watch the full video here:  https://vimeo.com/424045206. 

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