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Since 1958, the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NCLBPH) has served patrons throughout the State of North Carolina who have no vision, low vision, or who are unable to physically hold a printed book. The collection includes approximately 128,000 titles in accessible formats; and on average, 2,000 titles are sent out to patrons via USPS Mail each day. As with most public libraries, NCLBPH currently obtains a certain number of copies of each new title. For popular titles, this can produce long waiting lists for patrons who are not able to use NLS's Braille and Audio Recording Download (BARD) service, available on computers and mobile devices. To solve this problem, NCLBPH is embarking on two pilot projects, one for Digital Talking Books (NLS's proprietary audiobook format) and one for Braille books. These two pilot projects will eliminate the waiting lists for popular titles by instituting a Books on Demand (BOD) system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Information Commons Cross-Departmental Exchange was developed to contribute toward the integration of library services at the J. Murrey Atkins Library of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The Cross-Departmental Exchange provides structured orientations to library functions and services, tailored for all library employees. This paper describes the development of the Cross-Departmental Exchange and its place within the spectrum of cross-training programs. The structure of the Cross-Departmental Exchange and its benefits for employees and patrons are addressed. Finally, suggestions for implementing the program at other libraries are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]