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Academic libraries are expanding their collections to meet the technological and leisure needs of their students, but support for accessibility and curriculum can often be overlooked. At the University of North Texas Libraries, the Access Services Department utilized an internal grant to address the accessibility and curriculum gaps in its collection by offering access to equipment such as C-Pen readers, electronic translators, and sensory items. This article describes the steps taken to create a new circulating collection of equipment items. Best practices for cataloging, circulation, item storage, and procedures, as well as strategies for promoting the collection are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many library services and operations. Because of uncertainty around safety measures and face-to-face interactions, each library reacted differently and planned to find the best solutions for their patrons and employees while following different administrative guidelines and expectations. Library employees experienced and observed the impacts and the challenges of the pandemic first-hand. In this study, we examined changes in the pattern of Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and Document Delivery (DD) services. We collected and prepared transactional data from the ILLiad system in a library of a tier 1 research university. The sample included request and loan records in the fall semesters of 2016 through 2020. We designed and performed three statistical tests to compare fall 2019, which was the semester right before the pandemic, with 2020, during which restrictive measures were in place. Results show in fall 2020 our faculty requests decreased, electronic requests increased, and request fulfillment was slower, significantly. Results of this research can help understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on library services and plan accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will describe how merging service points in an academic library is an opportunity to improve customer service and utilize staffing resources more efficiently. Combining service points provides libraries with the ability to create a more positive library experience for patrons by minimizing the ping-pong effect for assistance. The Access Services Department at the University of North Texas Libraries was charged with management of the circulation and reference services offered at the service desk. Streamlined planning and modernized management of the desk and its impact on customer service in a changing library environment will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]