UK Special Collections Launches Aeon

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 28, 2016) — On March 31, 2016, the University of Kentucky Special Collections and Research Center (SCRC) will join the ranks of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, University of Texas at Austin and more than 50 other research libraries by launching a new, online requesting system, saying goodbye to paper callslips and sign-in ledgers. 

The requesting system, also known as “Aeon,” will allow all researchers visiting the SCRC the convenience of making requests for materials using a custom web-based interface. Researchers will be able to submit requests for use of materials in the Breckinridge Research Room, place digital reproduction orders, and schedule their visit online — anytime, anywhere — without ever logging into email or typing a message.

According to Jaime Marie Burton, director of Research Services and Education at the Special Collections Research Center, “Aeon has been in use at top research institutions for several years and has proven to be an invaluable solution for efficient access to research collections, rare books and original primary source materials, as well as improving the security of collections. We are looking forward to new data points on how researchers use our collections, and establishing improved metrics that will inform decision-making and collection development for the future, all geared towards helping the SCRC better support UK’s vibrant research community.“

UK patrons will be able to create an account using their linkblue IDs, while non-UK visitors will establish an account with a chosen username and password. After completing online registration, patrons will have access to their own requesting history, be able to track the status of active requests in real-time, make changes to requests and orders, and receive digital deliveries. In coordination with an archivist, the “Activity” feature will allow class material lists to be saved, shared, edited or used again in future semesters. A new “Tags” feature will also allow patrons an additional way to organize their requests to accommodate their own individualized research projects and needs.

The requesting system roll out will include the submission of requests through an online manual form, or through a new “Request” button and submission options embedded directly in an updated layout for collection guides and finding aids on ExploreUK, as well as oral histories through the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History online catalog SPOKEdb, and eventually UK Libraries’ catalog InfoKat Discovery.

The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed on Wednesday, March 30, to allow for staff training and system set-up; services may also be limited on Tuesday, March 29.

On the staff side, the system will centralize registration and patron data, utilize processing queues and efficiencies that automate tracking of materials across four buildings and multiple storage locations, create instantaneous usage statistics, generate reports for long-term data gathering, trend analysis, and program assessment. The enhanced efficiency, improved security and the facilitation of data-driven management decisions will provide a higher level of knowledge and control of collections, which will also inform planning around functions like cataloging, digitization, collection development, acquisitions, donor relations, conservation and materials storage.

UK Special Collections Research Center is home to UK Libraries' collection of rare books, Kentuckiana, the Archives, the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, the King Library Press, the Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, the Bert T. Combs Appalachian collection and the digital library, ExploreUK. The mission of the center is to locate and preserve materials documenting the social, cultural, economic and political history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As part of the mission, the Special Collections Research Center advances and supports the research, teaching and scholarship of the university and beyond by preserving and providing access to its holdings.

Aeon is automated request and workflow management software specifically designed for special collections libraries and archives that improves patron service and maximizes staff efficiency while providing unparalleled item tracking, security and statistics, and is produced by Atlas Systems, a software development company headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded in July 1995 with the mission of “promoting library excellence through efficiency,” Atlas is best known for creating the ILLiad interlibrary loan management system used by more than 1,000 libraries worldwide.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu