Re: Library Elf

["Craig Johnson" <CJOHNSON at icpl dot org>]

I've been using Library Elf since I heard about it a number of months
ago, as have several other staff members and patrons who have heard
about it. It's a slick service that's easy to set up and, at least so
far for me, flawless. Although we've had some discussions about
promoting it, we haven't done so yet pending reconsideration of our
policy of not offering courtesy notices. 

One thing I've always wondered about the service though - what does
Library Elf get out of providing it? It's probably not been terribly
expensive to set up and maintain, but it would hardly be free. There are
a few small advertisements on their main page which you only need to
visit once when you set up your account, but none (so far) in the email
notices that I've received. Pardon my skepticism, but "something for
nothing" happens so rarely...  Still, it's a great service and,
discounting that whiff of paranoia, I would have no reservations about
recommending it to patrons.

Craig Johnson
Iowa City Public Library
cjohnson at icpl dot org 

>>> et at noblenet dot org 8/24/2005 7:42 PM >>>
I would be interested in hearing what you think about Library Elf,
http://www.libraryelf.com.  If you haven't seen this, it's a free
service
that helps users manage their library accounts: checked out items,
overdues and holds.  You set up an account on this system, provide an
e-mail address, library ID and Pin, choose your library from a
rapidly-growing list, and make a few option choices.  Once you've done
this, Library Elf logs into your account and sends you rather nicely
formatted HTML-based e-mail notices.

The user has much more control over notices here than they do on our
real
system.  They aren't limited to the library's notice schedule.  For
example, we're not currently providing courtesy notices, but users can
get
them through this system.  Users also have options for overdue
notices,
including the option to have one sent every day as long as an item is
overdue.  There are also RSS and text-message options.

This service is free to users, and as for configuration on the library

end, there isn't any.  They say all the right things about privacy, 
including the fact that they're in Canada and therefore not subject to
the 
US Patriot Act.  

It seems strange to me to have users bypass our notice options and
setting 
up their own, and I can see possible confusion for users between what 
they're seeing through Library Elf and directly.  But I can see why
users 
would want to use this-- it really works pretty nicely.  And I don't
think 
we have any choice.  If your library appears on this list, your users
can 
find and use this service even if you don't know about it.

I know that some libraries are promoting this to users-- any comments? 

Anyone run into problems with this?  Anyone attempting to monitor or
block 
this?  

Anyone wonder what other sorts of alternative interfaces and services
might be around or coming along from totally outside our ILS systems?

-- 
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Danvers MA 01923
et at noblenet dot org 

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