There are many expectations placed on libraries today. We’re maker spaces, community gathering points, and places of refuge. We feature programming that offers the young and old opportunities to engage with each other, knowledge, and the wider world. We fill big shoes. However much we expand our role in society, the traditional service we offer as a provider of materials that educate, entertain, and inform is still crucial to our success. Patron Driven Acquisition is one way we fulfill that provider role, while building a collection that both reflects customers’ interests and meets the needs of our unique local community.

Pima County Public Library invests $200,000 and more than eight full-time staff members to process 1,500+ patron suggestions each month. A streamlined, 24/7 process, this traditional service has been innovated and expanded to fully welcome patron input, provide personalized replies, and offer options for alternative formats. The Collection Development Office works hand-in-hand with the acquisitions and interlibrary loan departments daily to process the incoming requests. We view customer requests as a direct means for the community to help us build a locally-flavored collection that features the materials needed most by the people we serve.

How can we brighten the day of a widow who loves niche romance novels? How can we support a young girl who wants to know about space travel? How can we fuel a love of reading in a teenager discovering Harry Potter? The answer is simple: access.

Materials accessed at libraries do so many things. They provide companionship; they encourage creativity; and they open new worlds. PCPL is helping people lead more fulfilling lives by using Patron Driven Acquisition to get patrons the resources they need to engage with the world around them. Isn’t that what it should be about?