Assessing Scan and Deliver during COVID-19 and Beyond Presentation

This is a conference presentation delivered at Library Assessment Conference in November 2022. 

Toronto Metropolitan University Library implemented the scan and deliver service in June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this service patrons can request a portion of text, such as a chapter of a book or a journal article, be scanned by a library staff member and emailed to them. This and other complementary services were implemented because of limited access to the physical library building and the print collection due to pandemic lockdowns. As the Library space reopened to patrons, we assessed this service to understand its impact and plan for future service offerings. This paper addresses why Toronto Metropolitan University Library patrons have used the scan and deliver service: what benefits does it offer them, what role do scanned materials play in their scholarly research, and what barriers does it help them overcome? These questions will inform the future of this service at our library and can be used to address similar questions facing other libraries regarding services implemented mid-pandemic.