Improving the Title Hold Process in a Large Public Library: A Model-Based Policy Analysis

We conducted an operational analysis of the title-reservation process in a major city library system because the library wanted to improve patron satisfaction. Our study of the system’s transactional data led us to discover several important causes of request backlogs, including theft and congestion. Because the congestion failed to meet standard queuing model assumptions, we developed a simple alternative approach capturing the range of operational controls available to the library. We used this model to recommend a combination of changes which promise improved performance without major new expenditures.