Post on 26-Jun-2015
Managing Faculty and Student Expectations at the Circulation Desk
Jen Bartlett, University of KentuckyBack in Circulation Again 2010
October 1, 2010
Circulation: Not for the Timid
What do we do?An overview of current practice
What is our environment?Academic libraries today
What do our users want and expect?Perceptions and expectations
What can and should we be doing?Ideas and suggestions for improvement
Five Core Services
Circulation of materialsShelving and stacks maintenanceRenewals and billingPrint and electronic reservesEntry and exit control
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Emptying the Litter Pan
Circulation:The catch-all department
What does your department do that no one else
wants to?
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Emptying the Litter Pan
off-site storage retrievalstudy carrel and locker checkoutsopening and closing the buildingmaintenance and custodial requestssecurity problemsverification of user credentials
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Emptying the Litter Pan
directional questionsbuilding toursreference questions during hours when the reference desk is closedinterlibrary loan/document delivery supportequipment (printers, copiers, phones) problemslost and found
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What’s in a Name?
Access ServicesBorrower ServicesCollection ServicesResource Support Services
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Trends in Access Services
New servicesConsolidation of service desksIncreased automation
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The Academic Environment
Circulation statistics continue to declineEconomic pressures – need to provide evidence of valueEver greater emphasis on technology
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Patron Perceptions
Everyone is a librarianThe nearest desk should have what I need – RIGHT NOW
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Perceptions from Colleagues
No professional skills neededWork is mechanical in natureNot “real” library workNegative interactions with patrons
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Our Self-Perception
Good organizationDetail orientedPeople-oriented/team playersGood management skillsUnderstanding of how entire library system worksFamiliarity with communityAbility to think on your feet
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Perceptions of Libraries
If you could provide one
piece of advice to your library, what would it be?
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Suggestions…“E-mail reminders warning when books are
due”“They need to get their attitudes checked,
and be friendly to people”“Don’t make the shelves so high”“Get rid of the ‘no food and drinks’ policy”“Hire friendly people”
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More suggestions…“Fees are too expensive – I feel that
universities as a whole take advantage of students who are already on a limited income”
“Be more helpful to students and to the locals who are not college students. Sometimes people are not very helpful to the locals in the area”
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Customer/User ServiceExtend hours of operationReexamine the “rules” and fines/fees associated with using library materialsOffer the ability to reserve materials onlineMake renewals easierOffer longer lending periods for materialsEliminate the fees for photocopies
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Undergraduate Expectations
24/7 access to the buildingQuiet and group study spaceClear guidelines on how to use the library
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Grad Student Expectations
Extended or no due dates for materialsUnlimited use of study roomsSame-day delivery of materials from storage
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Circulation Challenges
Little or no respect from our colleagues/parent institutionGradually being absorbed into an “access services” modelEver decreasing circulation statistics and gate countsVarying expectations depending on user group
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“The Heart of the Campus”
“A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.”
- Shelby Foote“The demonstration of value is not about looking valuable; it’s about being valuable.”
- Value of Academic Libraries study
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Foundations of Management
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Foundations of Management
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Foundations of Management
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PoliciesCover materials circulation, building access, patron behaviorSome policies are specific for different groups of usersPolicies must be clearly communicated on webpage, etc.Policies must be applied fairly
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A Constant Balancing Act
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Enforcing Policies Fairly
Policies are in writing and transparentCirculation staff know when they can make exceptions and when to refer the issueExceptions are applied judiciouslyPolicies are always under review
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The 5 W’s of Effective Training
WHO: All staff, but esp. student workersWHAT: Basics, the library, who to askWHEN: Early and ongoingWHERE: At orientation, on the deskWHY: We are the first point of contact!
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UK Training OverviewTour of department and libraryMandatory confidentiality and sexual harassment trainingLCCN trainingChecklist of basic skillsWeekly e-mails from student supervisor
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Online TrainingUse BlackBoard course management system
Instruction modulesFAQsQuizzesE-mails from supervisorsChat board for students
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The Importance of Statistics
It’s ESSENTIAL to document what we do!
Tool for planning workflowDocumentation of qualitative observationsSupport for explaining your budget needsTool for planning
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Count Everything
Gate counts, # of items circulatedHead counts of users in buildingNo. and type of questionsNo. of damaged items processedNo. of hours spent on specific tasksNo. of security incidents & when
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Stacks Map Example
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Student Hours Example
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Top Priority Tasks - Students must do
Working desk
Checking out material
Answering directional & basic reference questions
General problem-solving
Recording gate counts
Checking study rooms
Erasing pencil marks in books for Preservation
Helping patrons with printers, copiers & DART machines
Checking book drop
Special projects for Dean's Office
Check-in
Sorting
Shelving
Second Priority Tasks
Shelfreading
Searching for C/R & recalls
Pulling books for Reserves
Filling in at AV Desk
Third Priority Tasks
Dusting shelves
Shifting
Maintaining bulletin boards
Special projects Back in Circulation Again 2010
Advocacy for Circulation
Attend campus-wide meetingsPresent at new faculty orientationsStay on top of the literatureSupport real cross-training
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Thank you!
Jen BartlettUniversity of Kentucky Librariesjen.bartlett@uky.edu
http://www.uky.edu/Libraries
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