Creative Staffing, Creative Planning, and Cross-Training: Managing a Small Academic Library Jon...

Creative Staffing, Creative Planning, and Cross-Training: Managing a Small

Academic Library

Jon Jones, Director of Library ServicesBaptist Bible College, Springfield, MO

Budget Cuts in Large Libraries

• Yale University-10%• University of Florida Libraries-$2.6 million• Cornell University-$944,000• MIT-6%• University of Tennesee-$1.3 million (8%)

Budget Cuts in Small Libraries

• Trinidad State Junior College-25%• Michigan public libraries-5%-40%• Ohio small public libraries-up to 40% since 2007• Coconino Community College, Flagstaff, AZ

• Closed library completely• Contracted services to Northern Arizona Univ.

Budget Challenges at BBC

• The campus-wide budget has been reduced approximately 2 million dollars over the past 3 years.• The library staff has been reduced since FY 2006-07 from 15 staff (FTE of 8.48) to a current staff of 9 people (FTE of 4.76).• The library budget has been reduced by 27% since FY 2006-07.

Recent Staffing Changes


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Public Services staff shelve periodicals to allow Secretary/Serials to concentrate on more difficult tasks.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Public Services staff shelve periodicals to allow Secretary/Serials to concentrate on more difficult tasks.• One Public Services Clerk is assigned as the Serials Assistant.



• Pulls items for bindery.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Public Services staff shelve periodicals to allow Secretary/Serials to concentrate on more difficult tasks. • One Public Services Clerk is assigned as the Serials Assistant.

• Pulls items for bindery.• Makes labels for unbound periodical boxes.



• Pulls items for bindery.• Makes labels for unbound periodical boxes.• Assists in all special serials projects.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Cataloging and Library Instruction combined.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Cataloging and Library Instruction combined.• Processing combined with Public Services Clerk.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Cataloging and Library Instruction combined.• Processing combined with Public Services Clerk.• Acquisitions work performed by director with assistance from the secretary, cataloger, and various student workers.


• Library Secretary took over Serials Management.• Cataloging and Library Instruction combined.• Processing combined with Public Services Clerk.• Acquisitions work performed by director with assistance from the secretary, cataloger, and various student workers.• Public Services Staff hours reduced by 10 hours per week.

Collection Rearrangement


• Moved all circulating items that were on the top floor to the main floor, consolidating most circulating material.



• Improved access for patrons and staff.



• Improved access for patrons and staff.• Increased productivity for our staff.




• Re-shelving




• Re-shelving• Shelf Reading




• Re-shelving• Shelf Reading• Helping patrons find items



• Improved access for patrons and staff.• Increased productivity for our staff.• Incurred virtually no change in the number of seats on the main floor.



• Improved access for patrons and staff.• Increased productivity for our staff.• Incurred virtually no change in the number of seats on the main floor.

• Created oversize collections at the end of appropriate collections.

Acquisitions Changes


• Acquisitions work distributed to multiple staff members.


• Acquisitions work distributed to multiple staff members.• Partnered with campus bookstore to order books.



• Bulk ordering increased savings for the library and the bookstore.



• Bulk ordering increased savings for the library and the bookstore.• Bookstore handles much of the ordering process.



• Bulk ordering increased savings for the library and the bookstore.• Bookstore handles much of the ordering process.• Improved efficiency by placing only a few large orders per year instead of frequent small orders.

Product / Technology Changes


• Began using W.T. Cox Journal Finder as the A-Z journal service in January of 2011.



• $1500.00 less expensive per year for the first year and $1000.00 less expensive per year after that.



• $1500.00 less expensive per year for the first year and $1000.00 less expensive per year after that.• Includes a link resolver at no additional cost, improving usability for patrons.



• $1500.00 less expensive per year for the first year and $1000.00 less expensive per year after that.• Includes a link resolver at no additional cost, improving usability for patrons.• Includes ERM at no additional cost.



• $1500.00 less expensive per year for the first year and $1000.00 less expensive per year after that.• Includes a link resolver at no additional cost, improving usability for patrons.• Includes ERM at no additional cost. • The administrative interface is easier to use and more intuitive, which saves valuable time.


• Began using W.T. Cox Journal Finder as the A-Z journal service in January of 2011.• New Website Design



• Can quickly change e-resource lists.



• Can quickly change e-resource lists.• Improved usability for patrons.




• Access to most resources is available from the main page.




• Access to most resources is available from the main page.• Using the new website is more intuitive.

Policies and Procedures


• Policies need to be continually evaluated.


• Policies need to be continually evaluated.• Outdated policies take up valuable time and cause confusion.


• Policies need to be continually evaluated.• Outdated policies take up valuable time and cause confusion.• Poorly written policies lead to mistakes by library staff.


• Policies need to be continually evaluated.• Outdated policies take up valuable time and cause confusion.• Poorly written policies lead to mistakes by library staff.• If your policy is not a “working document” it becomes rarely used and useless to your library mission.


• Policies need to be continually evaluated.• Complete written procedures are essential.



• Save time in training new employees.



• Save time in training new employees.• Improve learning curve for new employees.



• Save time in training new employees.• Improve learning curve for new employees.• Enhance productivity and efficiency.



• Save time in training new employees.• Improve learning curve for new employees.• Enhance productivity and efficiency.• Eliminate mistakes caused by unwritten rules.



• Save time in training new employees.• Improve learning curve for new employees.• Enhance productivity and efficiency.• Eliminate mistakes caused by unwritten rules.• Detailed step-by-step instructions can allow novices to do a job correctly with little or no instruction or supervision from a supervisor.



• Save time in training new employees.• Improve learning curve for new employees.• Enhance productivity and efficiency.• Eliminate mistakes caused by unwritten rules.• Detailed step-by-step instructions can allow novices to do a job correctly with little or no instruction or supervision from a supervisor.• Writing/rewriting procedures should be done whenever needed.

Use Public Service Staff for Major Projects


Examples at BBC:


Examples at BBC:• Periodicals project


Examples at BBC:• Periodicals project• Inventory


Examples at BBC:• Periodicals project• Inventory• Missing items lists


Examples at BBC:• Periodicals project• Inventory• Missing items lists• Lost and paid items lists


Examples at BBC:• Periodicals project• Inventory• Missing items lists• Lost and paid items lists

Note: Try to keep a list of projects available so Public Services staff are never sitting around with nothing to do.

Current Training of Student Staff


• Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) from the Idaho Commission for Libraries has online Reference and Public Service training modules for free.

http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/able



• Two most recently hired Public Service clerks have gone through this training.



• Two most recently hired Public Service clerks have gone through this training.• Currently, new hires will go through this training or something comparable to it.


• Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) from the Idaho Commission for Libraries has online Reference and Public Service training modules for free.• Reading current trends and practices.



• Chapters from Library Science books.



• Chapters from Library Science books.• Articles from Library Science publications.


• Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) from the Idaho Commission for Libraries has online Reference and Public Service training modules for free.• Reading current trends and practices.• Scenario Training



• Students are given scenarios that might occur at the Public Services Desk.



• Students are given scenarios that might occur at the Public Services Desk.• They report back to their supervisor on the best solution/answer to the scenario.

Future Training of Student Staff


• Include student staff in vendor training sessions when possible.


• Include student staff in vendor training sessions when possible.• Include student staff in various email and online discussion lists.


• Include student staff in vendor training sessions when possible.• Include student staff in various email and online discussion lists.• Include student staff in Millennium training offered by MOBIUS.

Other Ideas

Other Ideas

• Library Instruction:

Other Ideas

• Library Instruction:• Faculty have been reluctant to give up class time for library instruction.

Other Ideas

• Library Instruction:• Faculty have been reluctant to give up class time for library instruction.• Some faculty prefer to do their own training. In the future, we want to train more faculty members to do the same.

Other Ideas

• Library Instruction:• Faculty have been reluctant to give up class time for library instruction.• Some faculty prefer to do their own training. In the future, we want to train more faculty members to do the same.• Possibly load library instruction videos on the library website.

Other Ideas

• Library Instruction:• Faculty have been reluctant to give up class time for library instruction.• Some faculty prefer to do their own training. In the future, we want to train more faculty members to do the same.• Possibly load library instruction videos on the library website.

• Upgrade all non-student staff and non-librarian staff to a para-professional level.

Questions and Comments

[email protected]

http://library.gobbc.edu/

Creative Staffing, Creative Planning, and Cross-Training: Managing a Small Academic Library Jon...

Documents

Transcript of Creative Staffing, Creative Planning, and Cross-Training: Managing a Small Academic Library Jon...