Re-Engineering Processes

Vendor-Assisted Collection Development At The University Of

Calgary Library

Presented to the Ontario Library Association, February 3, 2005Ada-Marie Atkins Nechka, Associate Director, Collections & Technical Services

University of Calgary Library

2003-2004 Environment• 28,869 Students• 15 Faculties • 42 Librarians• 165 Support Staff

Collection• 2,432,946 Volumes• 20,237 Serials• 30,574 Monographs• 52,222 Catalogued

Collection Expenditure: $9,435,804

Mandated Change

• 1993 – 25% staffing cut—Library Plan mandated the formation of Collections and Technical Services

• 1994/95 – consultant recommended approval plans and the outsourcing of the cataloguing of trade publications

• Mandated to increase approval plans – did not happen due to frozen Collections Budget

Implementing Change• 2003 - challenged staff to increase approval

plans by 10% -- 30% & 50% in subsequent years

• Team tasked with reviewing vendor servicesTeam Members

Monographs Librarian – Chair

Manager, Acquisitions

Manager, Monographs Cataloguing

System Administrator – SIRSI Unicorn

Liaison Librarian Representative

Team Recommendations

• Trial of shelf-ready from Yankee Book Peddler

• Applied to publisher approval plan

• Use of ILS functionality for processing

Requires support from Administration, Information Technology Services, Public Services

Choosing Shelf Ready

Pluses• Faster turn-around

time• Relief for remaining

staff• Core or full cataloguing

records received• Shelf ready goes

straight to the stacks – less handling

Limitations• Loss of local

adaptations• Different titles may

have identical call numbers

• Specific floor locations removed

• Canadian material goes to be catalogued

Reasons for Using Vendor Services

Literature suggests following drivers:

• Increased Service to Users• Loss of staff• Increases in Budget• Emphasis on Building Monographic

Collections• Expanded and Enhanced Vendor Services

Calgary Experience

Staff Loss

Budget Increases

Collections Analysis

Priorities

Vendor Support

ITS Support

Other Initiatives

• Acquisitions - lost 5• Cataloguing- lost 3• Budget increased 20%• Analysis indicated

need to increase books

• Positive trial • Cataloguing staff

involved with new metadata initiatives

Vendor Services

Collections Services– Automated:

development/selection– Duplicate checking– Comparative: other

libraries/consortia – Comprehensive info:

statistics, retrospective lists

Many of the major book vendors have developed their services and systems to provide enhanced and expanded services to assist all areas of technical services.

Vendor Services

Acquisitions- Less checking

- On-line searching

- Importing records- Overlaying records- Direct ordering- Electronic invoicing

Vendor Services

Bibliographic Services– Cataloguing – FTP/MARC Records, various

levels to select

– Shelf Ready Processing – stamps, labels, bar codes, tattle-tape, etc.

Processes and Standards

• Review team – tasked with identifying and documenting technical processes of Information Resources

• Recommendations– Core technical processes centralized– Other technical processes coordinated– Technology/Vendor solutions

investigated– Organizational Structure redesigned

Results

• Established Technical Processes Coordinating Group– Reviews policy, makes recommendations– Sets priorities– Facilitates communication– Identifies expertise – Manages change – Reports to Assistant Director

Next Steps• Sponsors Working Groups/Teams

– Medical processing to CTS – Complete– Budget Officer to CTS – Complete– Electronic Resources Management

System Selection – In process– Out-sourcing to OCLC – In process– SIRSI/SIRSI Compatible Software Selection

– In process– Binding Software Selection – To be

established

Requirements for Success• Staff dedicated to project

−Establish clear area/departmental goals−Area goals become personal goals−Representation from other areas

• Appropriate equipment – Plan ahead for software expenditures

• Administrative support Keep senior management informed Ensure that you have support of technology group

• Vendor support Establish excellent communications with vendors

COMMUNICATE!

Prepared for the Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2005 by Ada-Marie Atkins Nechka and Kit Wilson 

Session 405: MANAGING THE ACQUISITION OF PRINT RESOURCES IN AN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT: REDESIGNING COLLECTION MANAGEMENT/ACQUISITION WORK TO DELIVER PRIORITY SERVICES Branton, Ann and Tracy Englert. “Mandate for change: merging acquisitions and cataloguing functions into a single workflow.” Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 26 (4), 2002, pp. 345-354. Calhoun, Karen. “Technology, productivity and change in library technical services.” Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 27 (3), 2003, pp. 281-289. Crump, Michele. Shelf Ready Summary Report, April-December, 1996. University of Florida, March 10, 1997. Accessed March 17, 2004 at: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/rs/rsd/shelfrpt.html Coats, Jacqueline and Joseph Kiegel. “Automating the nexus of book selection, acquisitions and rapid copy cataloguing.” Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 27 (3), 2003, pp. 33-44. Cornell Technical Services Web Site Planning Task Force. “Executive Summary.” Final Report, December 9, 2002. Accessed January 2, 2005 at: http://www.library.cornell.edu/staffweb/TSEG/TSwebsiteplan.html 

Selected Readings

Flowers, Janet L. and Scott Perry. “Vendor-assisted e-selection and online ordering: optimal conditions.” Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 26 (4), 2002, pp. 395-407.Grahame, Vicki and Tim McAdam. Managing electronic resources, SPEC Kit 282. Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries, Office of Leadership and Management Services, 2004.Hounshell, JoAnn. “Electronic Ordering of Monographs Part 1: Blackwell’s Collection Manager.” Technical Services Law Librarian, 24 (3), 1999. Accessed January 3, 2005 at: http://www.aallnet.org/sis/tssis/tsll/24-03/acq.htmLaCava, Lydia, Jan Rothhaar, and Thom Saudargas. Outsourcing Technical Services: Broward Community College and Davie Campus Library. College Center for Library Automation, November, 1999, pp. 1-15. Accessed January 2, 2005 at:http://www.ccla.lib.fl.us/docs/reports/outsourcing.pdfLee, Lauren K. “Five Levels of Vendor Assisted Collection Development.” The Acquisitions Librarian, 20, 1998, p.41. Schwartz, Marla. “Electronic Ordering of Monographs Part II: Yankee Book Peddler’s GOBI.” Technical Services Law Librarian, 24, (4), 1999. Accessed January 3, 2005 at: http://www.aallnet.org/sis/tssis/tsll/24-04/acq.htm  Zhang, Sha Li. “Allocating the technology dividend in technical services through using vendor services.” Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 26 (4), 2002, pp. 379-393.

  

Selected Readings

Credits

• University of Calgary: Carol Baker, David Brown, Helen Clarke, Heather D’Amour, Christine Hayward, Mary McConnell, Frits Pannekoek, Christine Slater,

Wanda Rottenfusser, Peggy White. • Others: Pam Jacobs, Yankee Book Peddler; Kit

Wilson, University of Alberta.