losing staff: the seven stages of loss and recovery
DESCRIPTION
During the past 12 months, the University of Victoria Libraries said good bye (due to retirement) to both of our serials catalogers. Due to impending budget cuts, we were not able to advertize either one of these vacant positions. This session will address the approaches taken and the strategies implemented in coping with the loss of these two highly experienced and highly trained staff members. By applying the skills and abilities in the "Supervising and management" core competency, we are implementing changes that will, in the long term, allow us to continue to provide high quality service to users. Elena Romaniuk University of Victoria Libraries Elena Romaniuk has worked as a Serials librarian since 1984, starting out as her career as a serials cataloger by taking on the responsibility for cataloging IEEE serial publications. Elena later took over the responsibility for the bibliographic unit responsible for cataloging serials in all formats and eventually became the Head of Serials Services at the University of Victoria Libraries.TRANSCRIPT
Context: who we were.
Context: where we are.
University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
• Medium-‐sized insHtuHon
• Approx. 18, 000 students
• Approx. budget for serials and electronic resources: $ 6 million
Context: what we do with serials.
• Check-‐in • Processing • Cataloguing of all formats • Physical collecHon management • AcquisiHons • Claiming • Binding
Who leT?
Assisted with, or responsible for: • Supervision of check-‐in staff, unit management.
• ClassificaHon and original cataloguing.
• Problem solving.
• Project management.
• Policy decisions: automaHon, e-‐journals.
Consequences for the unit:
• No experienced support staff cataloguers. • Two support staff responsible for check-‐in, processing and physical collecHon management.
• One support staff person responsible for government publicaHons.
7 stages of grief:
• Shock and denial • Pain and guilt • Anger and bargaining • Depression, reflecHon, loneliness • Upward turn • ReconstrucHon and working through • Acceptance and hope h]p://www.recover-‐from-‐grief.com/7-‐stages-‐of-‐grief.html
Stage 1: shock and denial
• Numbed disbelief.
Stage 2: pain and guilt
• Our friends leT us.
• Remaining staff lost their resource people.
• We all lost knowledge, experience, insHtuHonal memory and producHvity.
• Our workload increased.
Stage 3: anger and bargaining
• We could not be angry at our friends.
• Considered asking to have 1 posiHon filled.
Stage 4: depression, reflecHon, loneliness
• Focused on reflecHon. • How has the work changed?
• What do we need? • What are our opHons?
• How do we help ourselves?
ReflecHon: how has the work changed?
• Much more complex.
• More diverse.
• Less low-‐level, more high-‐level work.
• Fewer acHve print Htles.
ReflecHon: what do we need?
• We sHll need to get the work done.
• We need staff who can work at a high level.
• One addiHonal posiHon is not enough.
ReflecHon: what are our opHons?
• Remaining serials staff.
• Extensive serials experience.
• Familiar with records, processes, rouHnes.
• Willing and able to be trained.
ReflecHon: how do we help ourselves?
• Reassign the work to remaining serials staff.
• Rewrite job descripHons.
• Fill out job evaluaHon quesHonnaires.
• Implement an extensive training program.
Upward turn.
• Approved to go ahead.
• Rewrote job descripHons/job evaluaHons.
• Started one-‐on-‐one cataloguing training.
• Booked group training meeHngs in advance.
ReconstrucHon and working through.
• Training started: April 2012-‐ .
• Staff are cataloguing, ongoing record review.
• Ongoing clarificaHon of prioriHes.
• Postponing RDA and some projects.
Acceptance and hope.
• Have both, for now.
• Staff are willing, capable and cooperaHve.
• Backlogs will grow.
• Work will get done more slowly at first.
What worked in our favour.
• Had plenty of noHce.
• Time to ponder, evaluate opHons and plan.
• Time to prepare documentaHon.
• Time to train before cataloguers departed.
Coping strategies.
• Providing ongoing problem-‐solving help.
• Constantly clarifying prioriHes.
• Procedures documented, revised as needed.
• Staff consult with each other.
Challenges.
• Need to provide more training.
• UnderesHmated Hme needed for problem-‐solving.
• Always too much work.
• MulHple simultaneous demands.
Future plans.
• ConHnue to ponder our situaHon. • Analyze where we need help now. • Write a proposal for an addiHonal librarian. • Provide more training. • Evaluate how we are doing. • Consider possible reorganizaHon. • Consider requesHng help from another area.
The rainbow and the worm: the physics of organisms, by Mae-‐Wan Ho. “Organic systems are truly democraHc; they work by intercommunicaHon and total parHcipaHon. Everyone acHvely works and pays a]enHon to everyone else. Everyone is simultaneously boss and worker, choreographer and dancer. Each is ulHmately in control to the extent that she is sensiHve and responsive.”
