Optimization of ILL Student Employees and Resources through Departmental ConsolidationPresented by Joyce Melvin and Michael Straatmann

Or

Getting Together to

do More with Less

Presented by Joyce Melvin and Michael Straatmann

Joyce MelvinInterlibrary Loan Manager

User Services, University of Nebraska Lincoln

Michael StraatmannCirculation Manager

User Services, University of Nebraska Lincoln

BACKGROUND

University of Nebraska – Lincoln• ARL Library, Center for Institutional

Cooperation• Largest library in Nebraska – 3.4 million

volumes

2011-12• 145,000 circulated items• 807,000 walk-in users

• 103,000+ ILL loans with 77% fill rate65% Lending & Document Delivery

Trends at UNL Libraries• Circulation trends continue in seeing a

decrease in number of items physically circulated.

• Interlibrary loan trends continue in seeing an increase in number of items both lent and borrowed.

• Off-site/High-Density storage removes a significant percentage of collection out of direct patron access.

Steps forward? In 2012, it was encouraged that

these two departments at UNL should undertake a feasibility

study for these two units to merge, both physically and

organizationally.

• Literature Review (see Bibliography)

• Consultants (Rayna Bowlby, Lars Leon, and Barbara Preece)

But, I thought this was about students…

WHERE WE STARTED

“Old” Circulation Space

Facilities

StaffingCirculation – 8.0 FTE•Desk Supervisor•Evening Supervisor•Stacks Management•Reserves•Fines/Billing•Delivery

Interlibrary Loan – 6.5 FTE• Borrowing• Lending• Document Delivery• Reception

Student Staffing

ILL Tasks – 1.5 FTE• Scanning• Copying• Retrieval• Shipping• Delivery

Circulation Tasks – 5.5 FTE• Sorting• Shelving• Shelf-reading• Inventory• Barcoding• Staffing Service Points

Student Supervision• Circulation Students

– Desk Supervisor– Stacks Supervisor

• ILL Students– Student Supervisor– All staff – functional supervisors/trainers

Staff Interviews

• Workflows

• Position Descriptions

• General feelings and thoughts about potential futures

Internal Working Groups

• Aimed for balance of “innovators”, “traditionalists” and “slow-adopters”

• 3 groups of staff, 1 group of managers• Additionally, each manager was assigned as a

mentor to each group• Each group was tasked with creating a model

of integration. – How would the new department function?– How would reporting work?– How would students be best utilized?– Etc.

Services and ResourcesEach group was allowed to present to everyone

and were queried on:

• What resources would be needed for the plan?• What services would be impacted? Improved?• Why was their plan the best?

WHERE WE AIMED FOR

Ground Rules• Maintaining a sense of continuity for staff by

proceeding with the basic premises of the community-designed integration plan.

• Emphasizing the integration of our unit into one cohesive whole, negating any plan which might revert “us” back into Circulation and ILL.

• Utilize already existing management and supervisory knowledges and strengths.

• Must improve services and efficiencies!

Collation of Plans• Managerial/Mentor group was tasked with

collating each of the plans, while observing the ground rules.

• Plan was then presented back to staff.

• In order to succeed, it was strongly felt that staff buy-in was essential.

Costs?• Physical

– Remodeling of space– New furnishings and equipment

• Personnel– Student turn-over– Additional training (cross-unit)

• Services– Some slow down during adjustment phase

Facilities

StaffingBorrowing & Customer Service

Reserves ILL Borrowing

Desk Services • Evening Supervisor• Fines/Billing• Reception• Desk Supervisor

Materials & Student Employees • Student Supervisor • ILL Lending Staff• Delivery• Stacks Management

Student Staffing

• Sorting• Shelving• Shelf-reading• Inventory• Barcoding

• Retrieval• Scanning• Copying• Shipping• Staffing Service Points

Combined Student Staff – 5.5 FTE

Student Supervision• One Student Supervisor

– Responsible for all training and supervision– Rely on other staff to provide needs and

supplement training

• Exception– Desk student scheduling

WHAT WE GOT!

Unforeseen Changes

Shifting Organizational Priorities

How to Respond?

Staffing

Borrowing and Reserves7.0 FTE

– Reserves – ILL Borrowing– Fines/Billing– Reception

Circulation and Materials 8.5 FTE

– Desk Supervisor– Student Supervisor – ILL Lending Staff– Delivery– Stacks

Management– Evening Supervisor

Student Staffing

• Sorting• Shelving• Shelf-reading• Inventory• Barcoding

• Retrieval• Scanning• Copying• Shipping

Combined Student Staff – 3.0 FTE

Staffing Service Points – 1.5 FTE - MIA

DOES IT WORK?

QuantitativeILL Turnaround Times•Copies – Searching & Scanning

Lending Reduced 43%Doc Delivery Reduced 13%

•Loans – SearchingLending Reduced 11%Doc Delivery Reduced 7%

Student Employees– Wage Budget Reduced 5%– Hours Reduced 30%

Anecdotal

Improved CommunicationsMore Resources for Tasks & Training

Improved ShippingMore Interests in New TasksMore Dynamic Environment

Better Morale – for everybody!

WHAT’S NEXT ?

Bibliography• Alarid, T. & Sullivan, C. (2009). Welcome to the neighborhood:

Merger of interlibrary loan with access services. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, 19, 219-225.

• Austin, B. (2010). Moving beyond the amalgam. Journal of Access Services, 7(3), 145-58.

• Cheung, Ophelia; Patrick, Susan; Cameron, Brian D.; Bishop, Elizabeth; and Fraser, Lucina, "Restructuring the Academic Library:Teams-based Management and the Merger of Interlibrary Loans with Circulation and Reserve" (2003). Librarian and Staff Publications. Paper 2. http://digitalcommons.ryerson.ca/library_pubs/2

• Fritts, J. (1993). Sharing the load: a model for interlibrary loan/circulation cooperation. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Information Supply, 4(1), 55-66.

• Tribble, J. (1991). Merging library operations. Library Administration and Management, 5(3), 151-54.

©2007 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. All rights reserved.

Joyce MelvinILL Manager

&Michael StraatmannCirculation Manager

University of Nebraska Lincoln - Libraries