Library Committee Handbook

Executive Committee

Proposal to Create an Access Services Department in the UIUC Library

Submitted July 28, 2005 by:

 

Stephanie Atkins (Central Circulation, Bookstacks, and Oak Street)

Bob Burger (Office of Services)

Melanie Coombs (Media and Reserves, UGL)

Kathy Danner (IRRC)

Susan Duncan (Central Circulation, Bookstacks, and Oak Street)

Kathleen Kern (Reference)

Melanie Krueger (IRRC)

Betsy Kruger (Central Circulation, Bookstacks, and Oak Street)

Mary Laskowski (Media and Reserves, UGL)

Cherie Weible (IRRC)

Lynn Wiley (IRRC) 

 

 I.      Executive Summary

 

This proposal recommends an administrative merger of three separate units in the Library into a new Access Services Department.  These departments are: 1) Central Circulation and Bookstacks, which also includes the Telephone Center, the Library Billing Office, and the Oak Street Library Facility; 2) the IRRC (both lending and borrowing); and 3) the Media and Reserves Unit of the Undergraduate Library.  The overarching goal of the proposed merger would be improvements in patron access to collections and services through, among other things, reduction of service points, streamlining of processing activities, and sharing of staff expertise. (The inclusion of the Undergraduate Library’s Media and Reserves Unit in this proposal was done with the support of the head of the Undergraduate Library.) Beyond the merger of these three units, this proposal also recommends the gradual centralization (also under the administrative auspices of the proposed new department) of certain circulation related activities and of the multiple print reserves operations currently dispersed among departmental libraries in the Main Library. Management for the newly consolidated Access Services Department would consist of an administrative team comprised of the five librarians from the currently separate departments (Stephanie Atkins, Betsy Kruger, Mary Laskowski, Cherie Weible, and Lynn Wiley.) 

 

Included in the body of this report are the rationales, timelines, assessment procedures, and procedural, staffing, and space implications for the following central elements of the proposed merger, which would be implemented in four phases beginning in Fall 2005 and concluding sometime after Fall 2007.  The document’s appendix contains data collected during the preparation of this report that should help inform further discussions, as well as feedback on the final draft received from two of the three Library faculty members from whom our task force solicited input.

 

Proposed Phases of Implementation for the Proposed Merger :

 

I.      Centralization of print and electronic reserves for Main Library Units and Undergraduate Library – Commence with a few libraries Fall 2005 and finish by Fall 2006

II.      Consolidation of service points by the creation of Holds and Reserves Pickup Desk and a Circulation and User Services Desk in the Main Library – Fall 2006

III.      Centralization of call slip, mail option processing, and book delivery in the Main Library, and pilot project for an evening and weekend retrieval service -  Commence Fall 2006

IV.      Centralization of book return and discharging operations in the Main Library - Fall 2007

  

The timely confluence of service, budgetary, and space discussions, both formal and informal, within the Library over the last few years has resulted in the current proposal. The heads of Central Circulation and the IRRC had discussed a possible merger of their two departments previously.  The Media and Reserves Unit of the Undergraduate Library had very successfully demonstrated the efficiencies that could be realized by the consolidation of a labor-intensive service (electronic reserves). Shared perspectives among these three units on service provision, intersecting workflows, complementary peaks and dips in workloads, and increasing budgetary restraints all suggested that a beneficial union, which eliminated duplication of efforts and reduced public service points, could be forged.  The Bookstacks Reorganization Task Force and the Scholarly Commons Task Force have both considered how space and services in the Main Library could be reconfigured to better serve today’s users, and this proposal complements these others in several aspects.  Finally, among the recommendations made by the Budget Implementation group in its FY05 Operational Plan were the removal of certain circulation functions from smaller units in the Main Library and centralizing the function of retrieving and processing mail option materials, as well as the centralization of all reserve collections and processing.

 

We look forward to the current proposal receiving wide-distribution among and discussion by Library faculty and staff.

 

The Access Services Concept

 

Current scenario:

 

“Ok,” Lucy reminds herself, “I’ve got to run over to the Main Library and pick up my books now or I’ll never get to work on time.” She received her pick up notices yesterday but hadn’t had a chance to visit the library until now. “Let’s see, there’s the one at the English Library and another at the Main Desk. I’ve got just enough time to get those, but that microfilm at the ILL office will just have to wait.” She heads over to the Main Library thirty minutes before her evening shift begins at a local restaurant where she hoped for a slow night in order to study. She visits the Main Desk first, standing in line for ten minutes while the two other people in line request to have books paged from the Stacks.  By the time she gets to the English Library on the third floor, it has already closed for the evening.  Frustrated Lucy turns to leave and bumps into her friend who asks about the reserve assignment due for class first thing in the morning. “Rats!” cries Lucy, “I forgot! And it’s over at Undergrad, right? Well I’ll try to get over there on my break—I don’t have time now.” She shoulders her bag that contains at least one volume that she can work with. With barely a moment to spare, she swings by the Borrowing Office and tries to pick up her microfilm but remembers too late that film is only available for pick-up there until 5pm. “It is just not my night!” she exclaims.

 

Future scenario:

 

Lucy’s cell phone alerts her to a new text message—the three books she requested a few days ago are now available for pick up. She takes a swift detour to the Main Library; she really needs these for her paper due in a few days. She enters the building and heads to the highly visible and centrally located Pick Up Desk. Jerry, the staff member at the counter, welcomes her with a cheery “ How can I help you?” and she asks for her holds. After taking her name, Jeff returns with four items—not just the three books—and lets Lucy know that an ILL microfilm order had also just been processed for her. Delighted to have saved a trip, Lucy turns and bumps into a friend who asks “ Lucy we have this reading to do by 8am tomorrow, did you finish it ?  Lucy is dismayed, as she has forgotten all about it. Lucy figures she is out of luck but Jerry reminds her that all the reserve items are held at the Pick Up Desk. He quickly locates the book and charges it out to her. On her way downstairs, she remembers that the two books weighing down her backpack are due today. She drops them off at the first floor book return window and gets a discharge receipt. She and Mary head to the coffee shop,  and then settle into a pair of comfortable chairs in the wide main hallway, where they review their readings until Lucy needs to leave for her evening work shift at a local restaurant.

 

From a user perspective, the unifying aspect of the Library activities referred to here as “ access services” is the ability to easily and conveniently obtain needed material in a timely manner, regardless of discipline, patron type, or the location or format of that material. There are many similarities in vision and services offered in each of the individual units being proposed to merge into the Access Services Department, and demand in each of these departments continues to rise, severely taxing their capability to provide timely, quality service. Similarly, when smaller units in the Main Library are short-staffed or experiencing turnover, consistency and timeliness—t he cornerstones of good service—suffer there as well.  The proposed merger will allow the Library to meet growing demands, build and improve services in an unhealthy budget environment by increasing efficiency and insuring consistency, and work toward a flexible patron-centered service model that will more readily adapt to future change.

 

We used four major principles to guide our development of this proposal:

 

  1. Patron access to services and materials should be enhanced by any proposed changes to current operations.
  2. Better use of Library’s capital and human resources through increased efficiencies.
  3. Flexibility in responding to changes in the user environment including interdisciplinarity, remote access, and use of multi-media.
  4. Complement and inform service and space discussions on-going throughout the Library, such as those occurring in the Scholarly Commons Task Force, the Bookstacks Reorganization Task Force, and the Undergraduate Library Learning Commons.

 

While users are at the center of these changes, the proposal involves a reconceptualization of many library processes and workflows. By improving our own internal organization and use of resources we will be able to improve services to patrons. The task force developed the following goals:

 

1.       Reduce and reconfigure service points for logical access for patrons and Library staff.

2.       Provide patrons access to appropriate expertise related to access issues.

3.       Increase efficiency and consistency through error reduction, improved training and reduction in item handling.

4.       Deploy staff in modular ways through cross-training, use of floating staff, and scheduling for peak processing periods.

5.       Redesign an administrative structure for Access Services focusing on a team environment for greater support, shared expertise, and staff retention.

 

The future scenario described above attempts to describe a user’s experience of library services following a successful implementation of this proposal. In the first phase, all print reserves for Main Library units would be centralized in the UGL Media and Reserves Unit, extending to print reserves the success that has already been achieved through the centralization of electronic reserves.  Consolidation of print reserves is, in fact, happening already as many faculty members have already chosen to use this one facility for all their reserves. In the second phase, print reserves would be moved to the Main Library and consolidated with holds in a centralized location with its own service desk (in proximity to the current main circulation desk), eliminating the need for users with quick pick-up transactions to stand in line with users needing to page material from Bookstacks, apply for a courtesy card, or receive interlibrary loan assistance.  As 70-80% of print reserves are for upper level 300 or graduate level classes, whose students are likely to be involved in longer term research projects, the move of print reserves to the Main Library near the Bookstacks and the proposed Scholarly Commons, is quite appropriate. The media collection has been housed in the Undergraduate Library but in fact primarily serves faculty teaching classes to all levels of students, not the undergraduates. Moving the teaching/research portion of the collection to the Main Library provides for streamlined service to faculty, especially as any workstation will be able to be used for DVD viewing. The browsing collection of popular culture and classic DVDs, which is the only piece of the collection which circulates to and is geared towards undergraduate students, will remain at the Undergraduate Library and will be circulated through Voyager Circulation. Also during the second phase, the Main Circulation desk will become the Circulation and User Services Desk, consolidating Bookstacks check-out and paging; interlibrary loan assistance; general billing inquiries; media services; and courtesy card issuance, thus achieving the goal of reducing service points in the Main Library.

 

During phase III, attention will be turned to the consolidation of other processes performed by units throughout the Main Library, such as call slip processing and mail option. By consolidating in the Access Services Department these circulation-related processing functions, consistency and timeliness will be improved, and departmental libraries will be able to engage their staff more fully in user services and the pursuit of unit priorities. Also during this phase, a pilot project involving an evening and weekend retrieval service will test the feasibility of shortening public service hours in smaller units in the Main Library.  Consolidation continues during the fourth and final phase with the establishment of a centralized book return unit conveniently located on the first floor of the Main Library in close proximity to a centralized discharging unit.

 

The specifics about each phase of the proposal are outlined in the charts provided in the following section of this proposal. 

 

 

II.      Implementation Phases

 

 

 

PHASE I:  Centralization of Reserves for Main Library Units and Undergraduate Library

 

 

Current Situation

 

Electronic reserves for all UIUC Library units are centralized in the UGL Reserves/Media Unit.  In Spring 2005 semester, UGL Reserves/Media Unit handled print reserves for 379 diverse courses across the curriculum.  Most courses are upper undergraduate or graduate level.  (See Appendix ). Online management of UGL media collection was moved from their homegrown system to Voyager Media Scheduling Module in July 2005.

 

 

Proposal

 

  • Centralize all print course reserves from Main Library units to the Undergraduate Library Media & Reserves Center.
  • Change non-course reserves (a.k.a. “permanent reserves”) for library units in Main into reference items, circulating items with a short loan period,  or transfer them to the proposed retrospective reference collection on Deck 5E of Book Stacks.

 

 

 

Timeline

 

Planning activities during Fall 2005, which includes testing with a select few libraries, with full implementation by Fall 2006.

 

Rationales

 

  • Service to patrons is enhanced through one-stop reserves shopping

§          Eliminates patron confusion over location of reserves

§          Staff dedicated solely to reserves provides consistent level of service

§          Hours of access to reserves material is extended

§          Centralized access to textbooks via the IUB pilot program. *

  • Frees staff at Main Library units for other activities

§          Frees staff in Main Library units libraries from reserves related circulation activities, including dealing with reserve fines

§          Eliminates need for unit staff to handle call slip problems resulting from Voyager request promotion function incorrectly selecting reserve items

 

 

Procedural

 

§         Access Services member will work with Main Library units as needed to explain the centralization process during Fall of 2005.

§         New voyager item type must be created by week of August 8, 2005 for those Main Library units wishing to convert their non-course reserves to circulating items with a shorter than usual loan period.

§         Main Library units will continue to process print reserves during Phase I

§          For summer reserves carryover, the test unit libraries will need to change their list locations to UGX and deliver their items to UGX by the week of August 8, 2005. Other libraries will commence in the Spring.

§          Systems Office staff will need to remove reserve locations for Main Library test units from Voyager by the week of August 8, 2005 with the other locations changed over the intersession in winter 2006

§          Main Library test units will deliver new fall reserves materials to UGX as soon as they have been processed

§          End of semester procedures in UGX will include turning off reserves at the list level, changing status on materials to in transit and not charged, and returning items to the owning library through shipping

 

 

Staffing Needs

 

§         Camels will still be needed to supplement processing of reserves during peak periods.

 

 

 

Space Needs

 

§         No additional space is needed for Phase I.

 

 

* The Library is investigating the possibility of working collaboratively with the Illini Union Bookstore to obtain course materials directly from the bookstore with course/instructor information. This fall we will pilot the project with a small subset of the materials available. Large scale implementation is dependent on cost and logistics of processing. Should the project prove successful it would simplify reserves for faculty and instructors and provide greater accessibility for students to materials that otherwise may not have been placed on reserve.

   

 

PHASE II:  Consolidation of Service Points by Creation of Main Library Holds and Reserves Desk and Main Library Circulation and User Services Desk

 

 

Current Situation

 

Voyager lists 16 possible pickup locations in the Main Library for patron-initiated requests in the OPAC, necessitating a holds operation in each of these units and limiting available hours of pick-up for patrons.

 

 

Proposal

 

  • Reserves and Holds Unit (and pick-up desk) formed , creating one place in the Main Library for patrons to pick up holds and reserves:

Ø       Centralized Reserves moves from the Undergraduate Library to the Main Library, in close proximity to the current Circulation Desk. 

-         Processing of reserves transfers to this unit from the Main Library departmental libraries.

Ø       Main Library holds (including those of Main Bookstacks) are centralized and combined with Centralized Reserves to form the Reserves and Holds Pick-Up Desk. 

-         Processing of holds initially remains with the Main Library units.  They would continue to monitor their own callslip queues each day, retrieve requested materials, process them in the Voyager Call Slip client, streamer them, and put them on their shipping shelves. They would also handle their own NOS slips.  Staff at the Reserves and Holds Pick-up Desk will run items through discharge to trigger Voyager’s production of a pick-up notice for the patron. 

  • The teaching/research media collection moves from the Undergraduate Library to the Main Library:

Ø       Openly circulating collection will remain at the Undergraduate Library.

Ø       Teaching and Research collection : will be in the  Bookstacks and circulated by Circulation and User Services Desk.

  • Circulation and User Services Desk is created by removing Main Circ Desk holds and consolidating  less routine public service operations such as the following:

Ø       Taking page requests for Bookstacks material.

Ø       The “public face” of ILL Borrowing, which currently happens in the 104A office.

Ø       Courtesy card applications.

Ø       Straightforward billing transactions , such as waiving or accepting payment for off-campus fines.

Ø       Check-out for Stacks materials that patrons self-retrieve would continue to be performed at the back desk.

  • As units morph, administrative lines will begin to change as well . 

 

 

Timeline

 

Dependent on Phase I progress and assessment outcomes.  Estimated start date is Fall 2006.

 

 

Rationales

 

  • 300-level and above courses account for 75-80% of print reserves, and students enrolled in these courses are generally engaged in longer term studies.   This material would be more appropriately located in the Main Library, in proximity to the Bookstacks and the proposed Scholarly Commons..
  • Current workloads are higher than can be managed with present staffing due to the cyclical nature of the work; consolidating similar activities is a proven way to increase productivity.
  • Technology has increased the complexity of all circulation tasks.  Having staff specialize reduces the amount of training, increases staffs’ expertise.
  • Reducing pick-up locations within the Main Library Building to the Pick-Up Desk retains the convenience patrons enjoy of multiple pick-up locations across campus while streamlining workflow. 
  • The second floor of the Main Library building is best suited to be the center of public service activities both because of its open design, and the entrance to the Bookstacks.  Staff can point out or escort patrons to other service points. 
  • Patrons often have business at more than one service point; it is more convenient for the patron to keep these points near to one another.
  • Main Library units have specialized knowledge about their collections, they should and would retain control over their collections by continuing to print and pick up call slips.
  • Patron referrals and frustrations would be reduced by increasing the types of service available at the Circulation and User Services Desk, where service hours are longer.
  • Main Library units will have fewer circulation problems to deal with, such as reserve fines and timely discharging of reserve items.
  • We will have opportunities to consider staff abilities and preferences and make best possible use of them as positions and tasks are reshuffled.
  • Additional space is freed in Undergraduate Library for development of the Information Commons .

 

 

Procedural

 

  • Create new Voyager pick-up location for the Reserves and Holds Pick-Up Desk and remove other Main Library pick-up locations from Voyager.

 

Staffing Needs

 

  • Reserve processing will continue to need extra help (e.g., CAMELS)  during peak times.

 

 

Space Needs

 

  • Reserves and Holds Pick-Up Desk: 

§          Service desk with minimum of two computer stations.
Shelving for:           

-         Holds (including 104A material), reserves, IUB textbook project materials.

§          Staff workspace for limited processing which would have to happen here.  It would be convenient but not necessary if all related processing could be done nearby.

  • Circulation and User Service Desk: 

§          Workstations to assist patrons already exist.  Will eventually need to provide counter height and width that is conducive to assisting patrons with longer transactions (courtesy card applications and billing transactions). 

§          Shelf space in Bookstacks for Teaching and Research Media Collection.

§          Public media browsing area and designated media viewing units.

 


 

 

PHASE III: Centralization of Callslip, Mail Option Processing, and Book Delivery in Main Library; Pilot Project for Evening/Weekend Retrieval from Units That Close Early; Administrative Merger of Access Services Department Units.

 

 

Current Situation

 

 

All Main Library units monitor their own callslip queues into which Voyager directs requests for materials held in their units.  Each unit retrieves requests for its material, processes those requests in the Voyager callslip module, and either 1) places them on their own hold shelves; 2) routes them to another pick-up location specified by the patron; or 3) charges them out and prepares them for campus mail delivery, if requested by the patron.  Unfortunately, consistency and timeliness sometimes suffer due to staff absences, insufficient staff, or staff turnover in smaller units.

 

 

Proposal

 

  • Administrative merger of Media and Reserves Center, IRRC, and the Central Circulation, Bookstacks Department, and Oak Street Departments into the Access Services Department is completed.
  • Access Services Department assumes responsibility for:

§         All callslip processing for Main Library units (within limitations imposed by special collections and policies within Main Library units.

§         All mail option processing for Main Library units.

§         All book delivery services among Main Library units.

  • Pilot project for evening/weekend retrieval service from units that close early.

 

 

Timeline

 

Dependent on Phase II progress and assessment.  Estimated start date Fall 2007.

 

Rationales

 

  • Centralizing callslip and mail option processing would free Main Library units to spend more time with patrons, as well as reduce errors in increasingly complex circulation procedures.
  • The units proposed to merge into the Access Services Department create most of the book traffic within the Main Library and carry out a good deal of it on their own.  Combining operations would increase efficiency.
  • Evening/weekend retrieval service would enable smaller units with less staffing to close at 5pm and on weekends , while still insuring patron access to materials in those units.

 

 

Procedural

 

§         Complete procedures for centralized callslip, mail option and Main Library book delivery would be developed after the Holds and Reserves Pick-Up Desk has been established and its procedures ironed out.  However, essentially, all requests for materials held in Main Library units would be directed into a centralized Main Library callslip queue (although, due to its high volume, Bookstacks would probably retain a separate callslip queue).  Requests coming to the centralized queue would be monitored and processed by Access Services Department staff.

 

Staffing Needs

 

§         1 FTE depending on ongoing assessment.

 

Space Needs

 

§         Callslip and mail option processing need proximity and/or easy access to:

§          Bookstacks and Holds and Reserves Pick-Up Desk

§          Elevators and loading Dock


 

 

PHASE IV: Centralization of Book Returns and Discharging for the Main Library

 

 

Current Situation

 

 

While users can return library materials at any circulation location, most of them return materials to the Main Circ Desk or to the book drop in the Library’s parking lot. There is no conveniently located central book return location in the Main Library.  Some users reportedly like to return their material to smaller units due to a perception that materials get discharged faster in those units.  Currently, all units have some kind of a discharge operation and discharge any materials returned by users to their units, regardless of which unit actually owns the materials.

 

 

Proposal

 

  • Create a centralized book return on the first floor of the Main Library near, if not opening into, the current Central Circulation Discharging unit on 3E.

§          The return would include a staffed window.  Student worker would answer basic patron questions, provide receipts if requested, and keep the drop cleared.

§          While units in Main Library would continue to accept and discharge returns, staff in those units would encourage users to use the centralized book return location in the future.

  • Create a centralized discharging unit for the Main Library.

 

 

Timeline

 

Dependent on remodeling.

 

 

Rationales

 

  • Books returns and discharging are already centralized in Main Circ to a large degree, but this unit has trouble handling seasonal volume peaks.  Formalizing the centralization that already exists would decrease errors and improve capacity by reducing book handling and improving workspace configuration.
  • The book drop at the Main Circulation Desk currently sees the heaviest volume of the drops inside the building.  Patrons come up to the 2 nd floor to return the books, then Circ staff take them down to the 1 st floor to discharge them – it would be more convenient for both parties if there was a 1 st floor drop near a centralized discharging unit.
  • The north/south hallway on the first floor is the Main Library Building’s busiest traffic pattern.  Virtually all returns would be received there and via the book drop in the library parking lot.
  • Book handling and transportation would be reduced and simplified by having one major return hub.

 

 

Procedural

 

§         End of the semester processing would need to be carefully monitored. 

 

Staffing Needs

 

§       Because the Bookstacks discharging unit will no longer receive and route in holds, it should be able to absorb the additional discharging activity without any additional staff or wages. During peak end-of-semester times, assistance from staff elsewhere in Access Services and/or a short-term evening shift might be necessary. 

 

 

Space Needs

 

§          If central discharging unit is housed where current Bookstacks discharge unit is located on Deck 3E some reorganization of the space may be necessary.

§          Proximity of the central book return to the central discharging unit is essential for both ease of transport and timely discharge.

 

 

III.      Space Considerations

 

 

Like the Scholarly Commons TF Report, this proposal assumes that library units providing public service and heavily used by our patrons are most appropriately located on the first and second floors of the Main Library.  While we have certainly discussed possible locations for the public service parts of this proposal, we are refraining from staking claims to specific locations given other proposals being put on the table for consideration.  Generally, however, three space principles are important to the success of this proposal, should it be implemented:

 

 

 

 

Beyond these basic space principles, we offer in the appendix both current square footage measurements and estimated additional square footage needed to successfully implement this proposal.

 

V.      Cost Considerations

 

Additional staff costs are estimated at a maximum of 1 FTE (LTA), which would not be needed until FY08.

 

If the concepts set forth in this report are accepted and endorsed, we will move forward in discussions with Jeff Shrader to estimate costs for any physical renovations, furniture, etc.,  that might be needed.

 

VI.      Impact and Assessment

If this proposal is accepted, each phase of implementation should include an assessment component, the details of which should be worked out during the planning phase.  Among the anticipated impacts of implementing this proposal are 1) elimination of the need for CAMELS to help cover peak times in Central Circ, IRRC, and Media and Reserves; and 2) eventual savings in student wages for smaller units in the Main Library.

 

Overall, we anticipate that there will be both quantitative and qualitative positive outcomes. For example, there will be less holds sent back due to non pick-up as requested material will be available in one easy area open for maximum hours; higher circulation will result; and there will be less items in transit due to the centralized and consistent handling of materials.  Library users will enjoy the convenience of centralized services with easy access to highly trained staff during all the hours the library is open. Staff will be cross trained to handle a variety of processes and will enjoy work that is varied, challenging, and that increases their knowledge and skill set. We will have data to benchmark the quantitative points and can compare them after each transition to measure outcomes. We would expect to talk with users to best assess the more qualitative issues.

 

VII.      Administrative Structure

 

Management for the newly consolidated Access Services Department will consist of an administrative team comprised of the five librarians from the currently separate departments (Stephanie Atkins, Betsy Kruger, Mary Laskowski, Cherie Weible, and Lynn Wiley.)  Initially staff will be part of teams that correspond to their current reporting structures.  As librarians and staff interests, areas of expertise, and priorities shift, areas of responsibilities and reporting structures will be adjusted accordingly.  The flexibility inherent in such a team-based approach will allow us to be more proactive in addressing future needs while providing greater support and cross-training at all levels.


 

APPENDIX

 

A.     Staffing

 

Current:

 

§         5 faculty

§         4 graduate assistants

§         55 civil service staff

§         Student 31.7 FTE (approximately, changes each semester)

 

Proposed: A maximum of 1FTE civil service staff dependent on assessment outcomes.

 

B.     Space

 

Current:

 

IRRC:

128, 128a (Lynn’s Office), & storage under stairs           812 sq. ft.

124 (cage processing area, includes stairs)                      974 sq. ft.

104a (Borrowing Office)                                                332 sq. ft.

TOTAL IRRC                                                            2,118 sq. ft.

 

Media and Reserves:

Collections                                                                    2,300 sq. ft.

Staff area                                                                     2,300 sq. ft.

TOTAL MRC                                                             4,600 sq. ft.

 

Central Circulation public and staff spaces (not including collection spaces):

Telephone Center, Room 224                                         574 sq. ft.

224 Mezzanine                                                              574 sq. ft.

(Staff cubicles, Deck 5E, 1 st addition, North                    154 sq. ft.)

Mail Option, Room 231                                                  542 sq. ft.

            (includes space currently occupied by

            Academic Outreach staff)

Room 231 mezzanine                                                     542 sq. ft.

Assistant Librarians Office, 215E                                     98 sq. ft.

Room 215F                                                                   135 sq. ft.

Bookstacks Office, 215 L&K                                         1,080 sq. ft.

Circulation Office, Room 203                                         185 sq. ft.

Librarian’s Office, Room 209                                         132 sq. ft.

Circulation Desk                                                            276 sq. ft.

Billing Office                                                                 276 sq. ft.

Maintenance shop, 124S Mezzanine                                952 sq. ft.

Discharging, Room 131                                                  888 sq. ft.

TOTAL                                                                       6,851 sq. ft.

 


 

Proposed:

 

Reserves and Holds:                                    

1,500 linear feet on ergonomically arranged shelving.

 

C.     Circulation and Processing Statistics:

 

§         ILL Borrowing:

29,628 requests (mediated)

61,544 UB filled

 

§         Lending

145,943 requests

of these, 50,454 were Illinet Online

 

§         Count of Items on Reserve by Departmental Library, May 2005

 

ACES Resrv

76

AppLifeSt Resrv

702

Arch/Art Resrv

488

BEL Resrv

727

Biology Resrv

283

Chemistry Resrv

841

City Plan Resrv

124

Classics Resrv

200

Commun Resrv

386

Ed Resrv

2971

English Resrv

243

Engr Resrv

2297

Geology Resrv

114

History Resrv

163

LIS Resrv

1120

Labor Resrv

35

Law Resrv

2066

Math Resrv

632

Mod Lang Resrv

745

Music Resrv

2556

Nat Hist Resrv

20

Phy Resrv

1298

Undgrad Resrv

1909

Vet Med Resrv

600

TOTAL

20,596

 

*Please note that these figures can only be used as a very rough estimate for centralization, as in some cases many of these items would become short reference items rather than reserves; in some cases this includes photocopied articles, etc.

 

§         Reserves processing activities in UGL Media and Reserves Unit, Spring 2005

 

o        Spring 2005 semester the Media & Reserve Center processed reserve materials for 474 courses in 90 departments. This included 2,100 books, 603 media items, and 12,280 links to electronic material (majority processed from scratch as .pdf files although a growing number link directly to material available through one of the library databases).

 

o        Beginning Summer 2005 the MRC is picking up e-reserve processing for the Chemistry Library and Library & Information Science Library, which completely centralizes all e-reserve processing for the Library as a whole.

 

o        In addition to reserve processing and circulation, the MRC is quite busy with media acquisition, cataloging and circulation. Spring 2005 we started a circulating DVD collection which has proven extremely popular with 2,338 circulation transactions to date. Spring semester media transactions in general were over 11,000, with roughly forty percent of those transactions for classroom use by instructors.

  

§         Callslip and Mail Option Statistics, FY2005

  

Unit Receiving  

Pick-up at

Pick-up at

Pick-up

Campus

 

 

 

Callslip Request

Main Circ

Main (other)

Non-Main

 Mail

 

 

 

Bookstacks

27384

1332

4464

6678

 

 

 

All other Main Library units

5823

2094

3409

5213

 additional mail options

Units not in Main Library

4640

864

6598

4373

 

 

 

Other ILCSO Library

32760

3780

12600

13860

 

 

 

 

 

8070

 additional holds for centralized desk

 

 

§         Pertinent Main Circulation Statistics, FY2005

 

Total Circulation of Bookstacks Material

153,935

Total In-House (NC) Use

15,989

GRAND TOTAL CIRCULATION

169,924

 

 

Total Desk Pages

18,325

Total Call-slip Pages

38,197

Total OSHDSF Pages

2,209

GRAND TOTAL CENTRAL CIRC/OSHDSF PAGES

58,731

 

 

Total Courtesy Cards Issued

1,227

 

 

Total Stacks Mail Option

19,105

 

 

Total Billed

$1,345,846

Total Cancelled

$1,228,024

 

D.    Feedback from Feasibility Review Group

 

Submitted by Cindy Ingold

 

I think the proposal provides a clear rationale for forming an Access Services Department. The proposal provides a reasonable timeline with specific steps about how to achieve the various phases of the timeline.

 

My comments are limited mostly to tightening some of the wording for clarity.

 

p. 4:, 2 nd full paragraph:  The line beginning with “The media collection has…” needs an introductory phrase to show that this is a second idea that will begin in phase two of the proposal.  Also, the end of the sentence beginning with “Moving the collection to the Main …” where it reads “especially as any workstation may be a media station” is unclear.  Does this mean that all of the terminals in the room near the Circulation Desk will allow patrons to view media or will only a portion of the terminals allow media viewing?  I think the wording “as any” is what throws the sentence off, so you might want to say, “several of the workstations will be designated media viewing stations” or something like that.

 

p. 7: Under Proposal, last bullet:  You say “As units morph, administrative lines will begin to change as well.”  This seems a given to me and something that would happen under every phrase.  I am not sure this statement needs to be here, since you do discuss administrative structure in paragraph one of the Executive Summary and again on page 12.

 

p. 9: Under Proposal, second bullet: Under sub-bullet, the last part of the sentence that says “within limitations imposed by special collections and policies within Main Library units” is confusing.  I am not sure what specific policies this is referring to.  It is probably my ignorance about specific policies but you might want to give an example.

 

p. 10: Under Proposal, first bullet: I think it is a great idea to have a centralized book return on the first floor but I worry that a window staffed with a student worked could turn into an information desk, and that it would become very busy so that the poor student wouldn’t be able to check in returned books.  I am not suggesting we don’t do this; just that the students are well trained to refer patrons to other service desks.

 

p. 11: I think it is excellent that you are planning an assessment of each proposal.

 

Overall, I think the proposal is very good, and I would endorse it.

 

Cindy Ingold

Women and Gender Resources Librarian

8-17-05

 

 

 

Submitted by Joyce Wright

NOTE:  Joyce’s concerns were satisfactorily addressed in the final version of the proposal. 

 

I thought the proposal was well written and address all three areas: Circulation, IRRC and Media/Reserves. I realize that all the services are centralized but I'm mostly concerned about moving the Media Center from UGL.  Media Services has been a part of UGL for thirty five years, moving it might present a problem especially with the new plans for the Information Learning Commons.

 

Our users enjoy the extended hours they have to use the center and it's resources. This Summer a room was designated for a state-of-the-art viewing room, new furniture will be ordered also. Staffing sitution will present a problem for UGL if the entire staff leaves, many of the Media Staff have the technological skills that are needed to run the Information Learning Commons.

 

I also thought the proposal was well written and address all three areas well. My main concern was that some of the Media Resources remain in Undergrad, the pop culture materials etc. Having the three areas centralized makes sense in the present budget situation.

 

Joyce Wright