tracey stanley cardiff university library case studies and feedback from sites
TRANSCRIPT
Tracey Stanley
Cardiff University Library
Case Studies and Feedback from Sites
Reasons for undertaking efficiency reviews
Manage customer expectationsImprove servicesIncrease efficiency and effectiveness,
consistency etc.Save staff time, cope with staffing
reductionsReduce turn-around times
Process areas reviewed
Core processes: Shelving Acquisitions Cataloguing and classification Subscriptions and purchasing management Reading list management Fines Circulation Enquiry services
Restructuring and remodelling
Staffing restructures to accommodate demand for new services – eg: e-learning, digital literacy, research support.
Building re-modelling to accommodate new types of use – eg: group study, self-service, reduced front-line staffing, consolidated service points.
Some innovative examples
Dynamic loan periods (Sheffield): Better management of demand on heavily used
items Reduced staff overhead on chasing over-dues,
invoicing etc. No loan periods – keep an item until you want to
return it or until it is recalled for another user. Backed up with speedy turn-around of ordering items
through shelf-ready books service, and patron-driven acquisitions.
Examples
Patron-driven acquisition (Newcastle) Over 15,000 items accessed in 1st year. Reduced staff time in acquiring these items. BUT increased staff time in mediating
requests and explaining the service to students.
Increased use of e-books, declining use of physical material.
May realise longer-term staff savings.
Examples
Use of student-only posts (Glasgow)Meets University employability mission Provides flexibility for library service at
peak hours (key times)
Examples
Shelf ready books (Imperial): Switched classification scheme from UDC to
Dewey for new material. Subject librarians directly enter their own
orders into Dawsons system (eliminated paper processes and duplication of effort).
Examples
Cataloguing (Imperial, Cardiff): Eliminated duplication of effort in managing
e-journal records in SFX and the OPAC through using the Ex Libris MARCit service.
Examples
Subscriptions management (Imperial): Stopped claiming and checking in new
journals. Stopped the majority of print titles received
as gifts. Merger of print and e-resource teams
(Leeds)