US Leader Weekly Report –
Date: 10 Dec 2008
Name: Elin Waagen – Workgroups: Circulation, Stacks, Reserves
Nov Stats: Full stats available at O:\ORGS\LIS\Circulation Services\Statistics and Reports
Gate activity – totals up from Jul, Aug, Sept, down from Oct (89,932)
Main: 55,311
Music: 3,102
Armstrong: 18,267
Quick glance at 24/7 stats so far:
• Head counts following usual trend of dropping after 4am, and after 3am on the weekend
• Sluggish start to 24/7 – first two nights relatively low gate and head counts
• Minus first two nights and the weekend, gate counts for each day in the 400-550 range for each night
Total Circs and Renewals – 30,009 – highest of FY (Oct was 25,739)
Total Reserves circ – all materials, all branches: 2,337
Main Reserve Media: 946
Totals circs by item type: Media – 2073; equipment – 4829 (highest of FY)
Web requests total: 1080
NExpress Returnables Check-outs: From Midd – 387; to Midd – 566 for a total of 953
Materials marked missing, claims returned, in-transit, billed: 273 (highest of FY)
ILL @ Arm: 203 requests, 191 filled 94.09%.
24/7 head hourly head counts are quite low. Most counts are below 120, with only one above 140
Gate Counts
Arm Desktop stats: 105
And a partridge in a pear tree!!
Progress on Goals:
Goal: Expand loaner equipment services at all branch libraries
• Finalizing secure/expanded equipment storage at Music; when the new FS loaners are ready, I will designate a few of them for Music
Goal: Design and develop borrower services and staff efficiencies in concert with other LIS work areas to support the college strategic directions:
• Met re: Segue vs. Docutek. It was decided that currently, there is definitely a need for both systems. We discussed ways the systems could support and interact with each other: ERes coursepages have an rss feed and the contents could be added to faculty’s Segue sites. Reserves will continue to include rss feed address in ERes coursepage notification to faculty and will direct faculty to directions on Segue with information on adding contents link to their Segue page. Students will be able to view ERes documents from their course Segue page, eliminating the need to visit the ERes site for their readings.
• Met with CM to review Eres scanning and creating PDF procedure. Also reviewed ERes workflow procedures in anticipation of peak periods
Goal: Create effective schedule of Circ meetings and paths of communication within work group:
• Reviewing linking procedures for on-line journals. Documentation soon to be updated
• Meetings cancelled if no specific agenda
Goal: Reduce error rate at check-in/check-out and re-shelving.
• Instituted a mandatory weekday shift at Arm to eliminate communication and training problems when student employee shifts never overlap with supervisors
Goal: Collaborate of space improvements at all locations
• All space improvements at Armstrong (except for more computers on the second level) have been finished. This includes five carrels added to the first level, removal of two shelving units that were replaced by two tables, and increased seating on the second level of Armstrong. Lastly we turned 205 back into a group study with a large table and seating for 4.
• Armstrong expanded seating capacity; weeded out and compacted the reference area
Goal: Develop regular schedule and content for student training; increase staff supervision skills; increase ability of student workers to work independently utilizing good judgment; formalize and improve consistency of documentation, supervision and training by Circ supervisors; consistent expectations and knowledge base of student workers and supervisors across all branches.
• Worked with LIS staff in June on customer service training for circulation students, and then participated in a training for summer student workers with HR
• Utilizing Circ blog for student staff, a place to pass along/share current library information; student pages/categories facilitates communication and training – proving to be a useful tool; required reading at beginning of every shift
• Armstrong is implementing mandatory attendance at future student circulation training.
• Dee Gilbert from SEO attended one of our circ meetings, and gave us a wonderful tutorial on everything student worker related
Goal: Create effective schedule of Circ meetings and paths of communication within workgroup
• We have well attended, and productive bi-monthly circulation meetings. Some include “mini workshops” and/or “guest speakers”
• The blog has improved communication for the night/weekend student workers at Armstrong and has reduced excessive e-mail
Goal: Design and develop borrower services and staff efficiencies in concert with other LIS work areas to support the college strategic directions
• Armstrong has gained a GPS unit, digital recorder, i-pods, i-talks, two USB microphones, one more Faculty/Staff Dell laptop and a mac adaptor this year.
Goal: Increase opportunity for collaboration with PS
• Attended ACRL NE ASIG Conference on Security
Goal: Complete major collections shift
• Phase 1 completed Dec 08
Highlights:
• 24/7 exam hours at Main – overnight student shifts going very well – students taking shifts seriously and doing good work
• Web 2.0 brown bag series – 4 sessions for semester; 50 attendees
• Equipment: Coordinating long-term laptop requests for WT and ST; 5 laptops locks have been ordered; could be available for loan in time for WT; continued conversation with Media Production Specialist for FMMC re: equipment loans for students; specific discussion about student laptops, long-term loans, and software updates
• Armstrong: Working on (almost completed) a large backlog of current journals needing to be processed for binding
• Copiers and printers at Arm – all working!
• Equipment added at Arm: 1 Mac Book power adapter; 4 ipods 30G; 2 iTalk; 2 USB microphones; 1 Fac/Staff laptop; headphones
• Student scheduling: activity across all areas for exams, winter term, spring term; Arm is requiring 1 weekday shift to facilitate communication, training and supervision and better service; @ Main here are a significant number of open shifts for WT and SP schedules; hiring in progress
• LIS student holiday buffet was wonderful; turnout was much lower than expected. Maybe not enough communication with LIS students? Timing is maybe something to consider? Is holding it during exams better for students?
• The lack of supplies at Circ desk “available” to students does not appear to have had any negative impact….pens, pencils, etc.; a budget savings
• Music: quiet; filling gift bags for student workers for the holidays; ILL activity WAY down; met with other Music Library staff to discuss budget and its impact on our collection development; Christmas music borrowing picking up
• NExpress: non-returnables conference call; meeting to discuss possible Spring Summit at Midd
• Stacks: Overflow re-shelving set up and community alerted though email, blog and service point updates; keeping up with the flood of returns
• Collaboration with Stacks for overflow shelving, self-check getting lots of use
• Meetings etc: User Services re-org meeting;
Challenges
• Student and staff illness; flu/cold season
• Armstrong: Yellow cables – being taken from public computers; someone took a keyboard from a public machine
• Confusion on weekend over student shifts: a few students thought the exam schedule had already started
• Incident with PS and patron confidentiality of records
• No ethernet cords available
• Overdue equipment, heavy demand for cameras/camcorders and FW drives
• Stressed-out atmosphere
• Usual overload of returns