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Christine Fischer, Head of Acquisitions, UNCG

NCLA Biennial Conference

10/6/2011

TECHNICAL SERVICES: CHANGING WORKFLOWS, CHANGING PROCESSES, PERSONNEL RESTRUCTURING…OH MY

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OUR ENVIRONMENT University of North Carolina at Greensboro

• Established 1891

• Doctoral-granting, research-intensive institution

• Enrollment: 18,425

• Over 100 undergraduate, 61 masters and 26 doctoral programs

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THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES Include main library (Jackson Library) and a

separate Music Library Affiliates: Multicultural Resource Center, Interior

Architecture Library Current holdings 3.3 million items Access to 44,000 journals electronically 60 support staff and 34 librarians

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UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES:PLANNING FOR CHANGING NEEDS

Respond to user needs and suggestions (various focus groups; LibQUAL 2008, spring 2012)

Respond to the external environment in higher education, academic libraries, publishing, and the economy

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The Review Process

throughout the libraries

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Trends and Emerging Concepts

[12/2010]

Departmental job/task analysis

[1/2011]

Skills Development[starting 8/2011]

ClimateQUAL[10/2011]

Performance Management

Plans[new work plans

9/2011]

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Be up front about what is coming or what you think might be coming

Encourage staff to ask you or the administration about rumors

Listen to staff concerns and ideas

SUPERVISOR: RELAY WHAT YOU KNOW

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Two staff positions moved to ERIT

1. Digital projects

2. Support team

Two staff positions moved to SCUA

3. Special Collections

4. University Archives

LIBRARY-WIDE REPURPOSING

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EFFECT ON ACQUISITIONS DEPARTMENT (WHICH INCLUDES SERIALS)

FY2011 FY2012

9 staff 7 staff

1 librarian 1 librarian

2 positions reallocated to other departments

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STAFFING CHANGES

Repurposed positions Binding/Serials to University Archives Gifts/Acquisitions to ERIT (Electronic

Resources and Information Technology) Support Team

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THE PROCESS Staff reallocation

- Stress on employee and colleagues

- Sense of loss of control

- Grief over loss of former role

- Tension during transition

+Opportunity to learn new skills

+Sense of contributing to library goals

+Chance to work with a variety of colleagues

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MANAGING THE CHANGES Provide support

• Open communication & listening

• Involving staff in the process

• Setting clear goals

• Training

• Recognizing staff by showing that their work contribution is valued

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THE DEPARTMENT’S NEW STRUCTURE Reassigned key responsibilities and essential

tasks (Career Banding) Provided training Informed all library employees of changes Updated departmental web pages Reevaluated procedures

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CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

Budget in FY2012

Collections budget reduced by $1MM

Current collections budget $2.8MM

Less material to purchase and receive

(More reports to generate)

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…ANOTHER FACTOR Building renovation project

• One staff member’s office won’t move until new SCUA space is available for use

• All related moves on hold

• Binding space

• Receptionist’s office

• Gift room

• Book sale

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CHANGE IS ONGOING Help staff manage in

an environment of constant change

Volunteer or volunteered

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HOW TO DO MORE WITH THE SAME (OR FEWER) NUMBER OF PEOPLE

Faith and confidence in your staff Willingness to troubleshoot and tweak

workflows and procedures Lots of chances to have feedback Know when to move on with not much

looking back

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CONTRIBUTING OUR SKILLS

Ebooks / print serials to e-resources

Patron driven acquisitions

ILL purchase on demand

DVDs (instructional and entertainment)

Copy cataloging

Lease plans – popular titles / audiobooks*

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NEW ROLES: GETTING IT JUST RIGHT

Keep the level of detail manageable so as not to overwhelm

Provide enough information or direction to offer context and allow for success

Getting it just right will vary from person to person – enough to have pride and ownership but not so much as to feel it can’t be accomplished

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WHAT SHOULD WE STOP DOING? Each department prepared list of activities to consider

discontinuing Some activities were stopped immediately Selected activities up for further discussion

• Gifts processing

• Institutional repository tasks

• Applying purchases to pooled fund codes rather than departmental (PDA, instructional films)

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MAKING IT A SUCCESS Training

Developing integrated

workflows

Resolving issues &

troubleshooting

Improving efficiency

Ownership

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RESOURCESChimato, Mary Carmen. “How an Economic Crisis May Improve Your

Management Skills: Strategies for Making It Through Uncertain Times.” College & Research Libraries News 70.6 (2009): 342-344.

Morrissett, Linda A. “Library Staff Reallocation: A Humanistic Management Approach.” The Southeastern Librarian 44.1 (1994): 12-15.

Taber, Anne Marie, and Mary Jane Conger. “Relevance Recognized: Value-added Cataloging for Departmental and Digital Collections.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 48.6/7 (2010): 585-601.

Thanks to Mike Crumpton for the graphic describing the University Libraries review process.

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THANK YOU

Christine Fischer

cmfische@uncg.edu