Day 2 - June 13, 2000

 

Present: K. Bartosz, R. Berg, M. Berlin, J. Chang, M. Clark, K. Collins, T. Fu, W. Gamzon, M. Hebert, J. Hendricks, K. Jacobi, R. Kokoska, G. LaHaie, P. Leonardi, E. Luering, L. Loomer, M. Miller, B. Nelson, G. Robinson, D. Rogers, E. Rumery, G. Shoffstall,, M. Smith, S. Smith, A. Stanley, N. Welchman

 

Absent: D. Oppelt

 

Tina opened the meeting at 9:05 a.m. speaking about how our goal is to offer personal service. She went over the agenda for the day.

 

Groups reporting in from the previous day:

 

Public Services

1.      Statistical software for CD-Rom server-annual stats on each product: Need to activate statistical software. Waiting for new hardware and reconfiguration.

2.      Statistics for various tasks at circulation gate counts, measuring the workload/use. Wallchart/queries; extract keys with barcodes; all the rest in III by hour. Nothing meaningful on e-reserves.

3.      A.  investigate III circulation statistics by class for collection development. Can be done on-line in III module.

B.      train for all new hires on III management mode. Some still needs to be done. Greg will do.

C.     collect and document “bugs” in III and get a permanent “fix”. Fixed by Greg/Circ staff.

D.     many items, when limited to “ECSU” do not carry out holding symbol on the record –how to fix? Refer to Tech Services page (copy); Full-text access messages to Tech Services; CONSULS needs to address links with Databases; CSL records anomolies.

4.      Explore relationship between circulation and cataloging for database cleanup. Done.

5.      Coordinate policies and the use of III between circulation and curriculum service desks (uniformity). Procedures worked out. Done.

6.      Reference would like to explore obtaining a password to delete a “pin.” Not done. Greg to check on authorizations; would give access to other things.

7.      Need for training in other systems: phone, software, databases. Need to survey whole staff for training needs: phones, III, databases, MS products, etc..

8.      Reference would like classroom teaching for user education class. We have not done.

  1. ALA
  2. Education Dept. - traditional age vs. adult students
  3. ACRL?
  4. Rita Malenczyk: need to coordinate with 100 & 150 instructors: search methods & information seeking (optional)
  5. Reference group revisit - lit search and assessment; walk-in/credit evening

9.      Public Service Division - write a manual of your position - update changes. Not done; needs to be done: procedures/do documentation for other staff members.

10.  Update all training manuals for students and everyone. Create cheat sheets. Circulation, ILL, mostly up to date except for small procedural changes. All different manuals, ongoing. Some not done. Curriculum manual done and mostly up to date. Always in progress. Cheat sheets for databases: P/T lecturers doing.

11.  Update Public Brochure. Done and ongoing

12.  Suggestion box (or log) date, suggestion, complaint, or compliment. Being built. No formal procedures yet. (complaints re: specific staff members will be referred to supervisor and protect individual privacy.) If you want a response, sign the form. Web-bulletin board?

13.  EXIT SURVEY! Output measures. Not done. Need to do.

14.  Two grants for curriculum - books, software. In the mail; not done.

15.  Re-evaluate present public services policies. Done and ongoing.

16.  Short, frequent, regular meetings. Not done.

17.  Reference group analyzing web pages. Ongoing.

18.  Analyze signs. Not done. What does public perceive? Nothing.

19.  Mission statement for Public Services. Not done.

Have done a lot of good work and a lot of accomplishments.

 

Administrative and Information Technology Services:

Improve End-user Education

Action:

1.      Offer more consistent training. Done and will continue; need to do more.

2.      Bring in outside resources in training when appropriate. Outlook, Banner, CONSULS: need to do.

3.      Improve online documentation

 

Improve Library's Web Pages

Action:

1.      Establish a library-level Web Page Working Group to discuss a process and to refine the pages and to work on them. Done and continuing. Target date: Second week of August.

2.      Take action to comply with University policy. There is no existing policy. We are doing what is appropriate.

 

Define areas of responsibilities for library systems staff and who the external and internal users may contact for problem-shooting

Action:

1.      Discuss this issue among the systems staff and other appropriate library staff.

2.      Draft statement for submission.

 

Complete implementation of new technologies in the building

Action:

1.      Complete Wallchart training, implementation, and interface to the kiosk. In progress. We are going to try to automate the process of interfacing with kiosk. Also, statistics program.

2.      Complete installation of systems for new staff. Done.

3.      Complete Room 263, 145. Done in 263; 145 still to do.

4.      Bring up the network printers. Done.

5.      Strive for a common e-mail utility. Done. Outlook

6.      Improve and upgrade staff and user system every 4 years.

 

Explore and demonstrate new computer and multi-media technologies

Action:

1.      Bring in new system for demonstration. Yes, Continue

2.      Propose implementation and adoption as appropriate. Yes, continue.

 

Improve communication from the Director's office to staff

Action:

1.      Make sure information filters down, e.g., by marking correspondence that needs to be disseminated. Done and continue

2.      E-mail regularly and frequently. Done and continue

3.      Call regular staff and professional staff meetings and provide time for progress reports. Done and continue

4.      Organizational chart in common folder. To do.

 

Establish a Sunshine Committee

Agenda:

1.      Design a t-shirt. Done.

2.      Recognize special happenings of staff. Done and continue. Include custodial staff in birthday events, etc. To do.

 

Improve problem reporting re: machines and building issues

Action:

1.      Encourage all staff to e-mail Karen and Maureen re: all machine problems (computer, media, copier, digitizer, etc.) and building problems as soon as they arise, with as much information as possible (location, type, state tag #, nature of problem), etc.

2.      Karen and Maureen will route report to the appropriate staff, copying the problem reporter re: the action. Appropriate staff will follow up.

3.      Problems of computers should not be reported directly to anywhere outside library. Problems should be reported to Administrative offices ASAP.

 

Improve marketing of the library

Action:

1.      Update and expand the "Guide to Library Services."Done and will continue

2.      Continue publication of the newsletter. Done and will continue

3.      Do a slick brochure of the library. Need to do.

4.      Friends of the Library Group. Need to do.

5.      Post on the web the Friends by-laws. Need to do.

 

Technical Services

1.      Service:

Acquisitions: select, acquire and invoice appropriate materials to support university mission. Continue to tweak

Cataloging/Services: organize and provide access physical material and bibliographic. Continuous. New goal: name authority

Collection/Development ordering: selection process, spend the budget. Continuing

Action:

·        Telephone training. Not done; will do.

·        Create RUSH procedure. Draft done.

·        Policies/Procedures documentation. Done but continuous

·        Database maintenance by accepted standards.

·        CONSULS training/III training. Acquisitions. Serials (Cataloging on hold)

New Goals:

Serials:

User study

Access and Union Listing

Web based list of all Full Text Journals

Collection Development:

Continue to identify appropriate materials in all formats, esp. databases.

Tech Services:

Re-evaluate workflow between departments; lines will blur.

Review stuff in Tech Service remaining from move. Collection Dev Officer; Acq; Coll Dev Group

Database (CONSULS, Banner, OCLC, Smith library webpages) maintenance

Cataloging:

Dewey Reclass done by 8/2000

All ECSU Theses done by 6/2001

Integrate authority database maintenance (CONSULS) into weekly/daily/monthly workflow

NELINET Cat Training for NELINET Certificate

NACO participant

Acquisitions:

facilitate smooth transition for Acquisitions staffing (could be #3 employee well being or #4 organization cultural shift)

 

2.      Communication:

Action:

· Professional staff meeting minutes e-mailed to all library staff. Done, continuous

·  Frequent, short cataloging meetings with minutes. Done, continuous. All technical services mapped to the common folder; read only. Done.

· Documentation of policies/procedures for technical services as needed. Continuous

· Inventory of documentation needed-physical manual (needed?) for catalogers - also acquisitions and serials?

New goal:

MS Office training for "read only" files to Common Drive

 

3.      Employee Well-being

Action:

·  Barrel keys to freight elevator. Done.

·  Job descriptions for each staff member. Done and in the pipeline for support staff

·  Concierge in loading dock office. Not needed. Remove.

·  Happy hour. No, we “do” lunch

New?

· Orientation of new staff to Library

· Orientation of new library staff to University

·  For sunshine committee: bowling; group activities e.g. Norwich Navigators block tickets, others?

New Goal

Who gets what problems (list)

(Acq) gift questions - MH

(Cat) Cataloging - Kris as in "how to catalog…."

(Cat) Items/books from Circulation for questions/resolution - Kim (on the fly; repair; non-functioning videos)

(Acq) new software for licensing review – MH

(Cat) review specialized or generic cataloging assignments

More, others??

 

#4 Organizational Culture Shift (New Goals)

Reiterate Service Model at University Level

 

After the reports of Public Services, Technical Services, and Administrative/Information Technology groups report, the Retreat moves on to the thematic group discussions (Information Literacy; User/use Survey;Communications/Operations).

 

Everyone broke into the three thematic groups. The groups would report their results at 3:00 p.m.

 

· Information Literacy: Nick, Kim, Kris, Meg, Anka, Rebecca, Georgia

·User Survey: Jim, Marianne, Greg, Phyllis, Marie, Beth, Sharon, Bill, Barbara,

·Communications/Operations (Newsletter, Brochure, Library Tea): Maureen, Rich, Mike, Leanna, Debra, Erna, Karen

 

Information Literacy Group:

Kim Bartosz, Rebecca Berg, Jin Chang, Kris Jacobi, Georgia Shoffstall, Meg Smith, Anka Stanley, Nick Welchman,

 

End Purpose: (Mission)

Information literacy would be explicitly incorporated in university curricula and policy

 

Clarification

1.      The library faculty and staff identifies the need to implement a program which enables students to become information literate.

2.      Such a program would need to be:

  1. long term
  2. university-wide
  3. multi-step/multi-tiered
  4. flexible and
  5. integrated into the curriculum.

 

Action plan and timeline

Step 1: (Summer 2000)

·Establish a steering committee

·Develop guidelines for multiple study groups (Fall 2000)

 

Possible study groups:

· User education assessment

· Literature and models from other colleges and universities

·Expectations of faculty and staff

·Expectations of students

Assess level of information literacy among students

Steering committee is expected to identify goals

 

Focus groups report to Steering Committee by (May 1, 2001)

Summer 2001- Steering committee will evaluate results and propose future directions.

 

Marie suggested to coordinate with Rhona Free with Blue Sky Program because many of the goals are similar. She also suggested contacting Salve Regina because they have been doing a first year program. Nick should be very aggressive because they are extending the Blue Sky Program for one more year. We should link onto this program while it is still being offered.

 

User Study, Use Study Group:

 

Marie Clark, Bill Gamzon, Marianne Hebert, Jim Hendricks, Phyllis Leonardi, Barbara Nelson, Greg Robinson, Beth Rumery, Sharon Smith

 

What do WE NEED to Know?

I.        Definitions

 

1.      User Study

Separate Survey (?) - User Education

  1. Satisfaction - Subjective
  2. Demographics - FT, PT

§         From CIRC Records Ethnic Studies, Age/Sex?

§         From other sources

  1. Ask them to check off patron category - self-identify

 

Do we need to do more surveys after the first one?

Or, will first survey be too long?

Green Survey

1.      Which of the services did you use? How satisfied were you?

2.      Which of the collections did you use? How satisfied were you?

Also, "C": Facilities and Equipment Two columns

Which of the following did you use? How satisfied were you with the areas you used?

Do a broad survey first, then a follow up on areas that are problematic?

 

II.     Needs

1.      Committee to finalize the survey

2.      Follow-up a year late with same instrument

3.      1996 Survey - Like #14, #18. Adapt it.

 

What hours to do survey?

Paper survey or online?

If online, attach to a database to do compilation?

NB: if 250,000 entries - why are they here?

Look at SPEC Kits

Gather Examples

What Do We Need to Know?

Submit smaller unit/questions from different depts to the Committee

Compilation is important to be able to score it.

Focused follow-up can have more open-ended questions

*Look at surveys from comparable institutions. EX: GENESEO (SUNY)

 

Establish a Committee of 3 to draft a copy of a survey.

Submit draft to Professional Group and finalize.

"Test Drive" it on staff and students who work in library

DO FINAL DRAFT. ADMINISTER IN LIBRARY.

 

Use Surveys

 

I.           Need a periodical use survey (includes bound and current and microform)

§         UCONN has a good one

§         Put barcode on shelf edge, on a pad of paper, etc, count uses of title.

§         Use hand held portable barcode reader.

II.        Need a documents use survey

III.      Electronic Use Survey

IV.     Need a reference collection use survey

V.        Computer Use Survey (being done by Kim and Guy)

 

Methodology

 

1.      Look at other institutions’ surveys (UConn, Wesleyan, etc.)

2.      SPEC Kits

3.      Literature Search

4.      Look at Citation Studies

5.      Look at bibliographies in ECLC theses/papers

6.      Coordinate with course offerings

7.      Re-shelving counts - set up method

8.      Utilize management function of III

9.      Survey Interlibrary Loan requests – on-going basis.

10.  Ask EBSCO to print out serials holdings list and comparison report for CSU Libraries - investigate archival copies arrangement.

11.  Explore CSU agreement to circulate older bound journals.

 

Use Studies should be initiated and coordinated by specific departments: Serials, Reference, Documents, etc.

Submit drafts of plans to Professional Group.

Time Lines:

1.      Form Depts. and groups Summer 2000

2.      Run plans by Professional Group in September

3.      Do at least Periodicals Use Study in Fall 2000

4.      The then-expert Periodicals groups can advise others: Government Docs, Ref., etc. for those surveys to commence Fall 2001.

 

Communication/Operations Group: (Discussion topics: Newsletter, Brochure, Library Tea)

Mike Berlin, Karen Collins Rich Kokoska, Leanna Loomer, Erna Luering Maureen Miller, Debra Rogers

 

NEWSLETTER

Article Ideas:

· Feature one new staff member per newsletter

· User friendly, explaining different aspects of the library

· The process of a book ending up on the shelf (purchasing, cataloging)

· New materials that are going into the collection

· Recent Events

· Usage Statistics

· Food and Drink Policy

· Library Tea Schedule

· Exhibit Schedule

·  Personal Interests of Staff

· Visitors from Near and Far (“Through the Turnstile”)

· Interesting e-mails about our newsletters

·  Archival Materials Collected or Given Away

·  Mini Reviews from our Collections

·  Reserving a Room (procedures)

·  FAQs (ILL, Remote Access to Databases, Reserve a Book, Public Borrower)

·  Ordering Materials (Procedures for Faculty/Departments working with Liaisons)

·  Use some of the information from the User Survey

· Salute department and staff: picture and what they are responsible for

·  Memoriam of J. Eugene Smith

 

Process: send articles to Mike in Word format (e-mail).

 

Library Tea:

 

·  1st Tea dedicated to memory of J. Eugene Smith “An Introduction to your Library”

·   Friends of the Library

·   Book Sale (preview sale)

·   Highlight Music Student from Fine Arts to play at Tea

·   Highlight monthly exhibits

·   Librarians to do Presentations: Gift Collections; Access Services; Reference Services; Curriculum Center; Government Documents; Serials; Cataloging; Technical Services, Outreach Services, Accessibility,

·    Invite specific departments corresponding to our resources

·   Library Administrative Office to coordinate first schedule of teas. Friends of the Library to take over.

·   Hold in the community room

·  Librarians must attend

·  Three times per semester; early in the month (University Hour, Wednesday 3-4 pm)

·  Introduce new faculty hires to the university.

·  Hold during University Hour because there are no classes

 

Library Brochure:

·  Promotional Piece

·  Overview of Departments

·   Technology

·   Art Pieces

·  Work with University Relations to coordinate with Viewbook

 

 

CONCLUSION: Tina concluded the Retreat by thanking everyone for their hard work and great ideas. She considers this a successful Retreat. The Retreat was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Karen L. Collins

Administrative Assistant

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