The library hired consultants to analyze workflows and recommend changes, including outsourcing processing, cataloging only to a basic level, and restructuring staff roles, which led to personnel reductions but increased efficiency and faster access to materials, though some expertise was lost.
1. Technical Services: Changing
Workflows, Changing Processes,
Personnel Restructuring … Oh My
Michael Winecoff
UNC Charlotte
North Carolina Library Association
October 6, 2011
2. The Catalyst for Change
• We hired a new University Librarian with fresh
ideas
• He brought in consultants to analyze our
existing Technical Services workflow
– Interviewed all Technical Services staff and other
library staff who interact with them
– Created a 100 page report with recommendations
3. Monograph Recommendations
• Order all monographs from one vendor who
can provide shelf-ready items when possible
• Eliminate pre-order searching for mainstream
titles
• Load PromptCat MARC records to create the
full bib, item, order and invoice records
automatically
• Receive and pay items electronically
4. Collection Development Recommendations
• Eliminate Approval Plan review by faculty and liaisons
• Develop subject-specific Approval Plan policies to
accept all receipts
• Implement electronic selection and notification “slips”
• Involve subject librarians more fully in collection
development, particularly for firm orders
• Adopt a more restrictive gifts policy
• Stop negotiating with patrons about replacements
• Consolidate and streamline standing order process
5. Personnel Recommendations
• Transition traditional cataloging staff from monographs to
unique items hidden in Special Collections
• Free up receiving and paying staff to catalog monographs
• Eliminate majority of materials processing by outsourcing --
spine labels, barcodes, security strips, property stamp and
Mylar covers. This frees up materials processing staff to
repair aging and damaged items and perform other duties
• Give bindery staff other duties
• Divide traditional documents staff between documents and
Special Collections cataloging
6. Other Recommendations
• Permanently reduce binding of periodicals
• Reduce serial checkin and claiming as much as possible
• Reduce fund structure from 800 to 200 funds
– Use a single department regardless of format
– Use one fund for serials
• Eliminate the Browsing Collection in favor of a New
Books display
• Fast catalog non shelf-ready materials
• Implement a Millennium/Banner automated accounting
interface
7. Other Recommendations (con’t)
• Catalog only to level needed
• Catalog CIMC to collection level rather than item
level
• Implement Unicode in catalog rather than existing
transliterated form
• Puchase e-books for desirable and helpful
• Eliminate manual tallies whenever possible
• Reduce staff involved in monograph workflows
8. Technical Services – Original configuration (27) – Prior to July 2010
Head –
Head of Collections and Technical Services Collection Dev
BIBLIOGRAPHIC CONTINUING ORDERING AND POST CATALOGING
ORGANIZATION
DOCUMENTS RECEIVING QUALITY CONTROL
RESOURCES
Supervisor / Supervisor
Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor
Cataloger NC/UN Docs
Member Gifts/Special Federal Docs Bindery and Catalog
Cataloger Projects Assistant Serials Receipt Maintenance
Member Serials Paying Federal/Serial Receiving Catalog
Cataloger Manager Docs Assistant and Paying Maintenance
Member Statistics Ordering Matls Physical
Cataloger Aggregator Assistant Processing
Special Matls Serials Order Serials
Cataloger Specialist Checkin
Approval Serials
Plan Coor. Checkin
CIMC
Cataloger
9. Collection Development and Electronic Resources (7) – January 2011
Head –
Head of Collections and Electronic Resources Collection Dev
CONTINUING
RESOURCES
Supervisor
Gifts/Special
Projects
Serials Paying
Manager
Statistics
Aggregator
Serials Order
Specialist
Electronic
Resources Tech
11. Functional Staff Changes
Before After
Ordering 2 staff 1 staff
Receiving & Paying 1 staff 1 staff
Cataloging 1 librarian 1 librarian
5 staff 1 ½ staff
Documents 3 ½ staff 2½ staff
Collection Development 2 staff 1 staff
Serials Checkin 2 staff 1 staff
12. Special Collections - Original configuration (6)
Administrative
Head of Special Collections Support
Local/Int’l
Manuscript University Digital Programs
Documents
Librarian Archivist Archivist
Librarian
13. Special Collections (12)
Head of Special Collections
RESEARCH &
DISCOVERY & DIGITAL COLLECTION COLL ACCESS AND
REFERENCE
DESCRIPTION COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT PROCESSING SUPP
SERVICES
Digital
Supervisor / Manuscript Supervisor Research &
Programs
Cataloger Librarian NC/UN Docs Outreach Lib
Archivist
Member University Federal Docs
Cataloger Archivist Assistant
Member Local/Int’l Federal/Serial
Documents
Cataloger Docs Assistant
Librarian
14. Information Technology
Head of Information Technology
TECHNICAL MONOGRAPH POST CATALOGING
DIGITAL SERVICES
SUPPORT ACQUISITIONS QUALITY CONTROL
Digital Info Library
Services Network Supervisor Supervisor
Librarian Administrator
Hardware Bindery and
Web Catalog
Software Serials Cataloger
Programmer Maintenance
Support Receipt
Hardware
Library Receiving and Catalog Documents
Software
Webmaster Paying Maintenance Assistant
Support
Materials
Web Graphics Ordering
Physical
Designer Assistant
Processing
15. Permanently Shrinking Personnel
Retirees
Head of Cataloging
Head of Collections Development
CIMC Cataloger
Approval Plan Coordinator
Acquisitions ordering specialist
Exits
Records editor
Part-time Documents assistant
16. Pluses
• Special Collections has digitized and described
over 3100 of photographs and post cards
• 85% monographs are processed without staff
intervention. That’s over 9,000 books that go
straight to the stacks!
• Staff are responsible for more challenging tasks
• Books will be discoverable more quickly
• Some staff received raises because of job changes
• Some staff retired because of the changes
17. Difficulties
• There is no cataloging expert making decisions
• Some mistakes will not be caught
• Books still arrive from other vendors and need
to be handled by our staff
• New attitude – As long as it’s good enough
• No expertise for some areas – music, RDA
• Some staff retired because of the changes
18. Conclusion
• Over all most staff are happy with their new
responsiblities
• We are providing more and better access for
Special Collections materials
• Monographs are getting to the public quicker
• Administration is pleased with more
efficiencies
• Everyone who stayed still has a job!
19. More questions or information?
Michael Winecoff
UNC Charlotte
mkwineco@uncc.edu
North Carolina Library Association
October 6, 2011