Blog of the Ohio Library Council Technical Services Division
Best Practices in Technical Services WorkflowOLC Chapter Conference 2013General/IntroductionHave you done a workflow analysis?Columbus Metro: Yes, in 2004 we used Staffing for Results by Diane Mayo as a key tool in our analysis.Dayton Metro: An analysis was done using ALA’s Staffing for Results in 2004 and 2005. There were several reasons for this. The library had completed a new strategic plan which included centralized ordering and possibly moving into an operational center. Other reasons included looking at a new ILS, ordering on websites, and EDIFACT ordering. In 2008, we studied workflow at other libraries including Columbus Metro and Indianapolis-Marion County PL known for their excellent workflow. We implemented take away ideas such as posting a bulletin board with daily workflow stats and filling requests centrally in Processing. A new ILS implemented in 2012 precipitated another workflow study. We have continually tried to reduce turnaround time for new items and got this down to an average of 5 days but with the implementation of a new ILS, the average number of days turn around has increased. Greene County: Yes, we invited an outside consultant from OHIONET to do a workflow analysis back in 2005. There had also been one done in the late 1990’s which resulted in centralized ordering, getting a new ILS and having jacketing done by the vendor.Toledo Lucas County: We also used Staffing for Results to analyze the system selection, acquisitions, cataloging, and processing practices and procedures starting in 2007. When I became Technical Services Manager in 2008, I looked with fresh eyes at the layout of the room. Tech Services supervisors took fieldtrips to several other libraries to see how they moved materials from delivery to distribution. Our director also provided funding for an outside consultant who made recommendations.What changes did you make based on the analysis?Columbus Metro: We made several changes such as limiting the amount of times a staff member touched a book. Every time we moved a book from a cart to a shelf to a cart slowed us down. We moved Catalog staff out onto our production line so that they cataloged at the line rather than moving materials back and forth. We also stopped screening every book but rather just NEW titles to the system. Added copies had already been cataloged so we identify those at the time of selection and they flow past Catalog onto Processing when they arrive in the department. We centrally select for all locations and for all materials and focus on fewer titles with more copies to meet demand and to help workflow in the department.Dayton Metro: Workflow stats for each staff member and department are tabulated weekly and compiled into spreadsheets that give the amount of items ordered and processed. The average number of days for items to be processed are calculated weekly and posted on a bulletin board. These are emailed to the Tech Services managers and library director. All of these statistics help with deciding the number of staff and grade level needed. During the Staffing for Results analysis the departments met regularly and this fostered communication among departments resulting in many small efficiencies. The centralized ordering team took over standing orders instead of Acquisition and sent these out to every branch. Centralized ordering led to grid ordering in online vendor carts streamlining many aspects of ordering and coding for the ILS. This resulted in a more predictable flow of items through Tech Services. Vendors who could provide the most efficiency became our primary vendors. We also prioritized how items flowed through Technical Services giving items with ten or more requests priority. Greene County: We changed three things: central selection, outsource jacketing, migrate to a new ILS.Toledo Lucas County: The original design meant that materials traveled on a route that was roughly in a figure 8. Materials were unpacked in an area that also served as a hallway. Only the head copy was sent to the catalog department and all other copies were kept on trucks in another area of the room. After a title was cataloged, the head copy had to be reunited with the additional copies to go to processing. The two biggest changes we made were (1) keeping all copies of a title on the same truck as materials move through the room and (2) a re-design of the Technical Services area with new, more efficient work spaces.How do you communicate with TS staff to make sure standards are followed? How do you communicate with “regular” staff?Columbus Metro: Our standards are set by workstation so each processing staff member knows what the standards are for that type of work. This is tied into their annual evaluation. This information is shared at hiring and regularly discussed one-on-one with staff. With staff in Public Services – we focus on quality and share critical information via email. By this I mean that we want public service staff to notify us of errors, such as so errors in certain MARC tags, or incorrect labeling, that prevent our customers from readily finding the material. Dayton Metro: We have manuals that describe the basics of workflow and processes in Tech Services that are posted on the staff intranet for all staff to access. Acquisition has written documentation with screenshots of how to do ordering and invoicing of various formats. Catalog has written guidelines in a wiki for specific issues such as applying genres to fiction. Collection Development and Acquisition set up calendars each year for ordering various formats weekly, biweekly or monthly. These calendars are shared with staff. If we make a change or introduce something new, we send a proposal or explanation of the change prior to the system-wide monthly manager’s meeting and do a verbal presentation where the topic can be discussed. An article for the staff newsletter about the topic follows the manager’s meeting to ensure that all staff are aware of the coming change. Examples are launching a new format such as a downloadable product or discontinuing a format such as audio books on cassette. Launching centralized ordering and floating collections required a lot of communication on all levels. We respond daily to “regular” staff through email, phone calls and an open door policy. Technical Services needs to model excellent customer service skills when communicating. Greene County: We have a TS and processing handbook and we share weekly emails and have monthly staff meetings. Every few years we do a processing assessment to find out how many items are done per hour for all material types and then analyze our results for improvement. For “regular” staff, we email and phone regularly and have quarterly selector’s meetings. The Head of Technical Services also attends reference, children’s and monthly staff council meetings to exchange ideas and give updates. We know that technical services department is part of public services and communication is prime.Toledo Lucas County: Staff members enter the number of titles cataloged and items processed on a spreadsheet daily. Standards are communicated to staff at hiring and if processes change significantly. These statistics are compared monthly by supervisors. A weekly chart is posted on the Tech Services door that shows the number of boxes unpacked plus the number of carts waiting in catalog and processing areas. Regular staff are encouraged to send questions about cataloging, stickers, or location codes. Catalog questions are sent to Tech Services on a form along with the physical item. Questions about stickers and/or location codes for new items are entered on a form on our Intranet. One of the selectors reviews the questions. If corrections need to be made, TS recalls items to make corrections.How much cross-training is done? Are there any limitations to cross-training staff such as union rules?Columbus Metro: We are not in a union situation at CML so all staff are cross-trained in their section. This includes selection, acquisition, cataloging and processing. Dayton Metro: DML is unionized and we are careful about staff doing appropriate grade level tasks. Each staff member has a back-up who can do the basics of their position in their absence. The backup is usually the same grade classification or one or two steps different. There is not cross training between departments in Tech Services except that Acquisition staff does some labeling for Processing when workflow is low. Greene County: Almost everyone in TS is trained to process books and create item records. Two staff are cross-trained to do serials; three of four catalogers are cross-trained to catalog most material types. The Head of TS can step in and do any of the jobs if needed. However lower paid staff may not be asked to do higher paid staff tasks. We are a union-library but even so, there are not any hindrances related to cross-training.Toledo Lucas County: Toledo has two unions – 1 for support staff and 1 for librarians. Acquisitions and processing staff are at the same grade level and are cross-trained and assigned to work in different areas each day. In addition, copy catalogers - who are a higher grade – can work “down” and are assigned to assist in processing as needed. Staff who are in the librarian union cannot work in acquisitions or processing but do assist with call numbers and subjects.SelectionIs selection centralized? If so is everything selected centrally?Columbus Metro: We have had central selection since 1999 and everything is centrally selected including serials. Dayton Metro: Yes. Everything is selected centrally with one exception. Branches still select their magazines subscriptions yearly.Greene County: Yes, except for replacements in branches. We have a monthly catch-up list for branches to add replacements for central ordering. We also do a good bit of local purchasing that is done by central selectors.Toledo Lucas County: We did central selection by committee for several years and established a Collection Development Department in January 2012. Everything is selected centrally except periodicals. However we are thinking about ordering a core set of titles for every branch, then allow them to order additional titles from a pre-approved list.Is selection part of Tech Services or a separate department? If not part of TS, who does selection report to?Columbus Metro: Selection is a part of our Technical Services department.Dayton Metro: Public service staff studied and wrote the guidelines for centralized ordering. Hence, from 2005 to 2008, selection was a separate office located next to Tech Services that reported to public service administrators. When the manager of Acquisition retired, the duties were merged into the Collection Development manager duties and selection moved to Tech Services instead of public service. These three managers in Tech Services report to the library director: Manager of Acquisition and Collection Development, Manager of Catalog, and Manager of Processing. Greene County: Selection is a separate department. They report to the assistant director but communicate frequently with acquisitions clerks and with the Head of TS when needed.Toledo Lucas County: Collection Development Department is part of Technical Services beginning in January 2012. Do selectors use vendor carts or print journals or a combination to select?Columbus Metro: The selectors primarily use vendor tools but they create their own carts by setting up profiles and feeds via Ingram’s iPage. They also regularly scan digital content whether it is professional journals, Early Word, Shelf Awareness, etc. to keep up with what’s being published.Dayton Metro: For books we use vendor carts from Baker and Taylor or Overdrive. For AV we use more of a combination of carts from Midwest Tapes and looking at suggested titles on vendor websites such as Recorded Books and Books on Tape. Billboard magazine is used for music purchasing as well. Printed sources are used to a much lesser degree. Greene County: A combination of sources: for books we use vendor carts with Baker & Taylor; AV from Midwest Tape; however we buy a good bit from local vendors and online when necessary which alters the workflow for acquisitions.Toledo Lucas County: The selectors use vendor websites, suggestions from staff, plus digital newsletters/blogs and print journals.How do other staff and public make suggestions for purchase?Columbus Metro: Staff and the public have forms they can use either our web site or staff intranet to suggest titles for purchase.Dayton Metro: There are a few places on the public webpage where the public can make requests for purchase. We recently redesigned and simplified our online form that staff use to send selectors requests for purchase. The number that we receive from staff have increased to approximately five to fifteen a day. We use Overdrive’s automatic patron recommendation carts where the recommended titles come to us weekly for purchase.Greene County: Staff can make suggestions via email or via our library homepage which is where patrons can make suggestions.Toledo Lucas County: We have a suggestion form on the TLCPL website for the public to submit suggestions. The public can also tell staff who will submit the suggestion on a staff portal. There were almost 3,000 suggestions entered on the staff portal in 2012 encompassing new materials & replacements in all formats.AcquisitionsHow many vendors do you use?Columbus Metro: Every three years, we send an RFP to key print and AV vendors to maximize our discounts and services. We have a primary print vendor (Ingram) and a primary AV vendor (Midwest Tape). We use Baker and Taylor as our secondary print vendor. We use Amazon for local or vanity press titles that the major vendors don’t carry. We also use a variety of smaller vendors for specialty items such as local history titles, foreign language materials, etc.Dayton Metro: We have 800 vendors listed in our ILS as suppliers but 95% of our business goes to our primary vendors: Baker & Taylor, Midwest Tapes, Ingram, Overdrive, Recorded Books, Books On Tape and EBSCO. Keeping the number of vendors down to these main vendors helps keep workflow at an optimum. These vendors have our processing specifications and we have set up business contacts with them that may include EDIFACT capabilities and customer service representatives. Though we prefer to use hardcopy invoices that come in shipments, we can print copies of invoices online from these vendors as needed. Greene County: We have two primary vendors (MidWest Tapes and Baker & Taylor…it was 3 vendors until BWI was bought out by B&T) and some smaller vendors for special orders for our Genealogy and Local History department. Online ordering, mainly with Amazon, is a large part of acquisitions. Local purchases, encouraged by our library director, make up a good part of our materials spending. EBSCO is our current serials vendor but we keep an eye out for better deals.Toledo Lucas County: Our primary vendors are: Ingram for adult fiction as well as juvenile and teen print; Baker & Taylor for adult non-fiction; Midwest Tapes for media; Overdrive for downloadable material; and, WTCox for periodicals. We use Amazon as a secondary vendor. 85% of our orders were placed with primary vendors, though we actually used a total of 135 vendors in 2012. Do you order electronically – EDIFACT or via vendor carts?Columbus Metro: We are in the process of migrating from a homegrown ILS to Polaris. Our current ILS is programmed to FTP orders overnight with our major vendors and then for other vendors we order via their web sites. All of the data entry though is manual at this time. We plan to move to EDI.Dayton Metro: Yes, we EDIFACT orders with Baker & Taylor and Midwest Tapes. We do not do EDIFACT invoicing at this time though there is interest in it as something for the futureGreene County: EDIFACT ordering is used to place the order but the selectors create vendor carts.Toledo Lucas County: We have used EDIFACT ordering in the past, but now simply order from vendor websites. ILS bib and order records are entered systematically via 9xx uploads.Are boxes opened on the day they arrive?Columbus Metro: YesDayton Metro: Yes. Most boxes arrive around noon each day and they are all opened by mid-afternoon unless the box is part of a partial shipment. Greene County: Ideally, yes.Toledo Lucas County: Deliveries come throughout the day so depending on the time of day, materials may wait until the next day to be unpacked.How do materials move through Tech Services?Columbus Metro: We work off a production line rather than carts. It is not mechanized but rather has rollers that allow us to place materials on boards and then slide from station to station. Materials arrive daily from our vendors and materials are unpacked, checked in, move to cataloging, then onto processing stations and out the door. Our average turnaround time is 3-4 days. We had been at 2 day turnaround for a number of years, but with increased materials budgets and reduced staffing, our turnaround time has lengthened a bit.Dayton Metro: We use book carts for all physical items. Greene County: On book trucks, chronologically, with the exception of RUSH items.Toledo Lucas County: All copies are put on book trucks with one copy on the top shelf so catalog staff can easily find it. Titles with street date are put on separate trucks and get a blue slip with the date written on it so they are cataloged and processed before release date. Each truck gets a slip with the day’s date in a pocket on the end. These date slips remain on the trucks throughout Technical Services and assist staff to work on materials in the order they arrive.CatalogingDo you use copy catalogers or MLS catalogers? How many of each? What can copy catalogers do?Columbus Metro: We have five staff members in the catalog section. Two of these have an MLS degree, two have a bachelor’s degree, and one staffer is a paraprofessional. They are all cross-trained up to their degree and skill level. Only the MLS catalogers can do original cataloging.Dayton Metro: Two MLS catalogers primarily do original cataloging of all formats and assist in resolving problems. Two copy catalogers (grade 2) who do copy cataloging of all formats. Two or three grade 1 copy catalogers who catalog all physical formats. Greene County: Currently we have one copy cataloger and three MLS catalogers. We used to have two copy catalogers and two MLS catalogers. Copy catalogers primarily do juvenile and adult fiction, print and audio.Toledo Lucas County: We have a Catalog Supervisor who has an MLS and 4 ? copy catalogers. The Supervisor directs the work of copy catalogers, does original cataloging, assigns call numbers and subjects as needed.Do you get records from a service such as OCLC, SkyRiver, or vendors? Or do catalog everything in-house?Columbus Metro: We use OCLC to catalog and update the records. Only about 5% of what we catalog would be considered original cataloging.Dayton Metro: DML uses OCLC for most of our MARC records. We have received some MARC records from OhioLINK for the Learning Express MARC records. In the past we also received some MARC from DRA which we have been slowly removing and replacing with MARC from OCLC. The DRA MARC records have created many problems over the years and we prefer not to purchase records from an ILS vendor. There are very few in house MARC records. The story book bags and laptop MARC records are example of in house MARC records. Greene County: SkyRiver, as of Sept. 2012 with some original cataloging is done in-house.Toledo Lucas County: We started using Sky River as a bib record source in June 2012 and do original cataloging as needed. The exceptions are for certain types of paperbacks – we created generic bib records for Harlequins and add many titles to these generic records. We also create K-level records for cookbooks by local groups.Do you accept brief records from vendors? Or do you require full records?Columbus Metro: At this point, due to our homegrown system we can’t accept records from our vendors but as we migrate to Polaris we will accept brief records.Dayton Metro: Yes because they will be replaced with full MARC records.Greene County: We accept vendor records and do not require full records.Toledo Lucas County: Brief bibliographic records are accepted from major vendors for on order material. We prefer brief bib records to display in capital letters. Multicultural Books does supply full bib records for foreign language material.What kind of changes do you make in records?Columbus Metro: We add subject headings as needed, check to make sure author is the authorized form and frequently add pagination, size, illustration, etc. We upgrade minimal level records to make them more robust for our customers to have better access. Also, we add unique call numbers.Dayton Metro: We add call numbers, authority control and some local customization.Greene County: We add price, call number, locations and other notes as needed for a full record, depending on the quality of the record. We recently had Backstage clean up our authorities and will likely do that on a quarterly basis for new records.Toledo Lucas County: Our policy is to accept the record – call number and subjects – in our bibliographic utility, currently SkyRiver. Our copy catalogers do check publisher, year, pagination, added entries, etc and add or correct as needed. We also contract and send all new records to Marcive for enrichment including table of contents, characters, place, Lexile reading level, and Accelerated reader.ProcessingWhat kind of physical processing do you get from your vendors?Columbus Metro: The majority of our books come pre-jacketed but that is the extent of physical processing for print. For AV, items come with barcode, genre labels, and item count labels.Dayton Metro: Our vendors attach barcodes supplied by DML to all books, DVDs, audio books, and CDs. 7 Day Loan stickers, also supplied by DML, are attached by Midwest to movies with a 7 day circulation period. Hardback books come with Plastikleers on paper jackets, while soft back books come without any jackets or covering. We no longer put juvenile picture book and CD read-alongs in bags because our vendor puts the CD in a pocket attached to the back cover. All AV materials are packaged in vendor supplied cases; multiple disc material has additional trays so all discs stay in one case. DVD liners have our library identification banded around the top of the liner and copies designated for Xpress 7 Day have those stickers attached.Greene County: Mylar jackets for jacketed books and Kapco jackets for graphic novels; DVDs and CDs are repackaged into security cases.Toledo Lucas County: We get mylar jackets on books with dust jackets. We have Midwest Tape shrink the artwork, add a “band” at the bottom of DVDs and add TLCPL logo, the barcode, the appropriate letter for the title, a sticker for the month, and a hub label that includes the barcode number and TLCPL. Midwest also places materials in lockable cases. Materials that need multiple cases and Blu-ray items are processed in-houseHave you evaluated the stickers and labels you put on materials? If so, were you able to eliminate some?Columbus Metro: We have centrally labeled items since 2004. We convened a task force of Tech Services and public service staff to evaluate the labels we were using to determine which were critical for our customers and which ones could we eliminate. We re-convened this group in 2011 to further refine our process and now we apply approximately 34 labels. This 34 includes Adult and Children’s labels.Dayton Metro: We have eliminated most stickers since the Catalog Division prints these on the call number label. The collection code assigned to the item triggers the desired text and/or image on the label. Just a few specialty stickers are used within our system that are attached after delivery to branches such as children’s award stickers. Floating collections forced us to standardize labeling across the system. Greene County: We eliminated a lot of labels eight years ago after our workflow analysis – particularly labels inside books and contents labels which we incorporated into the spine label if possible. We also got rid of some colored dots and replaced them with clear colored label lock protectors. Some branches still apply local labels. We do not yet float the entire collection but when that happens, there will be another task force to plan for label consistency system-wide.Toledo Lucas County: We evaluated and standardized stickers and labels as part of our move to floating our collection. Selectors add notes in the order record so processing staff applies the correct stickers to items. We currently have 28 total stickers. All items get an author/title label plus a barcode. Non-fiction items get a call number label on the spine. Most items get the “month” sticker which also acts as the “new” sticker. Other possibilities are: mystery, western, science fiction, teen, series, and juvenile leveling stickers for print materials.CloseWhat 1 piece of advice would you give to others?Columbus Metro: Always ask the question, why do we do it this way? And if the answer is “because, that’s the way we always have done it” and not “because it helps our customers get access to materials” then time to start reviewing and analyzing the process.Dayton Metro: The end result of excellent customer service should always guide you. Good workflow pays off in excellent customer service. Patrons find and receive the materials they want in a timely manner and the library provides a “just in time collection.” Greene County: Talk frequently to all staff, from bottom to top, and buy pizza.Toledo Lucas County: Everyone dislikes change so plan and prioritize, involve staff, and do changes that are low-hanging fruit to help staff see differences.Contact Information:Robin Nesbitt – Director of Collection Management; Columbus Metro Library; 614.479.3066rnesbitt@ Jean Gaffney – Manager of Acquisition and Collection Development; Dayton Metro Library; 937.496.8520jgaffney@ Connie Strait – Technical Services Supervisor; Greene County Public Library; Direct: 936.352.4007 ext 6301cstrait@gcpl.lib.oh.us Marilyn Zielinski – Technical Services Manager; Toledo-Lucas County Public Library; 419.259.5262Marilyn.zielinski@ ................
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