THE REALITY IN A SMALLER ACADEMIC LIBRARY

Denise A. Garofalo

January 9, 2016

OVERVIEW

•BACKGROUND

•LIBRARY STAFFING SITUATION

•WORKLOAD + REALITY = NECESSITY

•SOLUTION = COLLABORATION

•REFLECT AND REVIEW

BACKGROUND

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE

•SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE

•FTE: 1,943

•THREE MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMS

•BUSINESS

• EDUCATION

•NURSING

KAPLAN FAMILY LIBRARY

• DUAL USE BUILDING

• BOTTOM 2 FLOORS—LIBRARY

• UPPER 3 FLOORS--DORMS

• UNDER 90,0000 VOLUMES

• ANNUAL CIRCULATION 16,343

• ILLS FILLED 1155

• 68 SUBSCRIPTION DATABASES

INSTRUCTION PROGRAM

•MOSTLY ONE-SHOT SESSIONS

•WELL-RECEIVED ON CAMPUS

•MANY FACULTY REQUEST INFORMATION LITERACY

INSTRUCTION IN CLASSES

RECENT PROJECTS

•RECLASSIFICATION FROM DDC TO LC

•MOVING OF LIBRARY TO NEW,

RENOVATED SPACE

•PERSONAL LIBRARIANS

LIBRARY STAFFING

FACTOTUM

•AN EMPLOYEE WHO DOES ALL KINDS OF WORK

FACTOTUM. (2015). OED ONLINE. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, SEPTEMBER

2015.

LIBRARY STAFFING•5 LIBRARIANS (ACCESS SERVICES, CURRICULUM,

REFERENCE, COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, TECH

SERVICES)

•ALL TENURE-TRACK

•HEAVY INSTRUCTION LOAD

•LOSS OF PARTTIME PROCESSING POSITION

(INVENTORY, REPAIRS, ETC.)

LIBRARY STAFFING FACTORS

•OPEN 96 HOURS/WEEK DURING SEMESTER

•108 HOURS/ WEEK DURING MIDTERMS AND FINALS

•76 HOURS DURING INTERSESSION AND BREAKS

WORKLOAD + REALITY =

NECESSITY

HOW TO KEEP WORK FLOWING

•WORK STUDY STUDENTS

•NOT RELIABLE

•NOT AVAILABLE INTERSESSION AND BREAKS

HOW TO KEEP WORK FLOWING

HOW TO KEEP WORK FLOWING

•NO FUNDING

•FOR PARTTIME WORKER

•FOR STUDENT WORKER

FACTORS

•RECENT REORGANIZATION WAS OPPORTUNITY

•NIGHT SUPERVISOR NEEDED MORE TASKS

SOLUTION = COLLABORATION

PROCESS•BUILT ON PAST COLLABORATION

• INVENTORY PROJECT

• CATALOGING HANDLED WORK IN DATABASE

• ACCESS SERVICES HANDLED PHYSICAL ASPECTS

• REPAIRS

• ACCESS SERVICES HANDLES ITEMS FOR CIRCULATION AND

SHELVING

• LOGICAL TO SHIFT REPAIRS TO THOSE SEEING THE MATERIALS IN

NEED

ASSESS TASKS

DEVELOP TRAINING

ESTABLISH PROCEDURES

IMPLEMENTATION

• SMOOTH AND WITHOUT PROBLEMS

• MATERIALS MAKE IT TO SHELVES

OUTCOME

•PROCESSING CONTINUES DURING BREAKS

•REPAIRS ARE UP-TO-DATE

•ROLLING INVENTORY CONTINUES

WRAP UP

REFLECT AND REVIEW

BE FLEXIBLE & OPEN•CONSIDER NON-TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS

•BE RECEPTIVE

• COMMUNICATE

•DON’T HESITATE TO EXPLAIN NEEDS

SOURCES• HTTP://INSPIRABLY.COM/UPLOADS/USER/21951-DONT-JUST-THINK-OUTSIDE-THE-

BOX-RETHINK-THE-BOX-ALTOGETHER.PNG

• HTTP://BLOG.ARKADIN.COM/EN/WP-

CONTENT/UPLOADS/SITES/5/2013/10/24_DANGERS_OF_MULTITASKING.JPG

• HTTP://STACYSPENCER.ORG/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2014/06/OPPORTUNITY.JPG

• HTTPS://NEXTUP.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2008/07/LUCY-CANDY.JPG

• HTTP://WWW.BRAINYQUOTE.COM/PHOTOS/W/WINSTONCHURCHILL124653.JPG

denise.garofalo@msmc.edu