Transcript Collaboration and Change: Lessons Learned from a

Julie Kowalewski Ward
University Access Services Manager
San Jose State University
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Access Services Conference - November 11, 2011
Agenda
 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library: A merged environment
 Managing Change
 Successful Collaboration
History of the
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
 Nearly 2 million volumes
 Seats 3,500
 40 group study rooms
 300 public access computers
 90 Laptops and 26 iPads for student checkout
 Amazing art by Mel Chin
 Annual circulation over 1.5 million
View of King Library
From the Campus Side
From the Public Side
Comparison of SJSU and SJPL
System
Volumes
1,835,417
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,417,899
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
415,862
0
Branches
King Library
SJSU
1,417,899
SJPL
2,251,279
Annual Circulation
14,000,000
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
Branches
King Library
12,459,750
410,549
SJSU
410,549
1,101,012
SJPL
13,560,762
Comparison of SJSU and SJPL
System
FTE Library Staff
Library Patrons
44,292
300
150
250
200
150
541,234
92
122
100
50
0
SJSU 92
SJSU
SJPL
SJPL 272
Branches
King Library
King Library Circulation
100%
90%
85%
80%
70%
60%
50%
Academic Patrons
53%
Public Patrons
47%
40%
30%
20%
15%
10%
0%
SJSU Materials
SJPL Materials
Access Services Department
 Circulation Desk
SJSU only
 Welcome Desk

 Sorting Room

Course Reserve Processing
SJSU Student Patron Load
 Call Center
 Periodicals Desk
SJPL only
 Stack Maintenance

 Document Delivery

Service

Interbranch Delivery
Children’s Room
Youth Services
What we share








A building
Staff work space
Online staff schedule
Service points
Circulation system
Library catalog
Intranet
Access to databases
from within King
Library
What we don’t share









Budgets
Administration
Personnel processes
Email Systems
Calendar systems
Unions
Pay Scales
Holidays
Philosophies
SJSU Mission
Statement
SJPL Mission
Statement
San José State University’s Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
advances the University
mission of expanding
knowledge through research,
instruction, and scholarship.
Through our partnership with
the San José Public Library and
other organizations, we
provide students, faculty, and
members of the community
with information resources
and life-long learning
opportunities.
San José Public Library
enriches lives by fostering
lifelong learning and by
ensuring that every member
of the community has access
to a vast array of ideas and
information.
In the beginning
 We had to rethink everything
 Clashes in personality, philosophy, culture
 We learned from each other.
Library Culture
Culture Shock
SJSU Library
SJPL Library
Patrons
Protected Holdshelf
Check the stacks
Call Number Order
Customers
Self Service Holds
We’ll page it for you
Marketing for Browsing
Changes for University Staff
 Lack of control over own schedule
 Dramatic increase in circulation
 Working with Public Library Coworkers
 Interacting with public library patrons
 Physical move of library from central campus to
outskirt with city
Changes for Public Library Staff
 Dealing with faculty and students
 Being located on campus
 Working with University Coworkers
 University staff scheduled differently
 Facilities handled by University Facilities Department
Merged, but Not Merged
You aren’t the boss of me!
Merging two different
organizations
But what about the Branches?
King Library is different.
Merging Together
 Circulation Policies
 Fine structures
 Combined meetings
 Sharing Celebrations
Coming Apart
 Divergent Circulation policies
 Separate Websites with a joint portal
Original Combined Website
New Portal Page for San Jose Libraries
Separate Websites
SJSU website
SJPL website
The Marriage Analogy
 The Proposal
 The Prenuptial Agreement
 Pre-marriage Counseling
 The Wedding
 The Honeymoon
 Reality Sets In
 The Seven Year Itch
The Beauty of King Library
 Beautiful building
 Provides an amazing collection of resources
 Put San Jose State University on the map
 A showcase for the campus
 Visitors from around the world
 Life long learning in action
 Vibrant, unique and exciting place to work
You Can’t YELP but love
King Library!
Change
Change is Hard!
Forces of change
 Budget cuts
 Technological changes
 Customers expectations
 Loss of institutional memory
 New managers and administrators
Changes due to Budget Cuts
 SJSU
 SJPL
 51% reduction in student
 30% overall staff
assistant budget over
four years
 Staff furloughs in 2009
 Staff layoffs in 2010
reduction over three
years
 50% reduction in higher
level classifications
 35% reduction in part
time clerks, pages, aides
King Library Access Service Staff
60
56
50
39
40
SJSU
SJPL
30
20
15.4
11
10
9
7.7
0
Full Time Staff
FTE Part-Time Staff, Pages, Total Part-Time and Full-Time
Aides and Student Assistants
Changes due to Technology
Adjusting to Technological Change
Playing with Technology
 Digital Petting Zoo
 YouTube Videos
 Facebook
 Checking out iPads
Change process
 First gather the facts.
 Why is the change necessary?
 What are the benefits?
 Involve people early in the process.
 Actually consider the feedback you receive.
 Get buy in.
Overcoming Resistance
 The Borg Analogy
 Talk to people!
 Acknowledge loss
 Worst case scenario
 Be prepared for unforeseen consequences
Implementing Change
 The more you do - the easier it gets
 Pilot projects
 Built in evaluation
 Learn from mistakes
Factors to Consider
 Be positive
 Give people time to adjust
 Address concerns as they arise
 Delegate – doing the actual work leads to investment
 Keep your sense of humor!
Change Done Poorly
We all know the process ...
So why are we so bad at it?

Personality type attracted to library work

Management – large picture perspective
without frontline expertise
Effects of poorly implemented
change
 Low morale
 Devalued staff
 Low productivity
 Burnout
Change done well
Staff:
 Are part of the process
 Are invested in the change
 Have opportunity for feedback
 May not like it – but feel valued
 Come to see advantages to the new way
Collaboration
If Change is Hard…
Collaboration is Harder!
What makes collaboration easier?
 TRUST!
 Established relationships
 Remaining open and flexible
 Seeing the long term benefits.
What Makes a Successful
Collaboration
 Everyone’s needs are addressed
 Focus on benefits
 Compromise
 Embrace inelegant solutions
Factors to consider
 Choose your battles
 Don’t win your battle and lose the war
 Strive for Win Win
 Know your bottom line
Benefits of Collaboration
 Stretches your thinking.
 Forces you to do things you might not try on your own
 Creative solutions
 Wider skill set and brain power
 Makes you truly focus on end result
Benefits of a Merged Library
 More varied collection
 More shared resources available to all
 Both university and public communities benefit
 Expanded skill set in staff
 Different staff perspectives
Thank you!
Questions?
Julie Kowalewski Ward
University Access Services Manager
San Jose State University
[email protected]
408 808-2343