Transcript Collaborative Technical Services Work Redesign

Collaborative Technical Services Work Redesign
at Denison University & Kenyon College
Debby Andreadis, Christopher Barth, Scottie Cochrane
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Our Context

Denison and Kenyon are members of the Five Colleges of Ohio
consortium (along with: Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, & College of
Wooster)

Denison, Kenyon, OWU, and Wooster share an online catalog

All five college libraries share a joint storage facility

All are members of OhioLINK
Work Process Model
 statewide union catalog of 88 libraries (public, private,
research to community colleges)
 direct patron-initiated borrowing from any institution
 consortial purchase of 100+ databases
Timeline – July 1, 2003 to December 15, 2005
July 1-Dec. 31, 2003:
Pre-planning task force and grant proposal preparation
January 1-May 15, 2004:
Retreat with Project Consultant to launch the project
Technical Services Consultant - analysis of current operations
Authority clean-up by outside contractor
Vision statement of the work we are redesigning due May 15, 2004
May 15-Aug. 31, 2004:
Status report to the Mellon Foundation July 1, 2004
Define all work processes being redesigned by August 31, 2004
Sept. 1-Nov. 1, 2004:
Prepare the conceptual plan by November 1, 2004
Nov. 2004-April 30, 2005:
Define the rest of the project, including cost estimates
April 30, 2005-Dec. 15, 2005:
Implementation begins and takes place in stages during Summer 2005
Conduct final evaluation and assessment of the grant project
Prepare Final Report to Mellon by December 15, 2005
The Task Force & Its Charge
 Task Force:
Denison (2 librarians,2 support staff)
Kenyon (2 librarians, 3 support staff)
Consortium system manager
 Charge:
Create a robust system for combined library technical services. The
focus is on constantly evolving patron information needs, research
patterns, and desires. The system will be flexible, transferable,
malleable, and adaptable.
Vision
 BE COURAGEOUS!
 Act as a collaborative unit to best serve users at multiple locations
 Provide intellectual representation of collection as a whole
 Foster a culture of staff empowerment that effectively utilizes and
rewards individual strengths
 Enable research and development capacity for entire organization
 Appreciate that as we combine our processes, there may be activities
best implemented separately
Planning Assumptions and Principles
Hurdles
 a combined collection that is greater than the individual collections
 Reaching consensus with consortial partners who are not part of the project
 24 hour turnaround time in material movement between the two
schools
 Staff resistance to change, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”
 staff from Denison and Kenyon will become one unit, thereby creating
time to devote to managing other formats
 The mainstream of materials’ acquisition will be created and
automated to streamline work
 focuses on the typical processes within the whole system
Recommendations of the Plan
 Combined technical service team that will be on the leading edge of
technology and user service
 Combined work processes that enhance efficiency and allow for
flexibility to address user needs
 Location independent and expandable work process
 Joint approval plan including cooperative selection, budgeting, and
accounting
 Expedited delivery between our campuses
 Paper flows replaced with electronic flows
 Staffing the central storage facility/tech. services unit with existing folks who
don’t want to work in a new location
 Getting staff to let go of the “perfect,” on behalf of the “good”
 Staff learning/training to manage digital information and products in all
formats, especially those locally produced
Advice for Similar Projects
 Leadership from the Library Director/Dean is essential, along with buy-in from
her/his superiors on campus.
 Invest the time to prepare a thorough, well-reasoned proposal BEFORE you
start planning.
 Consider hiring an experienced consultant to assist the project team, because
expertise in managing change is crucial
 Work with a consortial partner IF you share at least one of the following: online
catalog, delivery service, or storage facility (preferably all three!)
 BE HONEST about your motives for the project, especially if you’re
redesigning with the purpose of saving money and eliminating positions.
 Increase the use of vendor provided services
 Concentrate our human capital in areas that we cannot automate
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank:
- The Mellon Foundation as well as Kenyon College and Denison University for their generous support.