Collaborative Technical Services Work Redesign
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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.