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Pack Light: Changes in Technical Services Staffing & Workflow
The document discusses changes in technical services staffing and workflows at libraries. It recommends eliminating low-value tasks like manual transcription, item-by-item decisions, redundant systems, and procedures that introduce error. Some specific suggestions are to stop routing print journals if they are available online, automate repetitive tasks using macros and scripts, and review workflows to identify those that are no longer needed. The talk encourages focusing resources on critical tasks and leveraging automation through batch processing and third-party applications.
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Pack Light: Changes in Technical Services Staffing & Workflow
- 1. Pack Light: Changesin Technical Services Staffing & Workflow Becky Yoose Bibliographic Systems Librarian Miami University
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- 3. What they packedWhat I packed
- 4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/getdown/4029593878/ The Ruleof Packing Light Lay out everything you think you need Pack half of that
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- 6. “… we shouldseek to recognize and question outdated remnants of pre-automation routines, manual transcription, item by item decisions or tasks, redundant systems, repetition, procedures that introduce error, and seeking the perfect in favor of the good.” -- Fischer, Ruth, and Lugg, Rick, 2005. “Just Say No: Eliminating Low-Value Tasks.” Against the Grain 16 (6), 84.
- 7. Low hanging fruitShelf-lists Processing unsolicited periodicals Gifts (not in-kind) Accepting Processing Binding Manual statistics DLC record editing (if not CIP) Call number duplication checks in receipt cataloging Selecting all books on an item to item basis And more…
- 8. Physical LIS JournalRouting Issues: Law of routing journals You will receive the 2/15 issue of LJ in October (year after) Most routed journals are available online in FT with no embargo 45 of 51 LIS journals online, FT with brief to no embargo Staff reductions Needed to free up time to focus on other workflows Solution: Individual RSS feeds EBSCO Journal Alerts LISTA, ASC Feed43 Roll your own planetplanet meta feed aggregator YMMV Yahoo pipes list individual feeds, no metafeed
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- 10. Critical mission tasksreview Any TS workflows meet the following criteria? manual transcription item by item decisions or tasks redundant systems repetition procedures that introduce error Alternate question Does your department look like this? http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjoselibrary/4009109102/
- 11. What and howof automation What Database Maintenance Ordering Cataloging Serials Electronic Resources Statistics Etc. etc. etc. How Batch processing III – Global Update MarcEdit PromptCat Task automation Macros Program specific 3 rd party applications Scripts PHP, Expect, MySQL, etc.
- 12. Automation Demo Screencasthttp://www.screencast.com/t/gegg952u8gS Process Documentation http://tinyurl.com/ykroact
- 13. Other things tolook at PDA Pilot for e-books YBP/ebrary E-books in general Not updating more types of 3 rd party records Non-DLC/PCC records that meet receipt cataloging criteria otherwise Stop serials checkin Stop placing book plates in general collection books E-books, E-Journals…
- 14. Low hanging forbidden fruit Things that are not under our control AKA University Policy Mostly in Acquisitions Invoicing University Policy – no electronic invoices accepted at University level Fund tracking University Policy – have to use complex system to track individual funds/endowments Solution: Workarounds to minimize impact to department
- 15. Thank you &Questions Becky Yoose Bibliographic Systems Librarian Miami University yoosebj@muohio.edu Twitter: yo_bj Heavy Light
Editor's Notes
- #3 Brief explanation about the “pack light.” March 2008 went to Paris with other library students. We were poor at the time so we relied on the public transportation system.
- #4 Observation of what people packed. Which one had an easier time navigating the European public transportation system?
- #5 How can this rule be applied to Technical Services departments?
- #6 Screenshot of partial list of all the tasks we do in our department. Sit down with everyone in the department and list off all major tasks. Get specific – don’t just list “cataloging.” What levels of cataloging do you do? What formats do you catalog? And so forth. For our department, we brainstormed a bit, unsorted list of the tasks we do. Afterwards, I categorized this list using four categories: Acquiring, Organizing, Accessing, and Managing.
- #7 What not to pack – look at list here for guidance.
- #8 Several things that we have either stopped doing in part or entirely.
- #9 One example of how some low hanging fruit may be low value for the department itself, but essential for others in the library.
- #10 Screenshot of planet toc service: http://staff.lib.muohio.edu/~yoosebj/venus/toc/
- #11 Ok, you went through the list and took out the non-mission critical tasks. Congratulations – you’re halfway done! Even though you have identified the activities that must continue in order for the department and the library to meet their missions, chances are that these tasks could use a look-over to see if they are not as efficient as they could be.
- #12 Automation is your friend. Almost anything can be automated at various levels in Technical Services.
- #13 One example on how a major workflow can be automated
- #14 Other things we are currently dealing with. The PDA pilot will definitely change all areas of the department, so we will have to reconfigure and move people around to best deal with the coming workflow changes.
- #15 There are some things we can’t touch due to external factors. For us, university policy affects how we run our acquisitions operation.
- #16 Butterfingers and Reeses