Poster presented by David Ketchum at the 2014 ILLiad International Conference, Virginia Beach, Virginia, March 18-20, 2014.

1. Transcending the Silos:
Moving Beyond Borrowers and Lenders in Resource Sharing
David Ketchum
Resource Sharing Librarian
dketchum@uoregon.edu
Example Self Assessment
41%
100%
50%
45%
82%
50%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 Median
Example Rotating Task Schedule
41%
100%
50%
45%
82%
50%
95% 100%
91%
68%
95% 95%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 Median
 Median level of competence/proficiency for the unit (Before) = 50%
 Median level of competence/proficiency for the unit (After) = 95%
 Combined increase in individual levels of competence/proficiency = 131%
Individual & Median Levels of Competence/Proficiency Before & Ten Months After Cross-Training
“I feel like I have
more to offer the
patrons and my
coworkers in terms of
being able to field
patron
questions, help out
when coworkers are
out of the office, and
help student workers
with training and
troubleshooting.”
“I enjoy the variety of work. It
keeps things fresh and
interesting to have a wider
range of tasks than before.”
“I love understanding the whole process or lifecycle of
borrowing and lending and learning more about
document delivery too. I don’t know how I got by
before, knowing only my little piece of the whole picture.”
“I really enjoy helping student
workers, patrons, and other
libraries more effectively – it gives
me a sense of satisfaction and
success.”
Measured outcomes
• Self-assessed skill level for each task, 10 months after cross-training
• Quantified individual and median levels of proficiency
• Looked for unintended outcomes (example: borrowing request delay time)
• Solicited feedback from staff
Process for cross-training
• Identified currently-assigned tasks
• Self-assessed skill levels for each task
• Quantified individual and median levels of proficiency
• Organized group training sessions
• Encouraged everyone to attend
• Covered multiple tasks/processes in each
session
• Provided standard and “problem”
examples
• Updated process/procedure manual
Implemented rotating task schedule
• Ensures ongoing proficiency
• Change tasks each day; weekly schedule can
change less frequently
• Focus on tasks everyone should understand
• Maintain some “specialized” tasks
• Assign tasks based on time commitment to
better balance workloads
Supplemented task schedule with task priority list
• Serves as guideline only
• Remain flexible
Individual & Median Levels of
Competence/Proficiency Before Cross-Training
Example Task Priority List
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Average Processing Delay Time (Minutes)

2. Transcending the Silos: Moving Beyond Borrowers and Lenders in Resource Sharing
Poster presented by David Ketchum
2014 ILLiad International Conference, Virginia Beach, Virginia, March 18-20, 2014
When I arrived at the University of Oregon Libraries in February 2012 as the new Resource Sharing Librarian, there was a
clear distinction between “Lenders” and “Borrowers” in ILL. Beginning in October 2012, the ILL team began cross-training
across all ILL-related tasks and working from a rotating task schedule. These efforts have helped the ILL unit transcended
the legacy model of distinct Lenders and Borrowers, greatly enhanced competence and efficiency across the
department, and helped foster a collaborative learning environment.
February 2012: Traditional “Borrowers and Lenders” model
4.5 FTE processing 90K transactions per year (50K Lending/40K Borrowing)
Each task was assigned to a specific individual; some had designated backups
October 2012: Began cross-training
Some Reasons for cross-training
Transcend processing silos
Provide more complete understanding of the entire ILL process
Recognize priorities
Fill in for others more easily
Provide better customer service
Offer more comprehensive support for and oversight of student assistants
Diversify task assignments and learn new skills
Collaborate and team-build
Enhance flexibility
Support UO Libraries’ Strategic Directions, i.e. Improve the User Experience, Become a Learning Organization
Balance workload
Encourage development and succession planning
Process for cross-training
Identified currently-assigned tasks
Self-assessed skill levels for each task
Quantified individual and median levels of proficiency
Organized group training sessions
Encouraged everyone to attend
Covered multiple tasks/processes in each session
Provided standard and “problem” examples
Updated process/procedure manual
Implemented rotating task schedule
Ensures ongoing proficiency
Change tasks each day; weekly schedule can change less frequently
Focus on tasks everyone should understand
Maintain some “specialized” tasks
Assign tasks based on time commitment to better balance workloads
Supplemented task schedule with task priority list
Serves as guideline only
Remain flexible
Measured outcomes
Self-assessed skill level for each task, 10 months after cross-training
Quantified individual and median levels of proficiency
Looked for unintended outcomes (example: borrowing request delay time)
Solicited feedback from staff