September 8th, 2009 Brian Herzog
I’m finally getting my library’s updated policies online. We started revising them in April 2008, and the Trustees approved the new versions in April 2009, so I’m a bit behind.
Updating a Dreamweaver-based website is slow going, so I thought I’d share the new (footnoted) Reference policy here. The old policies are still online until I get all the new ones coded and published. Once that is done, our plan is to review them every three years (some of these hadn’t been touched since 1999) to make sure they are up-to-date. I’m also trying to think of a better way to display them on our website - any ideas?
Reference Service Policy
The following guidelines should be used by Reference Department staff in providing answers and materials for ready-reference and general research questions taken in person, by telephone, by mail, or submitted electronically.
The primary role of the Reference Staff is to assist patrons with their information searches and to educate them in the location and use of all types of reference resources. While assistance will be provided, patrons should not expect Reference Staff to do their work for them. Staff should spend no more than 15 minutes assisting a patron before returning to the Reference Desk to be available to assist other patrons. Patrons are not permitted to purchase dedicated staff time for reference or research services; please see the Library’s Gift and Donation Policy (4.3) for additional details.*
Confidentiality
All reference transactions should be treated with confidentiality, and the patron’s right to privacy must be ensured. All information requests should be discussed only in a professional manner.
Timeliness
Patrons of all ages will be provided correct answers or referrals to their reference requests as soon as possible. If an answer cannot be provided within twenty-four hours, the patron will be informed of the status of their request.
While priority is given to walk-in patrons, telephone and electronic requests will be answered as quickly as possible. If “same day” service cannot be provided, the patron will be informed.
Locating Materials and Resources
Whenever possible, answers will first be sought using the resources available within the Chelmsford Library, whether print or electronic. The Reference Staff will also use the resources available through the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) and the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS). If an answer cannot be provided immediately using local resources, appropriate print or electronical materials will be requested or located on the patron’s behalf.
Every effort will be made to provide patrons with a source for an answer, where appropriate. If a patron is unable to visit the Library, the staff should offer to mail, fax or email a copy of the material, or a bibliography of the resources used (reproduction and/or shipping costs may apply).
Loaning of Reference Materials
Reference material will not leave the building. Material in this area is considered to be important for ready access to patrons, or be irreplaceable local history items. Allowing References items to circulate defeats the purpose of having a separate section for reference use. Patrons are encouraged to photocopy if they need to have the printed material in hand.
Types of Questions
The Reference Staff strives to provide professional and complete answers to any type of question asked at the Reference Desk. In addition to general reference questions, the following types of questions receive special treatment:
- Directory Information - Reference Staff will assist patrons searching for names, addresses, or other contact information in any publicly-available resource, including telephone books, city directories, and electronic resources. Reference staff will not provide personal information about other Library staff, nor information contained in their personnel files. Please contact Library Administration or the Town of Chelmsford Human Resources Department for personnel information.
- Homework Assignments - The use of the Library for homework and research assignments is part of the educational process, and staff should strive to provide students with a positive library experience. Questions from students should be answered in the same manner as other informational requests, and additional time should be given to provide the student with informal bibliographical instruction and research techniques.**
- Technology Questions - All Reference Staff will be proficient with the technology resources available within the library, and are responsible for assisting with electronic research resources and basic library computer and internet competencies. Technology questions beyond the scope of regular Library resources may be referred to the Head of Reference or the Library’s technology administrator.
- Medical/Legal/Financial Information - Medical, legal, tax and investing assistance is limited to directing patrons to Library resources and/or secondary referral sources such as local hospital libraries, law libraries, etc. Reference staff cannot, at any time, assist with the interpretation of medical, legal or financial information, or give patrons advice on these topics.
- Trivia Questions - Trivia question should be considered in the same manner as other informational questions. In line with the Chelmsford Library’s Public Service Policy (2.1), “The needs and requests of library patrons should always be taken seriously and treated with respect. Equal consideration should be given to all users in a non-judgmental environment.”
*I added this sentence to keep patrons from thinking they can “buy” reference staff time with gifts or donations, which also got included in the
Gift and Donation Policy, so it would apply to all library staff
**I originally included a sentence saying that staff would focus on helping the student, and not anyone that might be accompanying them. The reason is that a lot of times, a parent brings their child in, but never lets the child speak or explain their assignment - the parents just wants to get as many books and possible and leave as quickly as possible. I’m not a parent so I can’t criticize, but this bugs me to no end. However, the wording was awkward, and other department heads thought it sent a bad message, so it was cut.
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June 9th, 2009 Brian Herzog
Another year has passed, which means another round of staff reviews and setting goals for the next fiscal year. Bleh.
In contrast to past years, I was encouraged to be brief. So this years goals are a bit more quantifiable, and a bit less “well, that’s part of the job description anyway.” You know, the way goals should be.
GOAL #1: Improve access to information resources and library services
- Weed the reference collection, refine the ref standing order list, and reevaluate how the reference shelving area is used and begin to develop a plan for alternate uses1
- Work with Tech Services to refine standing order list and evaluate reclassification of subjects to better group similar topics together
- Continue with staff-assigned sections for weeding, straightening and order suggestions
GOAL #2: Expand and improve the library’s technology offerings
- Work with web committee to migrate website to new content management system2
- Add more website subject guides to tie together print and electronic resources, and link to expanded offerings of BPL and other MVLC libraries3
- Work with IT staff towards expanding technology offerings, such as wireless printing and loaning laptops
- Review current offerings utilizing new technologies, prioritize those needing ongoing maintenance, and document procedures to support maintenance by other staff
GOAL #3: Maintain and/or support web-based resources beyond the library’s core collection
- CommInfo: utilize staff to contact and update organizations every Jan-Feb
- ChelmsfordVolunteers.org: work with other departments and organizations to keep listings up to date
- ChelmsfordHistory.org: provide leadership for the Chelmsford History project, coordinating with other organizations and volunteers to locate and index Chelmsford’s historical resources
- Look for ways to better organize and provide access to the library’s historical collections, such as the Vertical File, microfilm records, etc.
Admittedly, much of this still falls into the “continuing things we’re already doing” category, but that is a large part of my job. And something else covered elsewhere in my review is encouraging all staff to attend at least 5 hours of some kind of training or professional development.
I think it’s all doable. I can probably even manage to squeeze in helping patrons at the reference desk, too.
Notes:
1. I’d like to interfile the ref books with the circulating non-fiction, and put into the reference area more quiet study rooms or subject tables –
Back to Goals–
2. Right now we’re using Dreamweaver, but I’d like to see us move to a real CMS - NELA-ITS’ CMS Day workshop is this Friday, so yay for good timing –Back to Goals–
3. Patrons like our genealogy subject guide, so I want to make more, incorporating Delicious bookmarks, and also linking to resources at other library to supplement what we offer –Back to Goals–
Tags: annual, department goal, evaluation, evaluations, fy10, fy2010, goals, libraries, Library, performance, public, reference, review, reviews, staff See Also
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March 5th, 2009 Brian Herzog
The serious stuff first:
We’ve been reviewing and updating all of my library’s policies for the last few weeks, so I’ve got policy v. procedure on the brain. Because of that, it occurred to me this week that most library staff can be grouped into two types: “policy” staff and “procedure” staff.
- Policy staff - like to be given broad goals, not explicit directions. This is an asset in that they take initiative and can be innovative
- Procedure staff - like to be given explicit directions, and will follow and enforce limits and rules like a checklist. This is an asset because they are consistent and treat everyone the same
Neither type of employee is better or worse than the other, just different. Managers (and coworkers) can be more effective at their jobs if they identify staff’s needs and strengths and play to or accommodate them. I know this isn’t some huge insight, but I had never noticed the parallel between work habits and policy/procedure before.
The jokes second:
Here are my favorite “There are X kinds of people in the world” jokes:
- There are 3 kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can’t
- There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t
Ah, yes - bad jokes makes the web go ’round.
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October 16th, 2008 Brian Herzog
I hope everyone enjoyed Work Like a Patron Day, and found a way to make using the library easier for your patrons.
I didn’t get to spend as much time as I had hoped, but I did notice a few things:
- We need more scrap paper at the workstations
- We need to clean up the litter and leaves and sticks and other debris around the front steps
- We should rename our wireless network from “CPL-g” to something an uninitiated patron will recognize and feel safe with
- It turns out that staff congregating and chatting at service desks is every bit as distracting as patrons on cell phones
But what struck me the most wasn’t what I noticed, but what kinds of things I noticed. I mean, I already know that the patron catalog interface needs improvement, and that not everyone understands how to log on to a computer or where the photocopier is.
Everything I noticed yesterday were little things. Even though I’m among the public computers every day, and we replenish them with scrap paper when we see them empty, if you’re a patron sitting there and there is no paper, it doesn’t help that staff put some there that morning. It’s not there now. And the junk around the front door is easy to miss when you’ve got on the blinders of familiarity - it’s always there, so I stopped noticing it. But when you do notice it, it looks kind of bad.
So in addition to the original list, I’m also going to make a point of looking for the subtle things, like:
- Is there a glare on computers by the windows at certain parts of the day?
- Is it too hot/cold in here?
- Does it stink in here?
- How easy is the phone menu system to navigate?
Even if I can’t change them, staff being aware of them is a good thing, because I’m sure our patrons are.
So thank you to everyone who supported and participated in the day. I got lots of emails and saw many posts and comments about it, which is great. In fact, I only saw one negative comment about it. It astounds me that someone who writes for Library Journal would criticize the idea of making the library a better place, but there you go.
Be sure to remember this day next year, too. More information is available on
http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Work_Like_A_Patron_Day and http://www.flickr.com/groups/worklikeapatronday.
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June 12th, 2008 Brian Herzog
Library-Wide IT Proficiency Workshop
New England Library Association, Information Technology Section
June 12, 2008 - Bryant University, RI
Gary McCone & Grace Sines
I’m writing today from the NELA-ITS Spring 2008 workshop. The handouts are available below, so I’ll just be annotating with a few points throughout the day, and also trying to add pictures to flickr.
Here are the handouts, that were provided to all attendees on a flash drive:
Part I
Overview of the National Agriculture Library, and the services they offer. Being a national library, they are a resource for everyone, so check them out.
Library-Wide IT Proficiencies
- Why are IT proficiencies important? It’s important to get IT support right the first time with the end-user, so front-line staff need to feel comfortable in both doing the support and managing expectations (we cannot “fix the internet”).
- Keys to success Enable non-IT staff, excellent communications, understand end-users (needs, vocabulary and skills), know where knowledge or information lies within the organization, don’t get stressed - we’re all working towards the same goal
- Get to know your users Know their generation, but get past stereotypes - teach based on how different generations learn
- Expect things to change Technology will change, staff and users needs and skills will change - must expect change and be flexible to accommodate it
- Listen to end-users Meet with end-users in a non-threatening way to learn directly from them what they need (although it might be delicate, focus on what is wrong, because no one is happy with IT), and work to get ongoing feedback
Part II
Roadmap to creating an IT-Savvy Library Staff
- Technology Core Competencies Abilities, knowledge and skill required to do the job - can be itemized based on areas or tasks, such as “printer & copier,” “operating system,” “email,” etc.
- Types Can be task-based (skill: refill printer paper) or descriptive (knowledge: know how to surf the internet)
- Get involvement from everyone Everyone should be involved in defining them and what is needed to achieve them (management, professional staff, front-line staff, etc)
- Plan implementation Everyone knows what’s happening and what to expect, and how competencies can be met
- Resources
- Why have them? Promote customer service, increase motivation, address fear/threats of technology or people with limited skills (and don’t be afraid of providing incentives and praise)
- IT Liaison Program Designate one person from each department to be the lead liaison with the IT department - hopefully someone interested in IT, to be the first point of contact
- Ideas for training Experts in the library leading sessions, creating fact sheets (your own knowledge base), online training/webinars (free and fee), weekly tips. mentoring programs, regional trainers, keep track of what library staff don’t know (FAQs)
- Topics for training Evolving technologies, real-world issues (spam, phishing, flash drives, etc), tour the library website, Google labs, digital rights management, RSS, media formats (flash, audio, interactivity, etc), hardware petting zoo (new gadgets, gizmos and games)
Tags: competencies, conference, information technology section, it, its new england library association, its08, nela-its, Proficiencies, spring08, staff, tech, workshop See Also
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