Putting the Puzzle Together: Managing a Floating Collection

1. Putting the Puzzle Together: Managing a Floating Collection

2. Presenters • Ann Cress, Deputy Executive Director, Jefferson County Public Library • Rhonda Glazier, Collections Manager, Jefferson County Public Library • Linda Raymond, Materials Manager, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

3. Agenda • Introductions • Floating Collections • Conversion Process • Break (around 10 AM) • Collection Management • Discussion/Questions • Wrap-up

4. 10 Libraries • Population: 548,000 • County size: 774 square miles • Floating collection since 1994

5. Collection: 1.2 million items • 2009 Circulation: 7 million • 2009 Filled Holds: 1.6 million • Materials budget: $3.7 million

6. 2009-2010 Operating Budget $32.9 M Materials Budget $2.7 M 7,300,000 Circulation - up 7.6% 190,000 items added - down 8% 450 Staff 1.6 million volumes 850,000 residents 24 Library Locations • Linda Raymond • Materials Manager at CML since 2003 • Centralized Selection • Outsource cataloging and processing with B&T • Began Sharing all items 1/2007 • Population size 850,000 2

7. Elements of a Floating Collection • One collection • Items float freely • Material remains at the location where it is checked in • Materials movement is generated by hold requests • Patron-centered collection management system

8. Floating Collection Requirements • Holds system • Delivery system • ILS partnership • Good communication mechanisms

9. Greater Responsiveness to Patrons & Cost Savings Increase availability and selection of items at every location Reduce workloads Stretch the buying power of the materials budget Decrease size of delivery Good stewardship Partnerships

10. Issues And Challenges But what about…. How will I find…

11. Floating/Sharing ?

14. Benefits of Sharing One system Reduced delivery volume Increased volume of materials at all locations as a result of materials not being in transit on a delivery truck. Increased circulation Distribution of materials based on customer interests in certain locations. Time saving for staff who check in materials Time and budget savings for Collection Management Customers are minimally impacted

16. What we will NOT Share: Reference, Docs, NCR ML materials 5 years and older Carolina Author collection Crossroads Cafe, English Tutoring Program Browsing Magazines Circulating Encyclopedias Book Club Kits Storytimes to Go CKT print IMG Parent Teacher Collection

18. FIRST DAY INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR SHARED COLLECTION – January 2, 2008 • Be sure you have logged Horizon off and on again before beginning. • Remember starting today, it’s yours! • Watch the screen when you check in an item, Horizon tells you if it needs • to be sent somewhere. • Because: There is no permanent owning branch unless it is on this list: • What NOT to Share • Reference, Government Documents, NCR, ML Stacks, Think College/Career Center • ML materials 5 years and older • Carolina Author collection • World Language Center, Crossroads Cafe, English Tutoring Program • FRL curriculum • Browsing Magazines • Circulating Encyclopedias • Book Club Kits • Storytimes to Go • CKT print • IMG scripts • Professional Library Materials • Adult Outreach / Group Services • Youth Services • Items belong to the system not your branch. • Remember: • You do not have to mark out the location. • Check for condition before you put it on a cart. • Weed if you would not want it in your home. • Follow established weeding and mending procedures. • When shelving always shift if needed to ensure some shelves are not over-crowded. • ALL staff members are to be aware of what is in the stacks. • Need more info? Check email sent to all staff 12/26/07. • Questions? Check http://intranet.plcmc.lib.nc.us/shared/ / or email share@plcmc.org

19. Sub-Teams for Best Practices

20. Implementation

21. Re-distribution

22. Redistribution Spreadsheet

23. Re-Evaluate

24. Lessons Learned

25. Articulate Advantages of Maintaining the Collection • Facilitates optimal use of the collection • Positively impacts library funding

26. Create Ownership • Make all staff responsible for the collection • Encourage staff to identify gaps in the collection • Change the discussion

27. Selection Changes • Policies and guidelines need to reflect a floating collection • Copies bought to meet demand, location irrelevant

28. Selection Changes • Budget needs to reflect a floating collection • How the money is allocated may change • Who is responsible for a budget line may change

29. Traditional vs. Floating Collection Selection

30. Weeding is Essential • Find the best weeding strategy for your library

31. Know Your Weeding Philosophy • Weeding consistent with service objectives • Collection weeded in a timely manner

32. Be Aware of Road Blocks • Belief that one method is better than another • Lack of guidelines for what, how and when • Lack of training

33. What Will Work For You? • ILS reports • 2-year no circ reports • Circulated over “x” number of times • Customized reports

34. More Ideas! • More customizable/useable reports • Ratio of circulation to number of copies reports • Distribution reports – to enable staff to move materials to other libraries or weed • Weeding guidelines inserted at time of order • Weeding location for bestsellers

35. Traditional vs. Floating Collection Weeding Number of copies dependent on entire system – not dependent on location

36. Weeding Strategies • Pull lists

37. How Pull Lists Work • Once a week a list of all items with a pull code is sent to each location • Staff in the libraries pull items on the list from the collection • Front line staff have the authority to override a pull code • Materials are stamped weeded and boxed for the book sale

38. Using Weeding Lists

39. Disadvantages of a Weeding List • Time • Staff intensive • System wide approach – doesn’t respond to individual location’s collection

40. Weeding Teams • Teams that travel between the different branches – and do the weeding instead of regular staff in that branch

41. Weeding Teams…..

42. Advantage of Weeding Teams

43. Disadvantage of Weeding Teams • May cause localized weeding • Not all locations can be weeded at the same time

44. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!!!

45. CONTACT INFORMATION Ann Cress Deputy Executive Director Jefferson County Public Library Ann.Cress@jeffcolibrary.org Linda Raymond Materials Management Manager Charlotte Mecklenburg Library lraymond@cmlibrary.org Rhonda Glazier Collections Manager Jefferson County Public Library Rhonda.Glazier@jeffcolibrary.org

46. BREAK

47. Communication is Key • Transition of staff was longer than initially thought • Three stages of transition • Buy-in at the beginning, tweaking processes and procedures, ongoing maintenance needs • Staff need to be able to articulate the advantages • Staff need to stay connected to the collection • Maintaining ownership key to collection maintenance • Advantages need to be articulated to your library board and community

48. Moving Forward • Articulate the patron benefits & business reasons to…EVERYONE • Recognize that this is a major transition and plan accordingly. • Acknowledge the myths and address them head on. • Involve staff leaders/influencers in the planning • COMMUNICATE