Floating Collections = Improved Customer Service

1. Floating Collections = Improved Customer Service CLA 2008 By Thomas Quigley, VPL

2. Definitions & Parameters What is a “floating collection”? • Items float freely among branches • Where it’s checked in, it sticks • ONE LIBRARY = ONE COLLECTION Floating Collections - CLA 2008

3. CDN Urban Library Floaters(general info only; contact library for particulars) • Vancouver PL - 2006: Large Print, all Fiction, Paperbacks, A/V, Chinese • Edmonton PL - 2005: Fiction, Graphic Novels, A/V, Multilingual • Regina PL – 2006: CD Spoken Word • Mississauga PL – 2006: Large Print, Paperbacks, A/V • Toronto PL - 2008: Paperbacks • Halifax PLs – 2007: Large Print, A/V; “shared collection” Floating Collections - CLA 2008

4. Why Float? • Reduce the amount of materials handling done by delivery and staff in CEN and branches • Reduce the amount of time for items in transit • Reduce physical wear and tear on items Floating Collections - CLA 2008

5. Why Float Cont’d. • Smaller sites reduce the risk of being “read out” • Items are available to patrons at point of check in • Collections move where patrons want them to go Floating Collections - CLA 2008

6. Why Float Cont’d. • Avoids extra transactions (e.g. double check-in) • Reduced transportation costs of moving items between sites • Less staff administration and processing of materials (e.g. labelling and stamping) Floating Collections - CLA 2008

7. VPL “In Transit” Deliveries – Dec. 10, 2005 Floating Collections - CLA 2008

8. VPL Shipping StatisticsComparison of 2006 to 2005 Floating Collections - CLA 2008

9. >PURPOSE: Have we achieved our goal of refreshing and revitalizing (R&R) >collections through floating? This exercise will give us a sense of the >state of R&R across the branch system and in PRL. >HOW: >1) Pick a bay in the G-L area of your adult fiction collection. >2) Count the total number of volumes in the bay. >3) Count the number of volumes in the bay that DO NOT have your branch >yellow sticker on them. >4) You're ready to calculate your refresh rate: >To get a percentage of refreshed volumes in the bay, divide the figure >from #3 by the figure in #2 and multiply it by 100. The higher the figure >the more volumes have floated into this bay of your adult fiction >collection. >Here are some >sample figures from when we were developing this exercise: >Community Branch Basic - 88% >Community Branch - 62% >Popular Reading Library - 30% >5) please send all the figures to Thomas Quigley at JFS by >close of day, Friday, January 12, 2007. This data will be reported and >discussed in the 2nd Review of the Floating Collection. >Thanks for your help! Floating Collections R&R EXERCISE Floating Collections - CLA 2008

10. Refreshing Exercise Results Floating Collections - CLA 2008

11. Anticipated Issues • Book conditions – will my branch get books that are in worse condition than mine? • We’ll be swamped -- we won’t have any room! • “Where is that book that I saw here yesterday?” Floating Collections - CLA 2008

12. Floating Final Thoughts • Make sure you have strong believers on your side • Involve staff at all levels from the very beginning • Phase it in. WEED before you begin • Make sure the door is open for ongoing feedback • Evaluate and ACT on the findings Floating Collections - CLA 2008

13. THANK YOU !!! Thomas Quigley, VPL (convenor) Email: thomaqui@vpl.ca Floating Collections – CLA 2008