Creating a Mega Technical Services Department from Smaller Departments by Germaine Wadeborn, UCLA

An Adventure in Technical Services Bound for Reorganization at UCLA

Germaine WadebornHead, Print Acquisitions

Charleston Acquisitions ConferenceNovember 5, 2010

Reorganizations and Mergers

1998: Young Research Library (YRL) Serials and Monograph Acquisitions Departments merge (31 FTE)

2003: College and Arts Libraries Acquisitions merged with YRL (37 FTE)

2006 (March): Acquisitions split into Print and Digital separate departments

2006 (July): Print Acquisitions merges with Sciences Acquisitions (44 FTE)

September 2007: Library mail room functions transferred to Print Acquisitions

2008: Management Library Acquisitions merges (44 FTE)

UCLA Young Research Library

Critical need for space to support the library’s complex operational needs:

- acquisitions- cataloging- library mail room operaitons

Approximate main campus locations total 25,000 sq. ft.

RelocationApril 2006-2007

• New location assigned to the Library to provide appropriate and sufficient space for acquisitions, cataloging, and other non-public services and to enhance effectiveness.

• 20,000 sq. feet available

The TeamsWork Begins in April 2006

• Kinross Steering• Acquisitions• Library Business Services• Cataloging-Acquisitions-

Collection Development• Client Unit• Space Planning• Library Information

Technology

• All teams expected to submit final reports and recommendations to the University Librarian by January 2007

Guiding Principles• Respond to the needs of various stakeholders (selectors, cataloging, vendors, users, public services,

business services, IT)• Define formal and informal lines of communication• Commit necessary resources to end workarounds• Take advantage of existing strengths• Bring everyone up to the same level of understanding of processes (e.g. technology, new

developments in publishing, distribution, local procedures, etc.)• Bring old procedures up to date vis-à-vis current technology• Provide for minimum level of staffing to ensure all work goes on in spite of leave, vacant positions,

emergencies, etc. – cross-train for backup• Adequate time and staffing dedicated to problem solving• Provide opportunities for staff to grow, learn and expand their knowledge and experience• Eliminate unnecessary steps & handoffs in workflows• Define goals for optimal throughput times for processes• Define REALISTIC priorities for transition & for long term• Communicate priorities to stakeholders and re-negotiate as things change• Review and re-define statistic gathering/reporting• Can’t we all get along?• Ensure that all staff have proper equipment and space to do their jobs• Establish trust within and outside the department

Acquisitions Workflow Team begins work to normalize processes and procedures

• Differences in Social Sciences Humanities and Arts workflows must be normalized and standardized with those in the Sciences

• Best practices guide efficiencies in processing

• What functions will be transferred to other departments:- shelving of unbound issues- pulling of binding issues- updating of item records for shelf ready items transferred to Access Services

• Address Changes- service problems duplicates missing issues standardization

with the publisherWhen to implement the

address change – want the pain now or later!

Logistics and Timing Challenges

• Campus mail system issue: re-routing of mail codes for one year to allow Acquisitions to submit serial subscription address changes

• Serial subscription address changes – location and format

• When to give monograph approval and firm order vendors the new address

• Backlogs?• When to stop ordering, receiving, checking

in, binding, and sending materials to cataloging?

• How soon can these operations resume when in new location?

• What impact will there be on service?• What will the staff do on moving days?• Where will staff park, how will parking

permits be distributed?• Facilities issues – no toilet paper!

New organization and workflows could not be implemented until the move

Space allocation was based upon projected workflows – will it work as expected?

Statistics

June 2007

• Serial issues checked in: 118,725

• New serial subscriptions placed: 452

• Serial subscriptions cancelled: 92

• Monograph orders placed: 13,057

• Monographs received: 56,780• Monograph gifts received:

141,661

June 2010

• Serial issues checked in: 200,000

• New serial subscriptions placed: 63

• Serial subscriptions cancelled: 2244

• Monograph orders placed: 11,199

• Monograph received: 37,000• Monograph gifts received:

6720

Now that We’re Reorganized …

• Status quo not an option

• Operational workforce vs. unit function – does location really matter?

• Maximizing library resources with vendor and ILS capabilities

2008-2010: changes for continued process improvement

Automation• Implemented EDI invoicing

where possible for both monograph and serial processing

• Shelf ready for main approval vendor

• Electronic selection and ordering• Patron Driven Acquisitions –

Print• Cataloging on Receipt• Barcoding on receipt – allows for

automated statistics gathering

Materials Budget and Staffing

• Budget for purchase of books and serials gradually decreasing

• Over 2000 print serial subscriptions cancelled

• Staff retirements, reassignments and resignations.

What we look like now – One acquisitions department with staff cross-trained to do both monograph and serials

processing

• Total of 25 fulltime staff members• Cross-trained• More efficient workflows in place• Doing more with less staff and other

resources• Staff performing at higher levels – some

reclassifications upward were possible

Whatever the future brings always keep things in perspective – “Anything Goes”!

How can technical services move with agility to meet evolving changes and challenges?

What will technical services and acquisitions look like in the next 5 years?

Contact

Germaine [email protected]