NCLA Presentation

850,000 residents

Oct. 5, 2011

NCLA 59th Biennial Conf.

WorkSmart: Saving Time, Reducing Cost, and Improving Customer Service in Challenging Times

WorkSmart Presentation

Your storytellers :Michael LambertLinda Raymond

Everett BlackmonChris Bates

Once upon a time…

In a Land not so very far away …

History of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Founded in 1903 with 2,526 books90% Budget comes from Mecklenburg Co. Director (interim) David SingletonFormerly Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

The People of the Land

Charlotte, NCPopulation over 900,000 based on new censusLocated in Mecklenburg County in North CarolinaFounded in 1755

Troubling Times were ahead.

2009 2011

Budget $ $41,307,853 $25,476,909

Staffing 551 314

Hours Open 1521 722

# of Branches 24 20

Employees

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Employees

Year

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

Avg. No. of Hours Open

20092011

Hours open

Usage

6,000,000

6,500,000

7,000,000

7,500,000

8,000,000

8,500,000

9,000,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Usage

Usage- Per Employee

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Usage/PerEmployee

The people of the Land

were dismayed.

Library Task Force

Future of the Library Task Force Recommendations

• “…the library has to consider the efficiency of…

• “Innovative practices… Recommendations in this area might include trying different things in different locations.”

• “Consolidation of functions represents one step in redesigning the delivery of services.”

• “… cuts could be avoided by reengineering our processes.”

What could be done?

Working Smarter?

R.I.S.E. Idea Torrent

Work Smart

Continuous Improvement

Value of Process Improvement

Old New

Roll Out

Life Cycle of a Book

• SFP• Vendors

Selection• Tech Svcs.• Logistics

Processing• CKO• CKI

Circulation

• Weeding• Lease

Plan

De- Selection

• How can we improve?

• How can we more effectively use?– Equipment– Technology– Staffing

• What can we STOP doing?

Circulation Activities• Registration• CKO• Mending• Displays• Internal Routing• Weeding

• Pre-Shelving• Cleaning books• Book Drop – how often?• Delivery• Holds• Online Account Services

Circulation Activities

• Self CKO• Staff MediatedCKO

• Book Drop• Shipment / HoldsCKI

Why Not Us?!

95 95

62

0102030405060708090

100

San Jose Public Library (CA)

Orange County Public Library (FL)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Self CKO %

Self CKO %

Staff Survey

Observations

Champions Emerge

WorkSmart @ University City Regional

Statistics for WorkSmart 2010/11

System (2009)

System (2010)

UC (2009) UC (2010)

CKOs 7,093,974 5,557,824 853,320 654,086 CKOs Avg. /month

591,165 463,152 71,110 54,507

Self CKO % 44.66% 49.60% 49.75% 53.29%Door Count 5,836,636 3,399,520 457,844 259,948 Door Count Avg./month

486,386 283,293 38,154 21,662

WorkSmart

@ UC

Feb 2011 March 2011 June 2011 August 2011

Self CKOs 66.17% 72.64% 81.84% 83.24%

T RUST

WorkSmart in action . . .

Our concerns were: How can we reengineer our workflow and

environment?

Planning, thoughts/ideas, necessary actions…make it happen!

What do the patrons and staff get out of all this?

E MPATHY

Empathizing with patrons, staff, and other stakeholders to have a functional

library.

Maintaining a sense of human camaraderie and pride of empowerment for our patrons * Greeters.

Using new language while demonstrating the ease of self service, (i.e. self checkout).

A CTION

Completely eliminate preshelving. Create space in the workroom for

efficiency and fluidity.

Set standards and expectations.

Recruit new and retrain existing volunteers.

Negotiate with staff to create and use best practices.

Added vital space to the workroom in order to accommodate volume.

Before After

Sorted directly from delivery/bookdrops to shelf-ready carts.

As a long time staff member at UC, “I was ready for any change that would increase or improve the workflow in the workroom. The removal of a few shelves and rearranging the work tables gave us much more workable space and helped to eliminate the “traffic jam” of carts and staff.”

M AKE SMART DECISIONS

Gain buy-in from administration to the front line, etc.

Keep lines of communication open throughout the branch and system-wide.

More intuitive processes for patrons and staff (e.g. removed DVD jewel cases; interfiled nonfiction DVD/BODs).

Improve self sufficiency for patrons (keeping in mind their comfort level with libraries

and technology).

Moved staff beyond service desks-- Greeters.

Added an additional self-check station.

All Requests easily available for patron pickup/checkout (AV previously held behind service desk).

What could patrons do for themselves?

Check-out for themselves. Check library account status.

and check all their children’s accounts too!

Use catalog to find materials and place reserves.

Renew items and pay fines.. . . and access these services from home; saving a trip to the library!

Sell! Sell! Sell!

“Staff is wonderful and provides good service. It is really great that they take the extra time to show you how to find library materials.”

“I really like the personal attention from the Greeter. It’s really great learning new skills and helping out the library staff. I didn’t realize that I could do so much myself without waiting for staff assistance.”

TRUST

EMPATHY

ACTION

MAKE SMART DECISIONS

Happily Ever After

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Well, it’s not Rocket Science!

The Basics of WorkSmart Philosophy

• Recommitting ourselves to using resources already available more effectively.

• Thinking differently about what libraries do.• Working in teams.

Rewards• More conversations among staff about

process efficiencies, continuous improvement.• Identify opportunities for cost savings.• Begin pilot testing re-engineered

processes, streamlined work-flow.

Buy-in from front line staff• System goal of 80% patron initiated checkout

by June 2012.• Individual location goals set by on site

managers.• Individual staff set their own goals in

collaboration with manager.• Staff have better, more informed

conversations about how libraries operate efficiently and effectively.

Opened renovated Beatties Ford Road

Regional in June 2011 as a

WorkSmart Branch

• Better workflow• Stole best practices• Free Library Cards

Beta test• 88% Self cko - Aug

2011!

Some Funding and Hours add backs!

Remember July 2010?

South County Regional Library circulates 1 million items a year

July 2011

One little low-cost idea that grew and grew

and Grew!

Why Not Us?!

95 95

62

0102030405060708090

100

San Jose Public Library (CA)

Orange County Public Library (FL)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Self CKO %

Self CKO %

Charlotte Mecklenburg LibrarySelf CKO % 2011

74%

62%

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andercismo/2349098787

We try, but librarians can’t do everything for everyone. We never could.

Film and Sound, PLCMC, c. 1946

WorkSmart has renewed Charlotte Mecklenburg

Library’s focus on doing our best with current resources to

serve our community today and tomorrow.

The End…or is it just

the beginning ?

Questions?

Thanks for coming!

This presentation can be found on bit.ly/worksmartncla11