Service Quality Improvement Council

Minutes
December 2, 1998

Present: Betty Cohen, Ellen Cordes, Sue Crockford-Peters, Suzanne Eggleston, Jan Glover, Emily Horning, Kenny Marone, Danuta Nitecki, Sandy Peterson, Rich Richie, Andy Shimp, Paul Stuehrenberg (chair), Joan Swanekamp

Absent: Tom Schneiter

I Announcements

A. Recon Advisory Committee

Paul discussed the Recon Advisory Committee's report on the future of card catalogs (including public, official, and serials catalogs). The Committee is looking into who is using the card catalogs and into the ways in which they are being utilized. Sue noted that staff have, at times, relied on handwritten notes on the back of cards to pursue missing items.

Paul asked that SQI members send him comments on how often the card catalogs are consulted in their estimation and for what reasons they are used.

Danuta raised the possibility of gleaning a public service viewpoint from the Recon Advisory Committee's work.

B. Innovative Technology Idea

Possible ideas for uses of this resource and its potential service applications were briefly discussed.

II. Meaning of Service Quality at YUL

Fifteen minutes were taken to fill out the survey discussed at the 11/18 SQI meeting to identify priorities for a future survey to assess perceptions of service quality.

A short discussion of the survey followed. Members noted that the survey should be enhanced to address issues pertaining to

• electronic services to patrons connnecting from outside the library

• the availability of sufficiently trained staff at service points

• teaching programs (designing classes that provide general research strategies vs. classes related to a particular course)

• the card catalog (is it clear to patrons what is or is not in the online catalog?).

III. Sandy's Staffing Issues Group

The Group will investigate practices and skill levels of staff at public service points and try to develop some level of consistency of service. It was suggested that, alternately, the Group should look into ways to provide enough support for managers to take advantage of the best methods for different service needs, that is, look for differing kinds of competencies rather than a service standard.

Sue mentioned the absence in the charge of the service role of the security guards (who are quite often approached for directions, library hours information, etc.).

The desirability of having a support system in place for front-line staff that may include meetings for sharing problems with one another was noted.

Membership was discussed. Sandy, Danuta, and Paul will nominate members to the Group. The charge will be posted when revisions have been completed.

IV. Closing points

Follow-up to the question of issuing invitations to the Law Library to send representatives to each of the SQI committees was raised.

It was decided to reexamine the need for a Circulation & Reserve Group in light of Tom's departure and possible overlap of responsibilities with LibTech.

Future agenda items will include discussion of limiting activities on the public workstations and the development of a library-wide perspective on this matter.