Service Quality Improvement Council

Service Quality Improvement Council (SQIC)
Forum/Future directions of public service at the Yale University Library
Wednesday, 25 October 2000
3:00-4:30 p.m.
SML Lecture Hall

Total attendance=approximately 60

Paul Stuehrenberg, Chair of the Service Quality Improvement Council, opened the library-wide forum at 3:05 p.m. He introduced the objective of the discussion to participants -- i.e., to assist in establishing the future structure and agenda of the Council -- and provided a brief history of the Council's achievements since its inception 1½ years ago. Those mentioned include:

• The efforts of the SQIC Instruction group to lay down the foundation for a revised library instruction program

• The approval and implementation of several new library policies (i.e., Library Services for Persons with Disabilities, Policies Governing the Use of and Access to Yale University Library Research Workstations, the initiation of the Service Quality Awards Program)

• The growing perception that the Service Quality Improvement Council is the appropriate stop for public service-related issues or problems

• The popularization of the concept of service quality in library discussions

Paul emphasized that the importance of the forum lay in the vivacity of discussion among staff present in shaping the shared vision of the Yale University Library's future public services program. He added that the results of today's discussion will be used as part of the next step in the Council's self-assessment -- an all-day retreat to be held later in December. Meta-issues (defined as issues that are systemic in scope rather than targeted at specific units) raised at the forum will assist retreat participants in formulating an agenda for the future of public services.

Paul introduced Holly Grossetta Nardini, the library's Service Quality Support Director, as moderator of the forum.

Holly reiterated the role of the forum in the process of the Council's self-assessment, its relationship to the SQIC retreat, and the dual objectives of setting priorities for future services and delineating the structure of the future body that should address these issues. She noted that the retreat participants, recipients of the Service Quality Award, as well as all library staff interested in public services issues were invited to take part in the forum. Those present at the forum can be identified to some extent as a self-selected group. By a show of hands, when asked

1. How many people provide services directly to library readers?

2. How many people provide services directly to other library staff?

most participants indicated that they provide services to both populations.

Holly informed the audience that notes of the forum discussion will be posted for review by library staff. She urged participants with further comments after the forum to contact her or Paul directly.

Forum participants were asked to structure the discussion around four questions to be posed by the moderator. The questions and the participants' responses are listed below.

Q1. Which of our current services do you think are most valued by our readers?

1. Eli Express; time saving methods for acquiring books

2. Research library on desktops

3. E-mail notification of due dates; e-mail notices on availability of items; e-mail renewals

4. Being able to find a book on the shelves

5. Human contact: Being able to speak with a "real" person when a problem arises

6. Speed of ordering and cataloging materials

7. Full-text articles and databases

8. Prompt reshelving

9. Richness of the collections

10. Space with access to multimedia materials (e.g., audio-visual resources)

11. Training and education from librarians

12. Reserve and course support services

13. Clean, brightly lit reading spaces

14. Traditional ambience affected by the architecture of the older buildings (Sterling Memorial Library and the Chemistry Library were mentioned); the charm of the "dark spaces" in these buildings

15. Convenient location of collections, especially in cases in which the library space is located close to where users regularly work or study

16. Open stack policy

17. Announcement of new services and resources

18. Reliability: Dependable library services, such as functioning photocopiers and printers

19. Individualized assistance in finding, paging, locating materials

20. Library staff and the expertise they offer

21. Library's dedication to procuring and purchasing materials for the collections

22. The ability to anticipate reader needs

It was remarked by one of the participants that responses to Q1 do not reflect what our readers value, but rather what we, library staff, perceive to be valued by them. A measurement tool for assessing readers' perceptions is required. Danuta Nitecki, Associate University Librarian for public services, was asked to share findings from a reader survey conducted during the fall 99 and early spring 00 semesters. Danuta noted that data on services valued by readers was extracted from the survey, but what was most striking was the emphasis placed on basic library services, such as hours of operation and availability of books. Holly asked that forum participants direct their attention to their perceptions of the needs of library users.

Q2. Thinking beyond libraries, what will influence how student and faculty will seek information for research, teaching and study over the next few years?

1. Coordination of electronic resources; a comprehensive database of on-line resources

2. Wireless technology

3. Changes in scholarly communications

4. "Always on": 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service; instant access to materials in the same manner that cell phones make instant access to information possible

5. Electronic delivery on a par with delivery of items made available via electronic commerce

6. New technologies introduced to students by faculty

7. Distance learning initiatives

8. Influx of more multi-media resources (film, etc., as opposed to strictly print)

9. Increasing amount of information available

10. Growing perception that everything is available electronically

11. "Smart search engines": Increasing need for agents to ferret out materials; smart searching

12. Growing preference for on-line reading

13. Growing use of non-library information providers (e.g., direct links to sources on faculty Web sites)

14. "Socialization" of new technologies: Given that research, teaching, and study are social activities, a means to "socialize" new technologies is needed

15. Docster; changes in modes of communication; "peer-to-peer" connectivity

16. Replacement of old, antiquated formats/services

17. Growing expectation of fast turnaround/convenient delivery of hard copies, comparable to delivery of other items that can be ordered on-line

18. Access to knowledge of other institutions' holdings (including non-library sources such as corporate holdings)

19. Electronic fund transfers; micro-payments

20. Changing (more or less critical?) evaluative skills in discerning the value of information

21. Increasing dependence on agents to assist in the research process

Q3. If we were to fast forward to 2003, what services should we be providing to readers?

Index cards and pens were distributed. Participants were asked to write down two or three responses to the query on the card and to return it at the end of the forum. Focus should be placed on what we are not doing now. Volunteers were asked to read their responses aloud. Those read at the forum follow:

We will be able to

1. Provide a reference chat room for "off" hours: 24-hour reference service; reference available to groups rather than individuals only

2. Provide more course-integrated information literacy services; more partnering with faculty

3. Provide seamless intellectual access via catalogs (one-stop "shopping" to see what we have available); seamless document delivery services (one-stop ordering)

   One participant cautioned against assuming that our users need or want seamless services. Seamlessness is a quality that may take thirty years to achieve, rather than three. With growing confusion among users as to where resources can be found and the value of these resources, it was advised that we not expect seamless services in the near future and that we recognize the immediate need to attend to the "seams."

4. Provide on-demand conversion of content to electronic format in short turnaround

5. Provide on-demand translations of text to/from vernacular; instant translation

6. Continue collection development in areas that do not have materials available on-line

7. Increase access to resources in parts of the world previously not looked at before (non-European and Asian); examining new, emerging information sources

8. Provide electronic reserves

9. Provide intelligent search engines

10. Provide more efficient handling of materials (discharging, paging, shelving, Eli Express)

11. Better understand information-seeking behavior

12. Establish a regular inventory of basic services; replacement policy was mentioned as one such service

13. Continue to provide physical access to libraries and collections (since not all resources are available electronically)

14. Provide more interactive, on-line account access for patrons

15. Provide easy electronic payment of fines /fees

16. Have in place more comprehensively trained staff (at all levels) in public interface

17. Continue to provide a reason to come into libraries; offer person-to-person assistance

18. Interlink databases/OPAC/full text resources

19. Integrate more input from our readers into service strategies; ask them about their experiences; speak with our readers more often; perform more informal networking with our readers

20. Provide undergraduates with all required course readings/course packet on a DVD-size card

21. Improve services for persons with disabilities; better physical access to buildings and stacks; provide reader accessible catalogs, Web sites, access to all electronic materials

22. Better train staff to work with persons with disabilities

23. Improve communication skills; provide high quality response no matter what form of communication is used

24. Provide better means of publicizing newly available resources to undergraduates; sharpen staff skills in promoting and targeting our services

25. Provide more dynamic, interactive research education tools/tutorials

26. Provide self-check-out and check-in of library materials

27. Provide assistance in organizing data/personal information

28. Provide alternatives to library jargon inscrutable to non-staff, such as "Circulation"

29. Provide better, more clear signage/directories (e.g., the Stop&Shop directory); post an on-line stacks directory

30. Provide better quality readers/printers for microform materials

Holly noted that responses heavily stress improvement of existing services. [All responses have been recorded in a separate document.]

Q4. What do we need to do to respond to these influences and opportunities?

1. Institute standardization across libraries/units

2. Focus less attention on print and more on electronic formatted materials (since this is what users seem to want)

3. Provide access to knowledgable staff in all public service areas during all hours of operation; less reliance on student staff

4. Provide consistent training on basic services; standardization of expectations for services

5. Maximize opportunities to take advantage of new technologies (e.g., Orbis 2) to free up 30% of staff time to learn something new

6. Balance demands for electronic and text-based materials; have more staff available for this task

7. Invest in more research and development

8. Acquire more patron feedback; survey persistently to check whether we are meeting expectations

9. Take advantage of/prepare for opportunities to reorganize library units afforded by the diminishing need to organize ourselves on the basis of print technology

10. Find better ways to include input from C&T's; improve relations between managerial and C&T staff; show more respect for work of front-line public service staff

11. Make more assertive efforts to attract and retain good staff at all levels

12. Recognize the importance of diversity of opinion, working styles, levels of staff

13. Ensure flexible response to organizational needs; be prepared to centralize/decentralize services as necessary for effective services

14. Cross-train staff

15. Provide staff with a central place (Web page suggested) to get training/instructional information on public services

16. Use our vendor relations to help shape the direction of future technologies to better suit our needs/to maximize our time; avoid staff burnout by using technologies more efficiently

    One of the participants suggested that more free time garnered through use of new technologies would not necessarily prevent staff burnout; more free time may result in higher work expectations.

17. Expand the training budget/time allotted for training and investment in staff development

18. Conduct 50% of meetings without (physical) chairs

19. Create a sense of shared direction and purpose so that any free time that staff may have can be used to pursue communally-valued objectives; help staff determine priorities

    It was noted by a participant that knowledge of what we should be spending our time on seems less and less sure.

20. Create an environment that encourages proactive, entrepreneurial initiatives (e.g., Journal Club, getting out and interacting with the New Haven community, exploring partnerships with other universities)

21. Recognize the importance and centrality of the library's Web presence (as the primary service point for many of our users), and develop ways to improve its efficiency

22. Make available more data about library operations; better inform ourselves about our activities

23. Establish the idea that we are all one library with one mission; project a Yale University Library system-wide identity, rather than a Sterling-centric one

24. Embolden staff to take risks, to look outside of the library community for solutions and innovations (e.g., Pentagon experiences with managing information); benchmarking

25. Encourage staff who traditionally do less public services work (e.g., Technical Services) to take a more visible, publicly-prominent role; ensure that they are at least aware of public service points throughout the libraries

26. Encourage attendance at non-library conferences (e.g., those attended by faculty, other professional organizations, library user groups) to meet new people and to acquire new ideas to be shared with library staff, and require reporting

27. Develop and expand services to ourselves (i.e., services rendered between units)

Danuta commented that most responses were introspective in character, i.e., focused on behavioral factors such as staff training, and our perceptions of how staff should act/react.

Holly thanked the forum participants for their feedback. Paul stated in closing that the responses captured from the forum discussion will be shared with the Library Management Council (LMC). LMC's reactions as well as the notes of today's forum will inform the work of the retreat group.

Recorded by Jeongmin Park