Yale University Library

Service Quality Improvement Council

 

May 25, 2001
3:00-4:30 p.m., SML 409

Agenda

  1. Introductions
  2. Expectations for SQIC (Danuta Nitecki and Alan Solomon)
         Personal expectations of each Council member
  3. Review active SQIC groups (Please review SQIC Website at
    http://www.library.yale.edu/Administration/SQIC/SQIC.html,
    especially committee/group charges)
  4. Review and assign priority to proposed groups (draft charges for some of the groups will be distributed at the meeting)
  5. Review related service quality groups
  6. Urgent action item
         Appoint new members to staff Recognition Team. See
         http://www.library.yale.edu/Administration/SQIC/sqiawards1.html
         for program background
  7. Housekeeping issues
         Duty/time at meetings, frequency, length of meetings
  8. Future agenda topics
         Orientation for our new University Librarian

Minutes

Present: Mark Gentry, Holly Grossetta Nardini, Carol Jones, Frederick Martz, Danelle Moon-Geraci, Danuta Nitecki, Sandy Peterson, Alan Solomon (chair), David Stern, Paul Stuehrenberg

Absent: Sue Crockford-Peters, Kimberly Parker, Kate Reynolds, Joan Swanekamp, Jae Williams

I. Expectations for the Service Quality Improvement Council (SQIC). After introductions by Council members, Alan Solomon commenced the discussion by asking everyone to identify personal expectations for the SQIC and their individual involvement. Those noted include:

  • Good attendance
  • Participation by members in discussions
  • Commitment by members to find time to contribute to the goals of the Council
  • Put in place a nucleus of staff involved in public services who can provide guidance to the rest of the library system
  • Develop select service standards that can be measured and introduce these standards to frontline staff
  • Elevate the importance of the SQIC's role within the library
  • Establish the Council as a forum for shaping the public image of the library
  • Serve as the reflection of change within the Yale University Library to a more service-oriented mode of operation
  • Have some fun
  • Standardize and assess public services issues yet to be addressed
  • Open channels of communication on SQIC initiatives
  • Better understanding of public services issues
  • Improve interaction between public and technical services staff
  • Identify and prioritize library-wide initiatives not seen through normal administrative channels
  • Better understand the impact of implementing public services initiatives before putting them in place
  • See issues move off of the "old business" list inherited from the previous SQIC
  • Create a status report on library-wide issues to be discussed by the SQIC
  • Train staff to be more customer service-oriented using library-wide public services standards
  • Keep staff abreast of where the YUL is headed in terms of public services
  • Introduce to more insulated libraries within the YUL system perspectives on public services held by staff in other units
  • Facilitate processes for implementation of policies and programs
  • Usher in new services for patrons
  • Popularize assessment strategies; deepen a sense of accountability for the success or failure of library programs by keeping track-able data to pinpoint areas of improvement
  • Serve as a sounding board for ideas on public services
  • Increase system-wide interest in public services; pursue programs that will get staff excited about the work of the Council
  • Produce results; push through initiatives discussed at meetings

II. Alan took time to recognize the work of the SQIC's original members. He congratulated them on tearing down the initial cynicism of staff to the phrase, "service quality."

III. Review of active SQIC groups.

  • Document Delivery Coordinating Committee: chaired by Denise Hersey
  • Web Advisory Group: chaired by David Stern
  • Circulation/Access Services Group: yet to be finalized; existed in the past as part of the Orbis implementation process
  • Bibliographic Access Group: charge to be issued; membership not yet finalized; to be chaired by Nicole Bouche

The proposed charge was discussed.

  • Danuta Nitecki explained that the Bibliographic Access Group will be involved with issues pertaining to the online catalog. The committee will provide a forum for continuous dialog on bibliographic access and process improvement, and allow for interaction between public and technical services staff working on this issue. It might be engaged with implementation of Orbis2 and Webpac.
  • It was suggested that the charge encompass not only what bibliographic information is displayed to the public, but efforts to improve the processes by which different library units work together to produce and provide bibliographic information (i.e., interaction between public services and cataloging staff). It was noted that the membership of the Council will reflect the diversity of units involved in these processes.
  • It was suggested that the charge of the Bibliographic Access Group may grow to include non-OPAC materials (i.e., GIS, visual imagery), but the primary focus will be on the nature of changes to the OPAC.

IV. Review and assign priority to assigned groups. Council members were asked to review proposed charges for the following committees:

  • Reference and Instruction Committee
  • Reference Beyond the Walls Committee
  • Bibliographic Access Group (already discussed)
  • Assessment Group
and to prioritize the initiatives. Comments included:
  • More "basic" library services should receive emphasis.
  • Though assessment initiatives may require more learning time to develop expertise, data derived from such initiatives will eventually assist in the resource allocation process.
  • Who will handle the operational logistics of the Instruction program?
  • How do we improve services to patrons who are not directly in front of us?
  • All programs can be tackled, but with varying degrees of emphasis.

V. Housekeeping issues. It was agreed to meet as per the proposed schedule, every other week for 90-minutes starting on the 13th of June.

VI. Appoint new members to Staff Recognition Team. Council members were asked for recommendations. Alan will approach recommended staff with the invitation to join the Team and to touch base with them to select a Team chair. Alan will return to SQIC with the final membership of the Team.

VII. Future agenda topics.

  • Orientation of our new University Librarian
  • Establish a timetable for action for new assigned groups
  • Discuss the proposed service standards for the Franke Family Periodical Reading Room (PRR)
  • Discuss more generally setting standards and benchmarks for public services.

Image of pointing finger.

RETURN TO
SQIC HOMEPAGE

© 2001 Yale University Library.
Last modified July 12, 2001.
Send comments about this web site to the library web administrator at
Library Administrative Services.
This file is located at http://www.library.yale.edu/Administration/SQIC/SQIC180.html