Service Quality Improvement Council

Staffing Issues Group
Minutes, January 11, 2000

Attending: S. Peterson (chair), M. Heher, C. Greenberg (recording), E. Horning, D. Turner, M. Bean

I. STAFF RECOGNITION PROPOSAL.

Sandy reported that Library Management Council(LMC) discussed the most recent edition of the proposal at their last meeting. Questions and discussion arose about:

• number of awards per year

• possible name change to "service quality awards"

• monetary awards, including how much and which categories

Diane pointed out that there were possible labor negotiation issues if monetary awards were issued, since compensation and salary parity is a sensitive negotiation issue.

Sandy passed around a Texas A&M Libraries staff recognition internet page which featured photographs of staff receiving awards.

LMC will meet again on January 19 and continue discussion.

II. EXTREME WEATHER POLICY.

Sandy passed around and led discussion about the September 22, 1993 University memo which attempted to provide policy guidance on the dismissal or management of administrative staffing during severe or extreme weather conditions. Because of university residents (students in dormitories), there should not be a presumption that all staff can leave of their own volition. Students may want to continue to do research at libraries, even when traveling conditions are hazardous.

Three major policy questions were identified:

• Where is the decision made to give library staff early dismissal in extreme weather situations?

• Who would be considered essential staff to maintain library operations in extreme weather?

• What facilities should remain open and provided for in staffing plans?

Diane suggested that a uniform policy would help to address current unevenness.

Facilities and/or service points identified as meriting staffing in extreme weather included:

• Library privileges office

• Reference: Maureen suggested examining how much demand diminishes in extreme weather; Sandy suggested that the service functions of several facilities could be handled at one geographically centralized branch; signage and voicemail could direct users of each unit to one service point.

A need to look at other Universities and their extreme weather policies was identified. Diane indicated she would have a pool of HR contacts to solicit. Sandy suggested each unit should have an internal discussion to establish minimum staffing in extreme conditions. Maureen mentioned that the Beinecke Library must have three staff at all times.

III. PROBLEM PATRON.

Sandy introduced the need to create a policy introduction with a physical and verbal abuse context. A copy of a UCLA 1987 "patron relations" seemed to provide a good model.

The next meeting of Staffing Issues will be on January 25th, 2000.

Recorded by C. Greenberg, charles.greenberg@yale.edu