Tracey Stanley

Cardiff University Library

Case Studies and Feedback from Sites

Reasons for undertaking efficiency reviews

Manage customer expectationsImprove servicesIncrease efficiency and effectiveness,

consistency etc.Save staff time, cope with staffing

reductionsReduce turn-around times

Process areas reviewed

Core processes: Shelving Acquisitions Cataloguing and classification Subscriptions and purchasing management Reading list management Fines Circulation Enquiry services

Restructuring and remodelling

Staffing restructures to accommodate demand for new services – eg: e-learning, digital literacy, research support.

Building re-modelling to accommodate new types of use – eg: group study, self-service, reduced front-line staffing, consolidated service points.

Some innovative examples

Dynamic loan periods (Sheffield): Better management of demand on heavily used

items Reduced staff overhead on chasing over-dues,

invoicing etc. No loan periods – keep an item until you want to

return it or until it is recalled for another user. Backed up with speedy turn-around of ordering items

through shelf-ready books service, and patron-driven acquisitions.

Examples

Patron-driven acquisition (Newcastle) Over 15,000 items accessed in 1st year. Reduced staff time in acquiring these items. BUT increased staff time in mediating

requests and explaining the service to students.

Increased use of e-books, declining use of physical material.

May realise longer-term staff savings.

Examples

Use of student-only posts (Glasgow)Meets University employability mission Provides flexibility for library service at

peak hours (key times)

Examples

Shelf ready books (Imperial): Switched classification scheme from UDC to

Dewey for new material. Subject librarians directly enter their own

orders into Dawsons system (eliminated paper processes and duplication of effort).

Examples

Cataloguing (Imperial, Cardiff): Eliminated duplication of effort in managing

e-journal records in SFX and the OPAC through using the Ex Libris MARCit service.

Examples

Subscriptions management (Imperial): Stopped claiming and checking in new

journals. Stopped the majority of print titles received

as gifts. Merger of print and e-resource teams

(Leeds)