Floating Collections Transitioning to a User-Centered Collection

Floating Collections Defined  One system, one collection  Materials remain at the location where they are checked in  Material movement is generated through hold requests  Patron-Centered collection management system

Greater Responsiveness & Cost Savings  Increase availability of items at every location  Reduce workloads  Stretch buying power of materials budget  Decrease size of delivery  Materials constantly refreshed through patron activity  Gets items into patrons’ hands more quickly and increases turnover rate

Results From Other Systems  Charlotte Mecklenburg, SC Reduced delivery by 44% while circulation increased 11% Reduced delivery by 44% while circulation increased 11%  Jefferson County, CO Reduced total delivery volume by 67% Reduced total delivery volume by 67% Redeployed 160 hrs per week of staff time to other activities Redeployed 160 hrs per week of staff time to other activities  Hennepin County, MN Reduced delivery volume of videos 75% Reduced delivery volume of videos 75% Cress, Ann. "The Latest Wave." Library Journal (Oct. 2004):

What this means for us  Slow, incremental change  Solicit staff input through meetings & online surveys  Each branch visited by members of the committee  Mandatory trainings  Standardize display & circ procedures  Begin with A/V

Timeline  May Present to management Present to management Revise plan & timeline as needed Revise plan & timeline as needed  June Begin speaking with & getting input from different groups: supervisors, seniors, etc. Begin speaking with & getting input from different groups: supervisors, seniors, etc. Send out online survey to get feedback Send out online survey to get feedback  July – September Branch visits Branch visits Weeding of all collections, with special emphasis on removing all VHS, Books on Tape, and cassette Read-Alongs. Weeding of all collections, with special emphasis on removing all VHS, Books on Tape, and cassette Read-Alongs. Standardization of circ & display procedures begins Standardization of circ & display procedures begins  October Trainings at Annual Meeting Trainings at Annual Meeting  November & December Additional trainings for all staff Additional trainings for all staff Prepare PR for the public Prepare PR for the public  January 2011 Launch A/V floating collections! Launch A/V floating collections!  April, July, and December 2011 Evaluations with statistics & anecdotes at 3, 6, and 12 months Evaluations with statistics & anecdotes at 3, 6, and 12 months

Issues and Challenges Technical  What staff will have to change/do Change how materials are displayed so every branch is uniform Change how materials are displayed so every branch is uniform Redistribute collection if/when an area is too crowded Redistribute collection if/when an area is too crowded Weed (before project start and throughout) Weed (before project start and throughout)  Approaches Begin transition toward having all media out on floor (any exceptions will be uniform) Begin transition toward having all media out on floor (any exceptions will be uniform) Develop redistribution formula that has highest efficacy and lowest impact on staff workload Develop redistribution formula that has highest efficacy and lowest impact on staff workload Remove all outdated media (i.e. VHS, Books on Tape, etc) and empower staff to weed entire collection (not just ones assigned to their branch) Remove all outdated media (i.e. VHS, Books on Tape, etc) and empower staff to weed entire collection (not just ones assigned to their branch)

Issues and Challenges Emotional  Myths & Realities Myth: My patrons don’t place holds! Reality: Patrons are placing holds at every branch Floating Collection Myths Percentage of circ that comes from holds (April 2010)

MythReality Staff won’t know the collectionUsers know the collection better since they’re the ones creating it. Staff know the collection if they use the catalog The collection won’t reflect the interests of my communityCommunity shapes collection based on their interests All the good stuff will go elsewherePeople already think this with traditional collections. Customers have a better say about what ends up at their branch. The collection will become unbalancedWhen thinking in terms of one collection, balance depends on what is entered into the collection Holds will overwhelm the systemHolds are going up anyway for other reasons Full shelves mean no one is checking out the materialsFull shelves mean that items have been checked out and returned or need to be weeded Trash will float into my collectionAll staff are empowered to look for “trash” (old, worn/damaged, books) Valuable material will be weeded from the collectionMost people ask before weeding if they’re not sure Kids don’t place holdsThey do, or their parents do for them Moving to a floating collection is a straightforward processIt is not. Our communities are so different a floating collection is more difficult than what we do now Unique communities can still receive particular materials first Tracking the materials budget in a floating collection is more difficult than what we do now Not if your budget is already centralized Donated materials from patrons or Friends groups must stay at the location where they were donated. You must be up front with patrons or Friends who’ve expected this in the past. A benefit is that one Friends group will have access to what another donates (Friends share with Friends). A suggestion was that these items be coded so they don’t float for year. Putting the Puzzle Together: Managing a Floating Collection PLA 2010

Transitioning  Create staff buy-in through communication  Train staff on using a floating collection effectively  Standardize circulation and processing procedures  Develop and communicate a “one system, one collection” weeding philosophy

Transitioning  Subcommittees Each subcommittee will be led by one or more members of the original floating collections committee Each subcommittee will be led by one or more members of the original floating collections committee Bringing in more help will provide more buy-in Bringing in more help will provide more buy-in  Areas of focus Logistics Logistics ILS & circ procedure changes: KathleenILS & circ procedure changes: Kathleen Processing/Holds/Delivery: KellyProcessing/Holds/Delivery: Kelly Collection maintenance Collection maintenance Selection changes: Adult & Youth ServicesSelection changes: Adult & Youth Services Weeding: Adult & Youth ServicesWeeding: Adult & Youth Services Staff Training/Support Staff Training/Support Planning & set up: FaythePlanning & set up: Faythe Branch visits & surveys: BrianBranch visits & surveys: Brian Promotion Promotion

Questions? Wiki work done at