LIS 505 Catherine Darling and Justin Chrysostom Assignment # 2 LIS 505 Catherine Darling and Justin Chrysostom

Alma Consolidated Library

Alma Consolidated Library About Us Alma Consolidated Library is a small public library in suburban area, a branch of a larger but geographically distant central library. Alma Consolidated Library serves a diverse local demographic that has a significant population of young families. These families are often represented in the lower middle class. The library holds 80,000 items and has 140,000 visitors a year, with 12,000 local registered cardholders. To keep up with this demand, Alma Consolidated Library employs thirteen staff members: Four professional librarians and nine paraprofessionals. The library also acts as a community center by holding hundreds of programs and meetings throughout the year. 

General Overview Identification Selection Acquisition Organization Preparation Storage Dissemination Interpretation Utilization

Key

1. Identification

2. Selection Selection Selection is one of the four main functions and is part of collection development. The selection process starts with the head librarian after they evaluate the library’s individual needs. The librarian considers requests from faculty and students as well as the knowledge of the existing collection. (Criteria for Selection of Library Materials) When selecting materials for the collection many factors are used to consider anything new. First the purpose of the new materials, the audiences they target, the reputation of the materials, as in are they in high demand and the weeding of older materials from the current collection. (Criteria) The librarian and staff will take a look at what materials are in demand as well as what is needed, whether it is through print or non-print materials. Alma library is short on storage, so the weeding of material is especially important. All of these factors vary based on the budget that is available to the Alma Consolidated Library.

3. Acquisition Acquisition Acquisition takes place after the selection process when the librarian wants to acquire the new materials. Usually this is done through multiple sources such as; jobbers, donations, gifts, and subscription licenses. Also space and physical restrictions are a factor when acquiring items, because with out the space, a library cannot add materials. Alma library is a smaller library, so space and physical restrictions are an important factor. Grants and donations are a large part of the Alma budget, it allows the library to acquire materials from many different vendors such as; Baker and Taylor, 3M, and EBSCO. The staff also plays an important role during the acquisition period because the staff is responsible for keeping up with the order. They are able to catalog and record where certain materials come from and how often they are used.

Databases Display 4. Organization Organization Organization is an important function that benefits the patron. It is a process that allows easy access to the collection through databases and many other functions. The Alma library organizes through software such as Alexandria and through databases like JSTOR, EBSCO and ProQuest. The Alma library budget varies based on donations and grants , which means databases can vary as well as the display, most of the time the library is cataloged on shelving, by genre then the Dewey decimal system. The library’s organization in maintained daily by the staff. Also organization is needed in order to get materials ready for storage. Readying the items for storage that allows of easy retrieval is important and can be done by organizing the spine labels, security cases for media, security magnetic tape, binding journals, identification stamp, repairing, archival preservation, barcodes/date stamp cards, punch cards, magazine sleeves- varying based on item (Nesset)  

5. Preparation Preparation Here, most preparation steps can be accomplished by appropriately trained lower-level paraprofessional staff. For physical book material, preparation steps include having the institution name stamped on the title page and one book edge, one barcode placed on the front cover, a spine label affixed, a security device applied, and a call number penciled in on the title page (Spidal, 2011). Preparatory work may also require electronically adding the material to the library’s circulation by updating the library’s holding catalog. For audio/visual material such as DVDs and audiobooks, appropriate containers for display and storage are also needed, a label for the media itself, (such as a label for CDs or DVDs) along with any associated security devices. Space must be reserved on a local server if information is to be stored in-house. Disk space must be allocated, and if necessary, the files may need to be formatted to be compatible with library or end-user hardware or software. However, when information is stored at the central library and accessed by proxy from the local library, corresponding links and access to that information must be created and made explicit before it can be utilized by users. The preparation workload is fulfilled by the Technical Services staff, which also oversees the cataloging and storage functions. In this way, after the material is acquired, internal processing of material is handled by one department until it is released to output and made ready for library services, requiring fewer operational hand-offs in between.

6. Storage Storage                 Because of its smaller size, Alma Library has no local annex or external storage facility. Still, it has access to a larger catalog through the central library and material not available locally is accessible through the Inter-library Loan system. In-house, print material is stored in open, accessible stacks. Multimedia, such as DVDs and music CDs are housed in individual containers and stored in a designated area, always available for browsing. Because the library is designed both for storage and people, the building’s lighting, climate, and windows must balance the roles of material preservation and physical comfort. Electronic storage is also proportionally smaller, so Alma decides to selectively invest in subscription services for access to information. This way, rather than housing a costly and maintenance-intensive server farm, the library can focus on providing access to information rather than how to store it all. Furthermore, for digital documents stored at the central library, Alma can use its own server as a proxy for access to the central library’s database.

8. Interpretation Interpretation A user needs proper guidance in order to find relevant information. Guidance can be as simple as signage denoting different departments in the building. Other times a user may require more assistance in an in-depth information search through the reference librarian, or require instruction on how the catalog works. Providing programs which deliver instruction to groups of people is more efficient, and programs are held throughout the year on different topics depending on user requests and trends compiled by the circulation and reference departments. Ideally, full-time staff specializing in a particular area (tax preparation or Excel experience, for example), would be tasked with running the program, and, depending on attendance, supported by library assistants. Patrons who do not visit the library in person may still take advantage of the library’s services online. Making librarians available online to answer questions and fulfill information requests ensures the library’s presence extends beyond the doors of the physical building.

9. Utilization Utilization In order for patrons to use information, appropriate physical and electronic infrastructure needs to be present in the library. Conference rooms are required for meetings and programs and must be wired with necessary A/V equipment and computers. Reading rooms require tables and chairs, video games require consoles, and internet access requires computers and their associated software. Remote access to the library also requires a reliable internet connection to Alma’s server, and through that, further access to the central library’s server, if necessary. Earlier decisions regarding remote electronic storage demand consistent internet uptime in order to maintain access to information. From the reference department, one librarian remains on call to respond to reference requests, and another staffer fulfills electronic document delivery services. The Alma Consolidated Library adheres to the best practices for universal access as much as is practicable. Accessible ramps, passageways, doors, and restroom facilities define the layout of the library. Specialized software is also installed on several computers so electronic library services can be utilized as well. However, because of limited budgeting, particularly specialized accessibility equipment is acquired on a reactive basis, in response to an identified user need.               

7. Dissemination Dissemination Dissemination is the establishment of systems that allow the use of the materials acquired. These systems often vary and can include catalogs, signage, reference librarians, brochures, databases, websites, inter-library loans, computer workstations and disability assisted services. (Nesset) The Alma library sometimes provides reference librarians to help with research, holds meetings and classes, as well as offering many different databases, workstations and access to other library materials through inter library loan. Staff is on hand throughout the week, with heavier staff on weekends for all patron needs.

Information Transfer in a Library Collection Development Organization Service

Human Resources Management Library Director/ Staff Library Advisory Board Town Board All together they work to create one functioning process Management

Staff Model Staff: Proper staffing is critical in a smaller library because payroll can account for 60-80% of the entire library’s budget (Stueart, 2013, p.193, Weingand, 2001, p.165). A refined hiring process seeks well-qualified individuals with additional specialties. Even informal specialties, such as a familiarity with tax software, are a boon to a small library where personnel must wear many hats. In this case, organizing departments by process, rather than function, seems most efficient and customer oriented (Stueart, 2013, p.145, 148). Creating seemingly common-sense departmental divisions -by adult, youth, and children’s services for example- seems redundant and impractical in this instance given Alma’s small size and limited staff. A library like Alma’s organized by function may also create a more competitive and less cooperative environment between departments, especially with scarce resources (Stueart, 2013, p.144). Though the library designates physical sections of the library as children’s, young adult, and adult, they are maintained by the same staff internally. As a result, organizing departments by processes may be of more utility for the Alma Library and community. In this way, the nine functions of information transfer can occur at Alma more efficiently because “no single department owns the entire process” from input to output (Stueart, 2013, p. 148). Departmental divisions then, will mirror as much as possible the nine functions of information transfer while staying relevant to the department’s assigned role. Here, staffing is emphasized in technical services because of the practical demands of the “behind the scenes” processes of material organization, preparation and storage. Organizational cataloging functions by in-house library personnel takes a significant amount of time, and as a result, commands a larger payroll. However, staff dedicated to these activities can be re-appointed to other areas or eliminated if this job is outsourced to the central library. The reference department also has more staff because of their visibility and tasking with community relations. The reference department interacts directly with patrons most often, organizes programs, meetings, and assists with the everyday needs of visitors. As a result, they are suited to ensure the outputs of the library are relevant to users, distributed to them, and ultimately accessible. Supervising assistants can be further specialized regarding the services the library offers. Information Systems specialties are relevant for computer and internet services, and children’s programs can be more significant with an assistant librarian familiar with children’s education. The circulation department employs a librarian to coordinate library inputs from jobbers and makes acquisition decisions based on public requests and circulation trends. More routine procedures, such as fulfilling inter-library loan requests, can be completed by the assistant on duty. Circulation statistics are compiled and shared with the local community and central library to track demand, establish appropriate funding based on usage, and to identify opportunities for improvement. Alma’s director responds to input from the local town board and follows the general policies established by the central library’s board. Still, because of its relatively remote location compared to the central library, Alma is rather independent in its day-to day functions. Acquisitions and services are determined by local conditions and local user needs rather than those of the central library. Librarian and Librarian assistant title designations (Stueart, 2013, p.203-204)

Bibliography Spidal, D. F. (2011). Physical processing of monographs by library technical services. Library Collections, Acquisitions and Technical Services, 35(1), 1-9. Stueart, R. D., Moran, B. B., & Morner, C. J. (2013). Library and information center management. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited. Weingand, D. E. (2001). Administration of the small public library. Chicago: American Library Association. Criteria for Selection of Library Materials. (2005) Administration Regulations for Policy, 6 (15). Retrieved from http://www.fayar.net/images/6.15AR.pdf Jobbers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://mottslibtools.weebly.com/jobbers.html Nesset, V. (Spring 2015). Libraries in operations. Class. Lecture conducted from University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.