1. Impact on customers and library staff of going fully self-service: the experience at Nottingham Trent University
Mike Berrington,
Deputy University Librarian (Customer Services)
Nottingham Trent University

2. Outline…
A quick look at the background to the project, deliverables etc
Strategic drivers and why RFID
Impact on
Customers
Staff
Summary of key lessons (for NTU)
22 May 2019

3. Background to the project (1) - the University and its Library
Large ‘1992’ University with 26,000 students
3 Campus libraries, employing 140 staff
1 million visitors per year (6,000 per day at our largest library)
500,000 loans per year
400,000 loanable items
22 May 2019

4. Background to the project (2) - the deliverables
In 2003 implemented what was then the largest RFID based self-service system in a UK academic library
400,000 items were RFID tagged
9 self-service workstations introduced across 3 libs
Objective of 90%+ transactions to be self-service (met!)
Dismantled main issue desks which were replaced with ‘exceptions’ points
Switched to RFID for security
Library Assistant jobs redesigned
22 May 2019

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9. Background to the project (2) - the deliverables
In 2003 implemented what was then the largest RFID based self-service system in a UK academic library
400,000 items were RFID tagged
9 self-service workstations introduced across 3 libs
Objective of 90%+ transactions to be self-service (met!)
Dismantled main issue desks which were replaced with ‘exceptions’ points
Switched to RFID for security
Library Assistant jobs redesigned
22 May 2019

10. But that only tells half the story…
Business case was “strictly user focussed” – not about the technology
Self-service was regarded as part of a strategy of improving the customer’s experience and RFID was the best way of delivering S/S
Self-service affects both customers and library staff – both are major stakeholders in the process
22 May 2019

11. …and why with RFID? The contribution of RFID was:
Start from the premise that all services should be ‘fit for purpose’ and for self-service this means it has to be easy to use and reliable
Bar-code based systems were considered to fail on both counts, but the emerging RFID systems met them, chiefly due to the ‘line of sight’ problem
As a technology RFID held no fears, it was new to libraries but well tested in other areas and as the RFID components have no direct impact on the LMS, the integration of your 3rd party RFID self-service system should (in theory) be no more complex than a barcode based system.
Tagging of book stock a major activity (and expense) but once legacy material converted easily integrated into your processing routines
22 May 2019

12. Technical (RFID) considerations can impact on your services….
You are working with standards that you may not be familiar with (SIP and Tag specifications) and they can have far reaching and long term consequences for your service
Whether to use RFID for stock security or stay with electromagnetic (or use a combination)
Decide what information to store on your tag (the licence plate versus bibliographic tag debate) linked to privacy debate
Functionality of the application software
Don’t rely on your supplier to help you through the maze..there are players in the market that are not familiar names, and may not have libraries as a primary customer market
You may have to review loans policies with a view to removing obstacles to self-service
22 May 2019

13. Impact on customers Very popular and well liked, but….
Borrowing and return of library materials is not a high value activity in the same way that enquiry services or collections are so don’t expect the same response as you would with major improvements in those areas!
What it does provide is a way of removing a major irritant – queuing for a basic service (fewer complaints) and can improve the ‘findability’ of books on the shelves
But, just as importantly, it also helps give you the capability to deliver other more highly valued service improvements:
More staff available front-line to help users
Extending service hours cheaply
And contributes to a modern, high-tech, library environment
22 May 2019

14. Impact on staff At NTU we:
Introduction of self-service is a major upheaval and as such can either be regarded as a threat to staff, or a wonderful opportunity – it’s up to you, or rather it’s up to what you put in your investment / business case
At NTU we:
Did not fund the development by matched salary savings – the investment case was about improving services, at a price and this meant no redundancies – something that was made very clear right at the outset
Acknowledged that staff who had excellent people skills were being used as an input device for our LMS, we knew we could make much better use of their talents – this led to:
Redesigned Job roles and Job Descriptions with staff spending more time helping users, and only intervening in Circulation matters when problems arise
Not the primary driver, but Self-Service resulted in much improved job roles (and job satisfaction) for Library Assts
22 May 2019

15. To sum up…
Be clear about what is driving your decision / business case, most benefit comes from seeing s/s as a means to an end, not an end in itself
Anything less than close to 100% s/s transactions will have a big impact on what you can deliver
Factor in your staff as a key stakeholder group from the outset and try to use s/s to improve their job roles
Remember that RFID as a technology brings unique issues to address
22 May 2019

16. Thank you and questions?
Further information:
NTU Library website:
Intellident website:
22 May 2019