MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR MERGING MULTIPLE SERVICE POINTS
Colleen S. Harris
In the span of a summer, the North Carolina State University Libraries’ access and delivery services department merged two major services, the Media and Microform Center and the Technology Lending Program, into the functions of the main circulation desk. This chapter addresses management tips for planning and implementing service mergers given this experience.
The North Carolina State University Libraries decided to close the Media and Microform Center (MMC), a library service point that was staffed by 2.5 FTE and held all of the library’s media collection in microfilm, microfiche, DVD, VHS, and CD formats. Given that the MMC was heavily used by certain academic departments and was responsible for placing media items on reserve for faculty members, the Libraries were highly cognizant that this change would have an effect on our users. In addition to merging the MMC into the main circulation desk services, the Libraries decided to shift the technology device lending service from the library’s Learning Commons (under the research and instructional services department) to the main circulation desk, consolidating transactional interactions for a more convenient “one-stop shop” experience for users. The technology collection consisted of laptops (PC, Macbook, Macbook Pro, and MacAir), digital cameras, digital voice recorders, e-book readers, scientific calculators, handheld and dash-mount GPS units, and more. This merger experience has given the NCSU Libraries’ access and delivery services department a unique perspective on merging multiple service points, from which I can draw the following tips.
STAKEHOLDER INPUT IS KEY
Who will be most affected by the merge? Include them. We included the most heavily impacted library departments, library administrators, faculty from across the university, and students in the various surveys, committees, and working groups planning for the service mergers. This is also a great way for you to show that you value your stakeholders’ input, showcase working collaboratively, and negotiate for the best outcomes. Your users and staff are much less likely to take offense at any boutique services lost in the merge since they were part of the group assessing and coming to the conclusion that the desired service was no longer feasible.
CHANGE IS A CHANCE TO CHALLENGE YOUR STAFF
How often do your staff get to take charge of change in their workplace? Usually the answer is “not often enough.” The upcoming merge is a chance for your staff to show off their expertise as they cross-train each other and provides a learning opportunity that expands their skills, makes their job more complex, and encourages them to work together as a team. In access and delivery services, we found that cross-training staff to provide multiple services increased morale as people expanded their skill sets, became engaged in more technical work, and worked together to address and prepare for the upcoming service changes.
MAP PROCESSES, BUILD EFFICIENCIES
Detailed examination of workflows gives you an opportunity to discover where you have unnecessary duplication of effort, overly complicated processes and procedures, outdated policies, or workflows that may be convenient for staff but hamper (or delay) service to the user. An example from our experience with closing the MMC. On the face of it, absorbing the MMC seemed a simple collection shift. However, once staff and administrators started mapping work processes, it became obvious that there were services we would have to absorb and adapt that would include significant documentation and retraining. Processing media reserves, scheduling film viewings and theater reservations, and serving as the service point for our consortium’s media lending were processes and policies that required considerable staff training, collaboration, and coordination to redistribute.
COMMUNICATE CLEARLY
For access services to relabel items properly, create space for the media and technology collections behind the main circulation desk and at the satellite shelving facility, develop training manuals, and request timely changes in the catalog, communication was key. Clear communication was also necessary to prepare users for the upcoming changes before the merges, and to redirect them from the old system once the merge was complete. Remember the importance of clear and concise e-mail and verbal communication, verification that all parties are on the same page when decisions are made, and appropriate signage and announcements for your users.
DOCUMENT DECISION MAKING
With all of the meetings and inputs from various stakeholders, it is a good idea to make note somewhere (department wiki, minutes, etc.) of the reasons certain decisions are reached. Think about it as part of the library’s institutional history—when things change in the future (as they inevitably will), you do not want people to have to guess why those decisions were made. Record which factors were crucial when you were weighing decisions and you will save future folks from having to reinvent the wheel. Developers document their software, legislators maintain a history of their decisions, and we should do no less as we plan the course of action for our libraries.
TIME TRAINING IS TIME WELL SPENT
Developing training manuals (for both reserves and technology lending), training staff, and developing and maintaining a new schedule and communication system for our incoming student workers were all essential to our success in merging our service points. Staff appreciated that they were well prepared before the transition was completed, our users appreciated that the service switch was nearly seamless, and the time investment was well worth it. Be sure that your people have the resources they need to be successful in the new endeavor.
HAND OVER THE REINS
One of the big tricks to a merge is defining an end point. Without this, policies, procedures, and processes can languish in an in-between state, with people from various departments taking responsibility for various pieces of the merged service and no one having real accountability for the actual implementation of the merge. The key is to have a done-date—that date on which the merged service is officially handed off and everyone moves on.
MAKE DECISIONS, DON’T MARRY THEM
Remember that nothing is set in stone. If something about your service merge is not working as well as you had hoped, examine the reasons behind the failure and change as necessary. For us, it quickly became obvious that housing the teaching media collection and the reserves media collections behind the circulation desk, but leaving the regular circulating media collection in a different wing of the library, was confusing and frustrating for users, particularly as they encountered the new service model. We solved this issue by placing all media in the library behind the circulation desk, but it is likely that we will revisit this in the future as we find a good way to differentiate between the collections. For now, we have sufficient space behind our desk to accommodate these collections, and our users are happier. This sort of flexibility and response to user concern on the part of the library demonstrates commitment to service—as opposed to commitment to the convenience of workflow over user experience.
Almost a year after our service merges, they have been a resounding success. The MMC has been closed, the collection has been reallocated, and reserves processing and consortial media lending now run through the access and delivery staff. Technology lending has also been a resounding success, and we have increased our technology holdings to meet the constant demand and reduce wait-list time for users. Our desk traffic has increased tremendously, and staff members are lively and engaged at our always-bustling main service desk. We wish you similar success in your own service merges.