Materials Services Division Updates for April 2014

Department Highlights

Statistical Update

• Since the beginning of the fiscal year a total of 11863 customer suggestions were received in MSL.  This averages out to 282 suggestions per week.  In the first 3 weeks of April nearly 772 suggestions were received.
• Since the beginning of the fiscal year, 26859 titles and 180262 items were selected and ordered for the system.  This averages out to 655 titles and 4396 items per week.
• Since the beginning of July, a total of 699 boxes of withdrawals and gifts were received in MSL.  391 boxes were sent to the booksale, 144 boxes of transfers and 21 boxes of gifts were sent to CAT.
• 2,719 new titles were cataloged during March, including 822 eMedia titles.
• 19,187 barcode labels were printed in March; 17,982 for new materials and 1,205 for reprocessed materials.
• 2,396 titles new to the collection were received in Cataloging during March.
• In March, titles with more reserves waiting than copies purchased at the time of receipt were routed out of Cataloging to Technical Processing within one working day of receipt into Cataloging.
• Titles new to the collection were routed from Cataloging to Technical Processing within 5.08 working days of receipt into Cataloging during March.
• Average ratio of copies to titles was 4.69 copies per title for March.
• Cataloging Technicians are staying caught up on printing barcodes for transferred materials sent from Materials Selection.
• 940 requests to borrow materials through ILL for MLS customers were received in March.
• 820 materials borrowed through ILL were received and routed to libraries in March.  Materials are not always received during the same month that a request is placed.  During March, 309 of the materials received (38%) were requested in February.  In February, 992 requests were received and a total of 783 of the requested materials were borrowed, for a fill rate of 78%.
• In March, requests to borrow materials for MLS customers were submitted to libraries an average of 1.84 working days after the requests were received in ILL.
• Staff in ILL evaluated 1,615 requests to lend MLS materials to other libraries in March.  927 materials were lent; of these, 833 were requested in March; average fill rate was 52%.
• In February, MLS materials lent to other libraries were returned to ILL an average of 17.47 working days after shipment. 
• In Technical Processing, the average daily run for March was 856 items per day, for a total of 17,982 items.  The average for April of 2014 so far is 871 items per day. The processors are current on processing all rush and non-rush materials, including continuations. 
• During March, TP received a daily average of 47 boxes of materials a day, for a total of 997 boxes.  The daily average in April so far is 46 boxes. 

Cataloging/Interlibrary Loan

• Clyde was a speaker on a panel at the OLA Annual Conference in Tulsa.  The session was titled “Not Your Grandpa’s Comic Books” and focused on selection, cataloging, displaying, and housing graphic literature materials.  The room was packed; it was standing room only.  Clyde did an excellent job of explaining the processes used at MLS regarding these materials.  He has expressed appreciation to Pauline and Janet for assisting him in preparing for the presentation.
• Pauline, Jenny, Clyde, and Brandon each attended all or part of the OLA Annual Conference in Tulsa.
• Pauline, Mary, Clyde, and Paula attended the first catalog design session with TLC on April 15.  They are working to compile information requested for decisions.
• ILL has continued to struggle with its Trans-Amigos courier service.  The department has received service every day, but times continue to be erratic, anywhere from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  Pauline is working with Amigos to resolve the issues and arrange for service at a fairly consistent time that works with workflow.
• ILL also continues to work on transitioning to OCLC WorldShare ILL.  Some issues have improved, but many have not.
• Khala Crawford, a student at Harding Charter Prep High School, visited Cataloging and ILL on March 21.  Everyone enjoyed visiting with her.
• Several staff members are scheduled to attend the meeting with the Executive Director Search Firm at the Service Center.

Technical Processing

• Baker & Taylor’s and Ingram’s accounts are current. 
• Heidi has finished inputting TP’s budget for FY15 by the given deadline.
• The HFGroup’s driver picked up MLS’s bindery materials on Wednesday, April 16th. Unfortunately, SO’s box of 12 books to be sent to the bindery never made it to TP. The books have been coded missing.
• The sorter experienced some problems with indicator lights not working or no longer turning off. IT was in contact with the vendor who at first shipped some specialty replacement bulbs. This did not fix the issue. Now another part is being shipped to hopefully fix the problem for good.
• Heidi ordered and Maintenance has installed a concave mirror in TP to help facilitate better traffic patterns and workflow in the department. Maintenance is now also considering installing a similar mirror in the parking lot to help cover blind spots there.
• Jennifer Cluck from Tulsa City-County Library System called Heidi to inquire about a sorter room tour on April 24 in preparation for Tulsa getting a sorter installed. Several members of a newly formed committee would like to come to get a better idea about possible impact on Tulsa’s current workflow. Anne Fischer will try to attend in person, depending on her own quickly changing schedule. If she is unable to do so, she will be on phone standby in case of technical questions.
• Heidi is scheduled to attend the next Safety Committee meeting on May 13th, location still unknown at this time.
• Heidi will be on a vacation starting Tuesday, May 6th. Her first day back to work will be Tuesday, May 13th.   
• Kevin Colwell, the SC’s Staff Association rep., is to attend the next SA meeting, scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2:00 p.m., at NW.
• Robyn Icks, part-time processor in TP, has turned in her resignation, effective April 25th. She currently operates her own photography studio part-time, but wants to be able to do so full-time. Everyone wishes her well in her endeavor. Heidi will fill the position once work picks up again. In the meantime, the processors will as a team process a certain number of transfers and recalls along with other items each day. Heidi will closely monitor the situation.
• TP is still experiencing problems with the light switches in the department. The lights cannot be turned off at the end of the day. This is a recurring problem which had been thought fixed as the light switches had been replaced once already. Maintenance is investigating how to fix this problem permanently.

Materials Selection

• Selectors made annual library visits to ED and HR during March. In April, Selectors are visiting MC and NP. Selectors are scheduled to visit SO and LU during May.
• On March 15th Janet met with a Harding Prep student who is interested in becoming a librarian.
• On April 28th Janet is meeting with a student in the UCO library program.
• Melissa and Lisa attended portions of the Children’s Services Retreat on April 9.
• Melissa and Janet are attending the Executive Director’s Search Committee meetings on April 28th.
• Ruby volunteered to help Heidi/DVS prepare for the Heart Walk.

The next managers’ meeting is scheduled for May 15th.  Heidi is chair.