Materials Services Division Updates for January 2014

Statistical Summary

• Since the beginning of July a total of 7731 customer suggestions have been received in MSL.  On average we received 276 per week.  In the first 2 weeks of January 565 suggestions were received.
• Since the first of July, a total of 17102 titles have been selected and 114759 items ordered. 
• Since the beginning of July 432 boxes of withdrawals and gifts were received in MSL.  During that time 242 boxes have been sent to the Friends, 111 boxes of transfers sent to CAT and 15 boxes of gifts sent to CAT. 
• The average daily run for December was 755 items per day, for a total of 14,340 items.  The average for January of 2014 so far is 941 items per day. The processors are current on processing all rush materials (titles that have reserves) and are processing non-rush materials from the run 8 days ago. Study guides and dated materials like continuations are also current. 
• During December, TP received a daily average of 43 boxes of materials a day, for a total of 827 boxes.  The daily average in January so far is 50 boxes.
• 2,027 new titles were cataloged during December, including 210 e-media titles.  16,190 barcode labels were printed in December; 14,439 for new materials and 1,751 for reprocessed materials.  1,285 new titles were received in Cataloging during December.  As of the end of December, 6,467 titles with copies added had passed through Cataloging during this fiscal year. 
• In December, 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.  Overall, titles new to the collection were routed from Cataloging to Technical Processing within 10 working days of receipt into Cataloging.  Average ratio of copies to titles was 5.14 copies per title for December. 
• 720 requests to borrow materials through ILL for MLS customers were received in December.  During December, requests to borrow were submitted to lending libraries within one working day of being received in ILL.  517 materials borrowed through ILL were received and routed to libraries.  In November, 856 requests were received and a total of 653 of the requested materials were borrowed, for a fill rate of 76%. 
• In December, materials borrowed through ILL were routed to MLS libraries an average of 6.79 working days after the requests were received in ILL.  Staff in ILL evaluated 1,544 requests to lend MLS materials to other libraries in December.  844 materials were lent; of these, 726 were requested in December, for an average fill rate was 47%.  In November, MLS materials lent to other libraries were returned to ILL an average of 22.91 working days after shipment. 

Administrative Update                            Karen Marriott

• Karen referenced the commission packet, highlighting that Nancy Anthony will be the next commission chair.

Building Projects

• Karen does not anticipate any of the upcoming building projects to have a major impact on the Materials Services Departments.
• CH-there are still some funding issues.  Hope to begin design work in March.
• DC-the bowling alley property was purchased and is ready for demolition.
• ED-discussions for parking continue.  No plans at this time for the second ED location.
• JN-still working with the design phase.
• BI-city selling bonds soon for remodeling.
• DN-carpet replacement throughout the building in March.  Janet will let Heidi and Pauline know when and if staff will be working in other location while MSL is recarpeted.

Executive Director’s Search

• The search firm will visit with staff in April or May.  Staff are welcomed to meet with search firm to help them understand what they would like to see in an executive director. 
• Plan is to have the new director in place at the first of 2015.

Summer Reading

• New online sign up was developed.  All staff will receive training prior to summer reading.

ILS

• Target date for implementation is Labor Day weekend. 
• TLC is making progress on the development of the special functions MLS requested.  They are currently working on TP/CAT functions, including Big Bin.
• Based on TLC’s estimated timeline, training for the Materials Services Departments may be in July or August.  Managers should not approve extended leave during the training and early implementation phases.
• A “Train the Trainer” process will be used, i.e. TLC will train a group of staff who will serve as trainers for others.  Managers should consider what staff members would be effective trainers if needed.
• There will be a test phase prior to cutting over to the new system.
• Following the cutover TP will be able to receive all orders on the new system.
• Janet reported that she recommended to selectors to get more of their budgets encumbered earlier this FY, so there will not be a big push of materials coming in during the time we will be implementing the new system.

Budget

• Heidi reported that she is investigating new chairs for the processors.
• Pauline will budget as she has in the past for barcode stock.  Adjustments can be made to the budget based on what the new system requirements are.  New stock of barcodes and printers may be needed if the new system cannot utilize the current labels or printers.

GPO

• Pauline reported that they are absorbing GPO processes into the regular cataloging staff workflow.
• GPO depository updates are scheduled for June 1-July 1.  Pauline will send out an email.  Ruby will meet with Sharon/DN to review the depository list and get their changes to Karen.
• Pauline is setting up a shared-monitored email account with Sharon, Ruby, Janet, Karen and Pauline to have access.  If we need to respond to any email, Pauline will send the email so there is one point of contact.

Transfers

• CAT and TP are making their way through the transfers sent from MSL.  TP is able to process about 50 items per day.

Rush Materials

• Based on her observations, Karen believes that some staff are confused about how titles are designated as rushes.  Heidi reviewed this process.  Heidi and Pauline then reviewed how Rush materials are handled.
• Heidi reported that most rush materials are identified by the SRL or Rush Accounts and are noted on the box address labels.  TP treats these as top priority.  Other items receiving top priority are orders from other accounts which show to have reserves at the time the work slip is printed during the receiving process.
• When received, a work slip is printed.  Included on the work slip is the number of reserves at the time the work slip was printed.  This pertains to rush items from all accounts.
• TP sends all rushes immediately to CAT.
• TP may receive some items that cannot be released until the “Street Date”.  They will not send these items to CAT until 1 day before that date.
• Pauline indicated that once CAT receives materials, CAT Techs pull out any new title with more reserves than copies listed on the work slip.  Those materials go directly to the Catalogers and are generally processed and returned to TP within one working day.  Other materials are shelved according to date received in CAT and are cataloged in order of receipt.  This can take one to 10 working days, depending on the amount of materials received.  Currently, most everything is out within one working day.
• The CAT Techs print barcodes for added copies of already cataloged materials as soon as possible, usually within one working day.  This includes added copies purchased to fill reserves.
• When a rush item goes back to TP, the processors pull any materials that have reserves on the work slip and put them in a tray with a pink slip.  The processors work these trays first, usually within ½-1 day after receipt of barcodes.
• If selection staff notice an item was received, has built a reserve list, and is not yet cataloged or processed, they should first check to see if there is a street date that TP is waiting on. 
• If there is no street date, selection staff should check to see when reserves were entered compared to when received.  If the title has built up reserves and is not yet cataloged, selection staff can send an email to Pauline asking that it be prioritized and copy Cataloging, Heidi and Janet.  If it shows CAT/Proc but hasn’t been sent out from TP, staff can call Heidi or Kristin. 
• If an item has had reserves added since after it was received, selection can email Pauline, CAT, Heidi and Janet to alert them that there are now reserves on the item and they will expedite.  Pauline requested that selection staff not contact Catalogers directly.

MSL Update                                 Janet Brooks

Library Visits

• Selectors made an annual visit to WA during December.
• Selectors are visiting BI in January and are scheduled to visit DN in February.

Staff Activities/Meetings Attended

• Janet met with Kristin/OUT on 1/14/14 to discuss upcoming children’s services meetings and how she can help librarians market their collections.
• Ruby attended a United Way meeting on 1/15/14
• Janet and Lisa are scheduled to attend the Staff Association meeting on 1/23/14
• Janet is scheduled to do a weeding workshop for MC librarians on January 27 and ED librarians on February 10.

DN Reference Weeding

• Selectors have been meeting with DN staff helping them weed their reference collection. 
• DN is getting ready to integrate their reference collection into the circulating and shifting shelves when the new carpet is installed.

Technical Processing Update                        Heidi Johnson

• Baker & Taylor’s and Ingram’s accounts continue to be current. 
• TP’s new processor, Andrea Gaither, formerly a library aide at NW, has attended GOAL on January 6 and started in the dept. on January 7, 2014. TP appreciates having full staffing again for the first time in quite a few months.
• Findaway World sent e-mails and called to announce improvements in their packaging of Playaways. Supposedly the buttons are easier to use, the display will be backlit, and the battery covers are easier to handle. So far, TP has not received any of the new Playaways yet to see whether the battery covers currently in stock in TP will work with the new version. Cara is to notify Heidi when the first “new” Playaways are received to check on this.
• Tulsa City-County’s Director of Facilities came by for a tour of the Service Center on Dec. 19; Anne from IT was also on hand to answer technical questions. MSL was glad to share their experience with automated sorters with staff from the Tulsa library system.
• Susan Poole from Cisco Eagle stopped by for a sales call on January 8. TP has one flex conveyor in the loading dock which has a wheel which is severely rusted. Susan is to send us a quote for a replacement wheel. There also was an issue with some of the inside flex conveyors losing the galvanization on their handles. Susan suggested using some foam insulated A/C pipe covers for the handles to prevent further problems. Lanny purchased some and installed it for TP; so far, this seems to be working well.
• Heidi attended the Safety Committee meeting scheduled at the Service Center on January 14. Curtiss mentioned that the maps for the emergency escape routes are ready to be printed as soon as a final decision about using NW’s back door as an emergency exit has been made.
• Kevin Colwell, the SC’s Staff Association rep., is to attend the next SA meeting, scheduled for January 23, 2:00 p.m., at Ralph Ellison.

Cataloging/Interlibrary Loan Update             Pauline Rodriguez-Atkins

• For the first half of the fiscal year, 15,885 titles have been cataloged, including 3,252 e-media titles.  Compared to the same period last fiscal year, the number of titles cataloged overall increased by 4%; the number of non-electronic titles cataloged increased by 8%.
• 16,190 barcode labels were printed in December; 14,439 for new materials and 1,751 for reprocessed materials.  For the first half of the fiscal year, 121,720 barcode labels have been printed; 113,659 for new materials and 8,061 for reprocessed.
• 1,285 new titles were received in Cataloging during December.  This is the lowest number of titles received in one month during this fiscal year, and the first time that less than 2,000 titles have been received in one month.  The number of titles received in December is about 60% less than the November total.  During the first half of the fiscal year, 12,982 titles were received.
• The number of titles with added copies has decreased by 34% compared to the first half of FY13.
• During the first half of the fiscal year, titles with more reserves than copies were consistently routed out of Cataloging within one working day.
• For the first half of the fiscal year, titles new to the collection were routed out of Cataloging within 6.29 working days of receipt.
• Average ratio of copies to titles was 5.14 copies per title for December.  This is down from November’s high of 5.57 copies per title.  During the first half of the fiscal year, an average of 5.07 copies per title was received; the average for the entire last fiscal year was 4.55.
• ILL materials are not always received during the same month that a request is placed.  During December, 216 of the materials received (42% of receives) were requested in November.  In November, 856 requests were received and a total of 653 of the requested materials were borrowed, for a fill rate of 76%.  During the first half of the fiscal year, 5,250 requests to borrow materials were received from MLS customers; 4,943 were submitted to lenders; and 3.984 were borrowed, for an average fill rate of 76%.  Of 307 requests not submitted to lenders, 18 (6%) were for materials already owned or on order; 25 (8%) were for titles selected to be added to the collection; 3 (1%) were for materials owned in the Oklahoma collection; 25 (8%) were duplicates of requests previously submitted; the remaining 236 (77%) were for materials that were not available to be borrowed.
• Depending on routing and delivery times at each library, materials are generally available to customers 1-2 working days after being routed from ILL.  During the first half of the fiscal year, borrowed materials were routed to libraries an average of 7.45 working days after requests were received in ILL.
• During the first half of the fiscal year, staff have evaluated 8,886 requests, and loaned 4,416 materials, for an average fill rate of 46%.
• Using available data for the first half of the fiscal year, MLS materials loaned to other libraries are returned to ILL after an average of 25 working days. 
• Staff in both areas are taking advantage of the temporary slowdown in work to catch up on projects that have been delayed.
• Pauline has been notified that the Trans-Amigos Express courier service will be connecting with the Kansas Library Express.  This will provide courier service to many more libraries in Kansas than currently served.  Amigos will host a webinar in February to explain more about the new service.  Pauline has asked Brandon and Paige to attend and report back to the rest of the ILL staff.
• Most of the functions of the Government Document Cataloger position have been successfully absorbed by Cataloging staff.  Jill has taken over receipt of depository publications; Margo is handling continuation materials.  Catalogers will take care of cataloging materials when needed.  Pauline is overseeing the process and will make adjustments as needed.  Staff should continue to direct questions about the technical side of the documents collection to Pauline.
• Pauline is working to plan ILL’s transition from FirstSearch to the new WorldShare ILL platform.  Currently, OCLC’s schedule calls for the transition to be completed by the end of May.

Next meeting is scheduled for February 20, 2014.  Heidi is chair.