Materials Services Division Updates for May 2013

Department Statistical Highlights

During the first 3 weeks of May a total of 1046 customer suggestions were received.  MSL averages 316 suggestions each week for the fiscal year.

During the first 3 weeks of May a total of 2370 titles and 17719 items were selected and ordered, an average of 766 titles and 4858 items per week for the fiscal year.

Average turnaround time for new titles in Cataloging in April was 1 working day; average for the FY13 is 1.18 working days.  This includes only time that materials were in Cataloging; it does not include time in Technical Processing.

In April, the average turnaround time for borrowing materials in ILL was 8 calendar days.  This includes only time from the date requests are sent out from ILL to the date that they are received in ILL; it does not include routing time between MLS libraries and ILL.

2,883 new titles were cataloged during April.  This brings the total for FY13 to 26,645 titles cataloged, including 7,736 e-media titles.  This total surpasses the total number of titles cataloged in any previous fiscal year.  For comparison, 25,529 titles were cataloged during all of FY12.

In TP,  the average daily run for April was 888 items per day, for a total of 19,539 items. The average for May so far is 927 items per day. The processors are current on processing all rush materials and are processing non-rush materials from the run 5 days ago. Study guides and dated materials like continuations are also current.

During April, TP received a daily average of 52 boxes of materials a day, for a total of 1,134 boxes in March.  The daily average in May so far is 49 boxes.

The bindery returned the books sent for rebinding. Cataloging has reprinted the barcodes and Robyn is currently reprocessing them.   They should be returned to the owning libraries within the next week or two.

Cataloging/Interlibrary Loan Update - Pauline

22,236  barcode labels were printed in April.  This includes 19,539 labels for materials added to the MLS collections, and 2,697 labels used for reprocessing materials.  219,709 barcode labels have been printed in the first ten months of FY13, compared to 204,015 during the same period last fiscal year.  This represents an increase of 8% over last fiscal year.

During April, the average ratio of copies to titles rose to 4.78 copies per title, bringing the average for FY13 to 4.45 copies per title.

ILL received 843 requests from MLS customers to borrow materials from other libraries in Arpil, forwarded  92% to lending libraries, and borrowed 638 items for MLS customers, for a fill rate of 82% of all requests received.

ILL staff evaluated 1,706  requests to lend MLS materials to other libraries in April, and were able to lend 856 materials, for a rate of 47% of requests filled.

All Catalogers attended training sessions for RDA implementation at MLS on April 29, May 1, May 3, and May 6.  Pauline presented the sessions and facilitated discussion.  At each session, Catalogers reviewed RDA standards and how they might impact catalog records, followed by discussion to establish how each standard will be handled at MLS.  They learned how to better use the RDA toolkit and practiced original cataloging using RDA.

Lessa Keller-Kenton, MSL, visited Cataloging and ILL on May 7.  She spent time with the Cataloging Technicians, Catalogers, and ILL Technicians.  She asked good questions and staff enjoyed visiting with her.

Ursula Ward is currently on FmLA leave.  Her earliest projected return date is May 28, but her actual return date has not been determined.

All CAT and ILL staff have completed Summer Reading training and are working on safety training.

Heidi Johnson finalized severe weather evacuation procedures for the Service Center, and an evacuation drill for the building was held on May 2.  All staff responded appropriately.

Staff in ILL and CAT are rotating in and out for vacations, and will continue to do so through July.  Both departments will have adequate staff to handle normal operations at all times, and will be available to respond to questions and provide assistance.

Materials Selection Update - Janet

Staff

• Lori Mullooly’s last day was May 17th.
• Ruby, Kim and Janet interviewed 3 people for the MSL Tech position.  Kristine Charter begins full time in MSL on June 3.
• Staff recognition luncheon was held at the Skirvin Park Ave. Grill on May 17th.

Library Visits

• Selectors made annual visits to SO and LU during May.
• They are scheduled to do annual visits to BE and AL during June.

Budget/FY13

• Selectors are getting all their FY13 funds encumbered for the year.  They should be at 100% by the end of May and spending discount and cancellation money throughout June.  
• Janet is also dividing up the remaining Selectors Fund for them to encumber before the end of June. 

Meetings/Workshops

• Janet attended the Adult Services meeting on May 1st at Midwest City.  She reminded staff about how to handle authors who want to do programs for the system and handling gifts.
• Janet met with Aaron on May 6th to review information about the LU library visit.
• Melissa is serving as MSL representative to the Staff Recognition committee.  They met on May 9th.
• Melissa and Kim attended the Chick-filet Leadership workshop on May 10.
• Lisa is scheduled to attend the Staff Association meeting on May 23.

Technical Processing Update - Heidi

• Baker & Taylor’s and Ingram’s accounts continue to be current. 
• Heather Kolliopoulos, one of TP’s processors, is out on FMLA leave, duration yet to be determined. Robyn Icks, who had agreed to temporarily work extra hours while TP was short-staffed, has resumed her regular 20 hour weekly schedule as of May 6, 2013.
• Staff in TP are also rotating in and out for vacations, and will continue to do so through July.  Normal operations of the dept. should not be disrupted.
• All TP staff have completed Summer Reading training and are working on safety training.
• The various departments in the Service Center conducted a tornado drill on May 7, 2013, after the severe weather evacuation procedures had been finalized just a couple of weeks prior to that day. It was a relief to know on the days of the tornado outbreaks that all staff were informed on how to proceed should a tornado ever head the Service Center’s way.
• Taylor Embrey started as TP’s additional Data Entry Tech on April 30, 2013. Her training is proceeding per schedule.
• Lessa from MSL visited TP on May 7 for a few hours to gain a better understanding of how her work interfaces with work done in TP.
• Heidi attended the Staff Recognition meeting held DN on May 9, 2013, plus the Safety Committee meeting at CH on May 14.