Materials Services Division Minutes - October 29, 2015

Statistical Updates

• Since the beginning of FY16, Materials Selection input a total of 65906 items, for a weekly average of 3469 items. As of 10/26/15 the total number of titles input for FY16 was 10411.  This is a weekly average of 547.9 titles.
• The total number of Customer Suggestions received in MSL was 3651, averaging a total of 228 per week.
• Since the beginning of the FY, TP received a total of 3363 boxes.  In October, they received 1323 boxes.  They averaged 60 boxes a day during October. 
• 1,740 titles new to the collection were cataloged in September, including e-media titles; approximately 300 records for mass market paperbacks were added.  As of October 27, 971 titles have been cataloged in October, and approximately 250 records for mass market paperbacks have been added.
• Approximately 17,000 new items were added to the collections in September, including browsing collections; as of October 27, approximately 16,500 items have been added in October.
• 1,086 requests to borrow materials through ILL for MLS customers were received in September; 964 (89%) were submitted to lending libraries; as of October 27, 495 titles have been borrowed.
• Since beginning to use ILLiad, ILL staff have evaluated approximately 3,000 requests to lend MLS materials to other libraries; about 1,300 materials have been lent, for an average fill rate of 43%.

Cost Analysis/Shelf Ready Discussion - Tim

• Anne has requested data from TLC for Pauline and Heidi.
• A draft is due to Tim by Feb. 1, 2016.
• If managers have any data or copies of previous studies, they can forward to Tim for reference.
• Much of the information gathered from the current study may be useful as managers begin work on business plans associated with the strategic plan.

Blu-Ray Disc Format Discussion - All

• Managers had a brief discussion about adding Blu-Ray discs.
• Heidi expressed concerns related to supplies if we added Blu-ray discs.  TP is already maxed out for space for supplies.  If a new format is added that requires different packaging, there will be no room for the supplies. She inquired if we would consider dropping a format.  No decision has been made.
• Janet will discuss with public service staff to determine the level of requests for this format.
• Pauline will poll other libraries during a recent TSRT workshop.
• Managers will report findings back to the group.

Appraisals -Tim

• Because there is no signature line for Tim to sign on appraisals conducted by the Materials Services Managers, he recommended that managers forward the completed appraisals to HUM.  He’ll work with Denise/HUM to sign any appraisals once a week. 
• Managers are to let Tim know if there are any appraisals that the employees receive less than a 3 rating before managers meet with staff.

Cataloging/ILL Update - Pauline

• The first Playaway Launchpad tablets have been cataloged and barcode labels printed; they will be taken to Technical Processing shortly.  Records are currently suppressed in the OPAC until January 3, 2016.  This date may be adjusted based on the actual launch date.  Customers will not be able to place holds for these materials as long as the records are suppressed.
• ILLiad implementation
  • ILL continues to appreciate the time savings of using ILLiad for lending materials to other libraries.
  • Pauline is working with Atlas Systems on final setup to use ILLiad for borrowing.  After setup is complete, she will work with the Regional Directors to establish a test plan, followed by a full rollout to customers.
• Cataloger Mary Long’s last day of work was October 9.  CAT and ILL staff held a small going-away party for her, and wish her and her family well for the future.
• Devin McGhee, former DC library manager, began work as a Cataloger on October 19.  All the Catalogers are participating in her training along with Pauline.  Her training is proceeding at an appropriate level and she enjoys working with everyone. 
• Community Libraries’ Manager Chris Stofel visited on September 28 to learn about technical services operations and talk about ILL for the community libraries.
• Cataloging, ILL, and Technical Processing staff participated in SOaP meetings with Tim Rogers on October 5.
• Pauline convened a meeting of the Oklahoma Union List of Serials (OKULS) steering committee on October 21.  The committee prepared recommendations for the future of the union list group, to be approved at the full meeting on November 13 at the Service Center.
• Former Materials Services Technician Steven Streetman, now Outreach Coordinator at Pioneer, visited the Service Center on October 27.  He was impressed with the changes from operations when the departments were located at Capitol Hill and Downtown.
• Pauline will be out of the office October 30 and November 3-6.  Heidi plans to be in on those dates.

Materials Selection Update - Janet

• Annual visits-selectors conducted visits to VI and JN this month.  They are scheduled to visit RE and WR in November.
• Selection staff attended the SOaP meeting on October 6.
• Janet, Susan, and Lauren met with Tim on October 7 to present the work they did for the database cost per use statistics.
• Melissa and Janet had a web meeting with CollectionHQ rep. Norene Allen. They reviewed procedures for setting up scheduled assignments and other administrative tasks.  Since the meeting, Janet entered assignments for each library for working the 900s.
• Janet, Susan and Marlene assisted Stacy and Andrew with weeding the training lending library on Oct. 22^nd.
• Janet met with Erin/BE to review collection related processes.
• Janet represented the Materials and Outreach departments at the New Hire meet and greet on Oct. 13.  She’s scheduled to meet with other new hires on Nov. 10.
• Janet and Kristine attended the Xchange meeting on October 20. 
• Janet met with the Regional Directors on October 27^th to outline procedures for handling transfers of material generated through CollectionHQ’s Grubby/Dead Item Refresh reports.  Janet will get instructions for working the various reports completed as soon as possible and have them distributed the email and posted on the Intranet.
• Janet is working on supplying collection statistics for Kay and Planning for BE’s new library proposal.
• On Nov. 9^th, Janet and Kristine will attend a planning meeting with Lloyd related to the new accounting system.
• Janet, Susan and Melissa are scheduled to attend a workshop with Bill Comstock on contracts on Nov. 16^th.

Administrative Update - Tim

• Tim referenced the Commission’s Finance Committee Agenda which includes changes to the surplus sale policies and review of the audit.
• Tim will be updating commission on the strategic plan and a representative from OrangeBoy will make a presentation on the service.
• The A&P committee meeting was cancelled.  They were considering policy changes related to the hiring of family members and leave for exempt employees.  Also considering changing some of the due process policy in procedures.
• Tim recommended managers provide him with information to be included with his weekly reports to the commission.
• Tim referenced a meeting he and Lavetta are having with the Latino Community Development.  The group is offering a place for tutors to work with students suspended from school.  Tim would like to consider offering library material to these locations.  More discussion will be conducted on how to handle this.

Miscellaneous - All

• In response to a staff question on “Ask Tim” regarding the Newbery, Caldecott, and Sequoyah winners, Pauline indicated that Cataloging will be adding searchable catalog headings for these children’s book award winners.  Cataloging will have this task completed by January 1.

The next Materials Managers’ meeting is scheduled for 8:30 on November 19 at the Service Center.  Pauline will chair the meeting.