Materials Services Division Managers' Meeting Minutes for September 15, 2005

September 15, 2005

8:00 A.M. 

Capitol Hill Library

Present:  Karen Marriott, Janet Brooks, Heidi Johnson, Pauline Boyer Rodriguez

Technical Processing update – Heidi 

• The runs have been on average 760 labels per day; this is an increase of 45 labels over last month.  TP currently receives an average of about 46 boxes of materials a day which is about the same amount received on average last month.  
• Materials receipt in July and August has increased by about 30% over last fiscal year’s first two months.  In July and August of FY06, TP received 40,092 materials as compared to July and August of FY05’s 30,689; that is an increase of  9,403 items.  The daily run count also has increased during this same time period by about 17% over last fiscal year’s; 31,953 items as compared to last fiscal year’s 27,215; that is an increase of 4,738 items during the first two months of FY06.
• Technical Processing is working very hard to process all of these materials in a timely fashion.  All rush materials are processed the same day.  The processors and part-time techs are currently processing non-rush materials from Sept. 12.  Kelly’s help with processing paperbacks and DVDs is also greatly appreciated.  Right now, TP is keeping pace; however, once bindery materials arrive next week, the situation may change very quickly, depending on run size. 
• TP has made arrangements for Maintenance to transport the boxes of processed DVDs to the owning libraries during the week of Oct. 3.  There are currently about 50 boxes ready to go, by then it may around 60 or more boxes.  TP has used about 4,500 single and 800 double DVD cases so far, and more are on order already. 
• The materials to go to the fall bindery are due in TP on Sept. 23.  The bindery is supposed to return the last genealogy bindery group about the last week in September.  They are to return to pick up the fall bindery group on Oct. 19.  About 400 materials are to be sent for rebinding in the current group.
• Technical Processing  almost ran out of book tape for processing due to an ordering problem.  However, processing did not have to be suspended as the tape was finally received as TP was down to their very last box of tape.
• TP received a new digital copier as the old copier’s motor was worn out.  Everyone seems to like the new one so far, especially the document feeder capability. 
• Josh attended the communications workshop at MC on 8-31-05.
• TP’s old invoice filing tub finally fell apart and had to be replaced.  Christy suggested a rolling file with hanging folders which gives more capacity for filing invoices for close-out.  It also allows for separation of invoices from B&T and other vendors, cancellations, prepays, manual invoices, etc. 

Materials Selection update – Janet 

• Library Visits
• In August Selectors completed 6-month collection reviews of DN and SO.   
• During September selectors are doing a 6-month collection review of BI and an annual review of MC.
• During October, they will do a 6-month collection review of WA and an annual visit to BE.
• Spotlight On
• The updated Spotlight on Hispanic Americans is up on the webpage.
• Selectors are in the process of updating the Native American Spotlight On.  It should be up on the webpage in November.
• Meetings and Workshops attended 
• Janet attended the Tech Support meeting on August 23. 
• Janet and Dana visited the Western Village Charter school.  They met with the principal there to help her with the layout of their new library.  They also got a tour of the school.
• Janet and Kim attended the Tom Massey workshop “Overcoming Barriers to Performance” on August 31.   
• Denise attended the communications workshop “What’s that you say” at MC on August 31.
• Ruby and Elizabeth attended the Staff Recognition meeting on Sept. 7.
• Janet and Julie attended the YA programmers meeting on Sept. 7.
• Susan attended the adult programmers meeting September 14. 
• Janet and Julie are scheduled to meet with Tammy/B&T and the Children’s and Teens coordinator from B&T on Sept. 15. 
• Elizabeth is scheduled to have an OSA committee meeting on September 15. 
• Janet and Julie are attending Encyclomedia in Tulsa on Sept. 20. 
• Elizabeth and Ruby are scheduled to facilitate True North on September 26. 
• Janet is speaking to a group of teens from PC North about banned books on September 27. 

Cataloging update – Pauline 

• Labels 
• The number of barcode labels printed in August was a new all-time high for a single month, surpassing the record set in July.  On six different days, the run was over 1,000 labels.  So far, there have been no days with 1,000 or 900+ labels in September.  
• The label order from Reliance has been received.  The perforations between labels are straight.  The Cataloging Technicians report that they have had fewer problems with them than with those from the other manufacturer.  They and the Processors report that fewer labels have been returned or reprinted due to unreadable print. Heidi commented that Tech staff would like for the labels to be a little thicker or heavier.  Pauline will mention this to Reliance.
• Meetings/workshops attended: 
• Pauline – OLA Program Committee, August 19 
• Clyde – Tech Support Group, August 23 
• Pauline – OLA SMART, August 26
• Pauline – OLA CRRC, August 30 
• Pauline – Overcoming Performance Barriers workshop, August 31 
• Todd visited Cataloging on August 24, to go over measurements and floor plans with Pauline.
• Pauline has met with groups of Cataloging staff members to work on flowcharts of various tasks, and to create ideal workstation arrangements.
• Todd attended Cataloging’s staff meeting on September 13.  He reviewed the planning process for the new building from the beginning, and answered questions about how it will proceed in the future.  Several staff members have commented that they appreciated his visit and the information.
• There have been some problems with security at CH recently.  The security guard did not arrive on two days, and staff could not enter the building.  Neither Pauline nor Heidi has a current code to turn off the alarm.  They are working with Phil to find a solution to prevent this problem in the future.
• Pauline has ordered slimline single-sided book trucks for Cataloging and Tech.  Cataloging plans to use some of them for rush materials, instead of placing them in trays on flat trucks.  The rush trucks will be red. Pauline has received notice from Highsmith that they have been shipped.

Administration update – Karen 

• New special collection 
• The ad hoc committee has been formed, but has not met yet.  They plan to meet after October 1.
• Jim Welch plans to do some “tweaking” to the Parental Preference Option.

DVD Status - All

• Karen reminded everyone that the circulation date for DVDs is October 17.  She asked Pauline and Heidi how the cataloging and processing of DVDs is going. Pauline stated that Aaron and Jana are learning to catalog DVDs.  Cataloging has finished all EASY DVDs received prior to the meeting date, and almost all feature films.  There is a fair amount of general nonfiction left.  Pauline asked if Cataloging should change their priority order for cataloging materials.  Currently, the order is print rush, nonprint rush, print nonrush, then nonprint nonrush.  DVDs fall into the nonprint nonrush category.  Karen requested that the priority be switched to catalog DVDs immediately after rush materials, until all DVDs received have been cataloged, or the service date. 
• Heidi stated that Tech has been able to keep up with DVDs fairly well, especially with Kelly’s help.  She said that Tech should be able to get DVDs processed if the number of print materials coming down is cut back. Karen requested that staff limit workshop attendance to those essential for their jobs, especially until DVDs are done.

Collection Management and Maintenance Workshop - All

• Janet stated that the next workshop will be held on October 19, October 26, and November 2.  She asked that Pauline and Heidi send updates to the manuals to her by October 12. There was some discussion of the workshop agenda.  Heidi and Pauline would prefer to attend only one day each.  After discussion, a new agenda was developed to accomplish this.  A copy of the new agenda is attached. 

Recall issues - Pauline 

• Pauline explained that for a number of years, Tech handled reprocessing of recalled materials, replacement barcodes, and transfers.  For the last year or so, the MSD Techs have taken over that task to relieve pressure on Tech. Recently, the MSD Techs have been spending so much time on new materials that they have been unable to get to recalls, replacements, etc..  Cataloging has suspended recalls in order to avoid having materials out of circulation, since they could not be processed.  These are not Dewey recalls; they are error corrections, requests for reclass from MSL, etc. Pauline, Laqueta, and Margaret understand that helping with new materials is part of the MSD Techs’ jobs.  However, reprocessing is also part of those jobs.  Pauline asked for suggestions as to how to handle these items. It was agreed that recalls will remain suspended until after the DVDs are completed, then resume.

8. Miscellaneous

• There was no miscellaneous business.

The next meeting will be on October 20, 8:00 A.M., at RJN Downtown.  Janet will chair.