Access Services Minutes - February 21, 2023

Welcome: Tricia welcomed Kenda as the new AMI at BI. All staff shared a time they were able to say “Yes” to a staff member or guest in the last few weeks. Some of the examples given included -- helping guests on computers, changing staff schedules, waiving fines for guests, offering many ways to get a library account, and accommodating guests in our Meeting Room spaces for one-off situations.

Tricia Updates: Talked and received feedback about the New Outcome (created in Access Cabinet): Discuss and Learn topics on Access processes that make them more GX friendly and that will lead to more consistency at all locations.

Tricia also went over the ground rules, asked if any changes needed to be made to them.

Decision: Group decided to keep same ground rules.

Learn: MetroU CARL Courses Overview (Tricia): MetroU Carl Course Overview – Learning Paths are now called initiatives. New employees (starting 2/20/23) are automatically assigned their respective initiative. All Trainings can be found on MetroU Sidebar > Library > Access. For existing staff, managers can assign or staff can voluntarily register for courses, some courses have prerequisites that require completion (with checklists being reviewed by L&D) before being able to advance to course. All courses have RISE component, checklist download, and checklist upload. Troubleshooting Accounts is the only instructor-led training (in-person and Zoom available). CARL course training documents can be found on LMT SharePoint.

Learn: Reports 101 (Tricia): Tricia reviewed Holds Expired, Tracer, Claims Never Had, and In Transit lists. We reviewed each report and discussed what it is, how to use it (including what parameter options to select), and when to run it. CARL.X Reports document available in AM SharePoint meeting folder. The group liked covering reports and voted to cover Report 17: Items by Status and Weeding Macro at the April AM meeting.

Discuss: Holds Slips (Tricia): Each branch shared feedback about hold slips. Overall thoughts shared: staff and guests generally positive, staff figuring out a system and workflow, training all staff so they can help out, printing at multiple workstations is helpful, etc. Initial guest feedback from Marketing and Communication show guests are supportive of hold slips vs hold labels with an average score of 7.77.  Both staff and guests have shared concerns about BPA in our thermal paper. MLS receipt paper is BPA free. Tricia asked the group what their library can do to help guests adjust. Reports of increased mismatched items being routed. Staff should slow down to ensure we’re placing the correct hold slip in the hold.

Discuss: Access Processes that are not Guest Friendly (Tricia): Most locations noted that they had a difficult time thinking of access processes that needed to be updated for GX. Some feedback included: figuring out ways to register cards for people with limited information, improve communication to our guests (e.g. missing holds process/scripting, curbside hours, address verification), picking up/checking out to family members’ card, etc.

System Updates (Erin Bedford): GX training to start in March for BE, BUS, and Special Collections.

Next Meeting: April 18, 2023 at 1:30pm via Zoom / Next Notetaker: Capitol Hill