[Publib] RE:roaming librarians

Tue Apr 8 13:34:05 EDT 2008

I appreciate the overall theme of LaRue's essay. However, I have a
question about one section of it. LaRue writes:

"It begins with our adoption of new technologies: self-check, automated
returns. These technologies haven't been cheap: but they are cheaper
than people. And they do the mechanical, repetitive tasks that machines
are good at, but take a steep toll on human beings in cumulative
injuries.
Using machines to do such tasks is sensible: it frees up people to do
what machines can't do -- use intelligence, provide direct service to
other human beings.
But what did we do with the people who no longer had to stand behind
circulation desks? We gave them additional training (and pay), and put
them out where they could provide that service."

Unless the machine replaces a person, how can it be cheaper? If you have
the person already doing the job, and add the machine as well, it is an
additional cost. There can only be a cost savings (that is, be cheaper)
if the machine replaces a staff person. 

As well, but perhaps LaRue's institution is different from mine, if we
were to get additional self-check out machines (or any other technology
for that matter), I doubt our funding body is just going to allow us to
give all those replaced by the machine a promotion. (Effectively, that's
what would happen as they would need to move into a new classification
to get the additional pay that LaRue mentions). Notwithstanding the
question of whether the displaced staff would qualify for the new
classification, (Human Resources might have something to say about
education or experience qualifications), but I believe it would be hard
to justify the need to a funding body for that much more additional
staff at the higher pay rate. 

I do appreciate new technology, and I use the self-checkout machine
myself in many places. However,  I don't think we are being completely
honest with ourselves if we don't recognize that with shrinking budgets,
if the time comes to make some hard decisions, a director is probably
going to lay-off a staff person (or allow there to be unfilled
positions)before they unplug the self-check out machine. At that point,
the machine has replaced a person, and that has been the fear I have
seen expressed both on and off this list. 

Shannon Hammock

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Fred Beisser
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2008 3:39 PM
To: Joseph.Gasparro at boontonholmeslibrary.org
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Publib] RE:roaming librarians

And for another professional view on the evolving role of reference
librarians, self check-in/out and more eficient use of staff, see the
following essay by Jamie LaRue, district director of Douglas County
Libraries in Colorado:

http://www.libraryleadership.net/LaRue031708.asp

Fred Beisser
Trustee
www.elbertcountylibrary.org
(Colorado)

Joseph Gasparro wrote: 

When we implemented a similar system, there was a bit of opposition, I
think the problem became that people were just used to sitting around
waiting.  We've found though, that the number of people we help has
increased when you actually ask if they need help.  I think if we were
able to measure the amount of people who did not use the reference desk
because they were hesitent to ask for help, that number would be quite
large.

Joe 
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Christopher F. Bowen" <cbowen at downersgrovelibrary.org>
<mailto:cbowen at downersgrovelibrary.org> 
Date:  Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:29:24 -0500

	When I became the director of the Downers Grove Public Library
in 1989
	we decided to try "roaming reference". Only then we called it
"getting
	out of our chairs and going into the stacks to see if patrons
needed
	help finding stuff on the shelves." Of course the Department
Heads were
	horrified when I first raised the idea. Patrons won't want us to
bother
	them while they are browsing, and talking in the stacks will
bother
	other patrons. (Remember the old days when libraries were quiet
places!)
	So I asked just the three department heads (Reference, Readers
Advisory,
	and Children's Services) to try it for a few weeks and promised
that we
	would drop it if it turned out to be a bad idea. Low and behold,
while
	patrons were surprised at first, no one got mad when they were
	approached and asked for help. The DH's agreed that they were
reaching
	patrons who would never have come to the desk on their own. With
the
	DH's enthusiastic support we asked all of the staff to try it.
Again,
	much horror at the idea, but I promised we would evaluate after
three
	months. One of the staff who was the most resistant to the idea
at first
	summarized the reaction perfectly when she said, "The first time
I
	approached a patron she looked at me like I was crazy and said
she
	didn't need any help; but when I came down the aisle a little
later, the
	same patron stopped me and said that she couldn't find what she
was
	looking for and maybe she did need some help."

	At the three month evaluation everyone agreed that this was a
good idea
	and it has become routine for service desk staff. Every quarter
hour or
	so one of staff at each service desk makes a circuit of the
department
	and asks patrons who are browsing if they can help them find
something.
	If it is really busy and patrons are stacked up at the desk
waiting for
	help, staff may not have time to make the rounds; but when they
are on
	the way back to the desks after taking a patron into the stacks
to find
	materials, they check in with other patrons. The  process has
helped to
	train our patrons that library staff is actually here to help
them, and
	it is OK to seek help if one needs it.

	I know of a neighboring library that is experimenting with
roaming
	reference using notebook computers so they can check the catalog
or
	databases on the fly. We haven't tried that, but when we did our
	building project nine years ago, staff was adamant about wanting
OPACs
	in the stacks so they could easily get to the on-line catalog to
help
	patrons there. A few years ago we added access to our on-line
databases
	and library-selected websites on the OPACs, so staff can do full
service
	reference back in the stacks, as well.

	A resounding yes to
getting-out-of-your-chair-and-going-into-stacks
	reference.

	Christopher F. Bowen
	Library Director
	Downers Grove Public Library
	1050 Curtiss Street
	Downers Grove, IL 60515-4606
	630-963-2595

	-----Original Message-----
	Subject: [Publib] Roaming librarians
	To: <publib at webjunction.org> <mailto:publib at webjunction.org> 
	Message-ID:
<1183B2BAF9BE724B85476AAB7B15D8FD04329EF1 at EVS2.coj.net>
<mailto:1183B2BAF9BE724B85476AAB7B15D8FD04329EF1 at EVS2.coj.net> 
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

	I work at a fairly large downtown public library, and we are
just
	beginning to study the use of "roaming" librarians, as opposed
to
	librarians chained to a desk. 

	_______________________________________________
	Publib mailing list
	Publib at webjunction.org
	http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib

_______________________________________________
Publib mailing list
Publib at webjunction.org
http://lists.webjunction.org/mailman/listinfo/publib

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/attachments/20080408/f2a08272/attachment.htm