How Pablo Creek Regional Library Is Increasing Efficiency

Carol Bailey, Branch Manger of Pablo Creek Regional Library, reports on their successful venture into more resource management:

This winter, Pablo Creek’s business levels seemed to explode, with a marked increase in usage by the community. Year to date circulation as of February 2010 increased 3% over the previous year, and although our gate count has only increased slightly since last year, Pablo Creek has seen a 13% increase in the number of hold requests submitted, while staffing levels have not changed. Clearly, we needed to make some changes in our holds procedures in order to keep up with the increasing volume.

The first major change we made was to adopt the new holds procedures that were implemented system wide in November 2009. Instead of laboriously writing out hold wrappers, we are now using 8½” by 2¾”slips of paper for the customer’s name along with the date the hold is to be removed if not picked up. In response to several customer complaints about the new way of putting out available hold items, we are making every effort to be consistent in how the hold slips are done: using dark, thick marker and writing in large block letters to make it easier for customers to find their available hold items. In an effort to save paper, we regularly collect paper that has been printed on only one side (most of which is left behind by customers) and re-use it for hold slips.

We also eliminated some steps in how items are handled when they are trapped for the hold pickup list or when they are discharged and come up on hold. Previously, all hold items were routed to designated holds staff at the branch for final processing, but now every staff member who traps from the hold pickup list or has a discharged item come up on hold is responsible for processing that item and putting it out on the holds shelf. Making this small change has resulted in available hold items being put out more quickly and reduced the amount of time that was spent looking for available hold items in the workroom that had not been processed yet.

In addition, circulation staff assigned to set up the Customer Service desk in the morning is also pulling expired hold items from the holds shelf on a daily basis rather than waiting for the designated holds staff to take care of this. This means more room on the holds shelf for new items, and more time for the designated holds staff to handle holds coming in through delivery.

Another area where changes were made to increase efficiency was in how we handle items that are returned with missing parts or need repairs such as a replacement case. Previously we would edit the item records of these items to change the home location to STORAGE-A or STORAGE-J as appropriate. Now we are checking out items with missing parts to MISSINGPCR, and checking out items that need repairs to PCRCIRC. The checkout and discharge process is much faster than changing the home location of an item and changing it back to the original home location when the problem with the item is resolved.

Many thanks to our new Library Clerical Supervisor Charlene Ovshak for helping to develop ways to improve efficiency at Pablo Creek Library, and thanks to all the staff for their willingness to try new ways of doing things.