University of Maryland Libraries

PUBLIC SERVICES DIVISION

ANNUAL REPORT 1997-1998

INTRODUCTION

It is an understatement to say that the Public Services Division has had an incredible year. Changes in leadership, service and organizational models, and facilities have combined to create a more than full plate for division staff. This report highlights the year's accomplishments within the framework of the Libraries' strategic planning goals. It also highlights challenges and opportunities we anticipate in the coming year.

GOALS:

  1. Offering high-quality education to outstanding undergraduates

    The work of the Services Task Force directly addressed this campus goal. Following on the work of the CQI Team on Undergraduate Library Services, the task force worked on an ambitious charge over the course of three months and made several interrelated recommendations to recast the Libraries' service model to integrate undergraduate library services into McKeldin Library. The focal point of this model is Service Plus, both a philosophical approach to meeting the needs of new users as well as a physical environment that facilitates putting this philosophy into action. A parallel effort to reorganize the division was also completed, creating the Branch Services, Access Services, and McKeldin Public Services units. In the closing few months of FY98, critical steps were taken to begin to implement the Service Plus model including first floor renovation plans, a process for forming subject teams and new PSD units, and position descriptions and a selection process for new managerial positions.

    A considerable amount of time and energy was devoted to the Services Task Force's work by PSD staff. However, the delivery of continuing and new services in support of undergraduates did not stop to await the outcomes of the task force process. The following highlights below represent other objectives accomplished by PSD staff in support of the goal of offering high-quality education to undergraduates:

  2. Building cornerstone programs of excellence in graduate education and research

    Another outcome of the Services Task Force is the establishment of three discipline-based teams as part of our organizational structure: Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Allied Professions, and Science and Technology. These teams integrate functions of reference service, user education, and collection development, and team members have specific subject assignments that are mapped directly to the colleges, schools, and departments of the university. The merging of public service and collection management activities through the team structure is intended to better serve the teaching and research needs of the university community. In addition to this restructuring, the division has met several other objectives related to contributing to graduate education and research:

  3. Increasing the University's contribution to society

    This year, the Libraries renewed our role and responsibility as a federal regional depository library for Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Government Documents/Map staff hosted a meeting of the selective depository libraries in our area, established a listserv, and sponsored a national regional depositories meeting in the spring. Our regional depository responsibilities provide us with an opportunity to make a contribution beyond the campus and the state and serve the greater good of providing access to government information. These efforts were recognized in a much improved inspection report of our federal depository library status from Government Printing Office. In addition to this ongoing commitment, Public Services also made contributions in the following areas:

  4. Encouraging entrepreneurship

  5. Rationalizing resource allocation and administrative operations

    Two key efforts were made in this goal area. The first was the implementation of recommendations from the Services and Space Planning Task Forces. This work will make more efficient and effective use of our human and facilities resources and will result in an organization that is more responsive and accountable to the university community. Activities aimed at consolidating collections and services included the merger of Hornbake and McKeldin Reference and Periodicals units into the McKeldin facility and planning for the merger of reserves. The second was the consortial licensing effort which broadened access to electronic information by migration to Web-based environment and maximized use of our financial resources. Highlights are noted below:

GOALS FOR 1998-99

FY98 PUBLIC SERVICES DIVISION STATISTICAL REPORT

I. User Access FY97 FY98 % CHANGE
A. Hours staffed 4,038.5 3,198.5 -20.8
B. Turnstile Count 2,239,483 2,684,324 +16.5

II. Circulation Services FY97 FY98 % CHANGE
A. No. of General Loans 721,371 672,477 -6.7
B. No. of Reserve Loans 224,078 219,510 -2.0
C. No. of Items Reshelved 1,002,854 994,178 -0.9

III.  Information Services FY97 FY98 % CHANGE
A. Reference Transactions 306,530 273,589 -10.7
B. Services to Groups
  1. No. Presentations
  2. No. Attendees
736
13,951
723
12,629
-1.8
-9.5

IV. Interlibrary Loan FY97 FY98 % CHANGE
A. Borrowing Requests Initiated 19,537 21,536 +10.2
B. Borrowing Requests Filled 15,854 16,561 +5.3
C. Lending Requests Received 46,823 46,934 +0.2
D. Lending Requests Filled 25,316 23,851 -5.8

V. Audio Video Services FY97 FY98 % CHANGE
A. No. Materials Previewed 623 620 --
B. No. Pieces of Equipment Loaned 983 1042 +5.6

Submitted by Lori A. Goetsch
Director of Libraries for Public Services
September 28, 1998

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