Fu Zou, Melanie Church, Tom Burns presentation at Chinese American Librarans Association (CALA) Midwest Chapter Annual Conference on May 21, 2011 at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) Library
Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median and Mode
Merging Traffic: A Combined Reference and Access Services Desk
1. Merging Traffic: Planning for and implementing a combined reference and access services desk Tom Burns, Research & Instruction Librarian, UMKC burnstg@umkc.edu Melanie Church, Graduate Student Assistant, UMKC mjc4gb@mail.mizzou.edu Fu Zhuo, Research & Instruction Librarian, UMKC zhuof@umkc.edu May 21, 2011
3. Introduction and Literature Review UMKC Library renovation Declining reference statistics (Carlson 25-30) One point of service in libraries (Fitzpatrick 231-38) Reference desk staffing already changed from 2 to 1 Merging two desks in academic libraries (Massey-Burzio 276-86, Flanagan 329-38, Meldrem 305-11)
4. Reference - Statistics Survey Monkey is used to monitor reference transactions. In 2010, there were 10,846 total questions, including non-reference questions. In 2011, there have been 3,134 total questions to date. In 2010, 49% of the questions answered by Reference were reference questions. In 2011, 56% of the questions answered by Reference were reference questions. In 2010, Access Services answered 2.6% of the reference questions. In 2011, Access Services answered 10.7% of the reference questions.
5. Planning Process Began in December 2009 with a planning committee and a “Final” version was approved January 2011 Document categories Quick Reference Questions “On call” Referral Telephone, Text-a-Librarian, & Email Questions Technical Assistance Evening & Weekend Service Cross training Librarians Staff
24. Works Cited and Consulted Bugg, Kimberley L., and Rosaline Y. Odom. "Extreme Makeover Reference Edition: Restructuring Reference Services at the Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center." Reference Librarian 50.2 (2009): 193-204. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. EBSCO. Web. 4 May 2011. Carlson, Scott. “Are Reference Desks Dying Out? Librarians Struggle to Redefine—and in Some Cases Eliminate—the Venerable Institution.” The Reference Librarian 48.2 (2008): 25-30. Web. 4 May 2011. Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth B., Anne C. Moore, and Beth W. Lang. "Reference Librarians at the Reference Desk in a Learning Commons: A Mixed Methods Evaluation." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 34.3 (2008): 231-38. Education Full Text. Web. 12 May 2011. Flanagan, Pat and Lisa Horowitz. “Exploring New Service Models: Can Consolidating Public Service Points Improve Response to Customer Needs.” Journal of Academic Librarianship 26.5 (2000): 329-38. Web. 11 May 2011. Lubker, Irene, Margaret Henderson, Catherine Canevari, and Barbara Wright. "Refocusing Reference Services Outside the Library Building: One Library's Experience." Medical Reference Services Quarterly 29.3 (2010): 218-228. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 May 2011. Massey-Burzio, Virginia. “Reference Encounters of a Different Kind: A Symposium.” Journal of Academic Librarianship 18.5 (1992): 276-80. Web. 12 May 2011. Meldrem, Joyce, Lori Mardis, and Carolyn Johnson. “Redesign Your Reference Desk: Get Rid of It!” ACRL Twelfth National Conference. Association of College & Research Libraries. Minneapolis, MN. 7 Apr. 2005. Web. 11 May 2011. Ryan, Susan M. “Reference Transactions Analysis: The Cost-Effectiveness of Staffing a Traditional Academic Reference Desk.” Journal of Academic Librarianship 34.5 (2008): 389-399. Web. 4 May 2011.
25. Thanks! Special thanks to Cindy Thompson and Diane Hunter for their contributions to this project.