Services University
Resume:
Access Services
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SPEC Kit 290
Access Services
November 2005
Trevor A. Dawes
Circulation Services Director
Princeton University
Kimberly Burke Sweetman
Head, Access Services
New York University
Catherine Von Elm
Head of Circulation, Current Periodicals, and Microforms
University of Pennsylvania
Series Editor: Lee Anne George
SPEC Kits are published by the
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Copyright 2005
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SPEC Access Services
Kit 290 November 2005
SURVEY RESULTS
Executive Summary 11
Survey Questions and Responses 15
Responding Institutions 40
REPRESENTATIVE DOCUMENTS
Organization Charts
Arizona State University
Access Services 44
University of California, Davis
General Library Organization Chart 45
Access Services Department 46
University of California, Irvine
UCIrvine/Libraries 47
Public Services 48
University of California, Santa Barbara
Davidson Library Organization Chart 49
Access Services 50
University of Connecticut
Access Services 51
University of Florida
Organization Chart 52
Florida State University
Academic Affairs. University Libraries. Administration 53
Academic Affairs. University Libraries. Public Services. Reference/Circulation/Gov Documents 54
University of Illinois at Chicago
Library Users (patrons, clients, customers) 55
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa Libraries. Organization Chart 56
Iowa State University
Organization Chart. Iowa State University Library 57
University of Miami
Otto G. Richter Library. Access & Delivery Services Organization Chart 58
University of Minnesota
Library Access Services 59
University of Missouri
MU Libraries 60
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University Library 61
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University Libraries Organizational Chart 62
Access and Delivery Services 63
Northwestern University
Library Administration. Organization Chart 64
University of Oklahoma
Organization Chart. University Libraries 65
Pennsylvania State University
University Libraries. Organization Chart 66
Access Services 67
Princeton University
Organization Chart. Princeton University Library 68
Technical Services Department 69
Purdue University
Purdue University Libraries 70
Purdue University Libraries. Access Services Organization 71
Temple University
Plan of Library Organization 72
University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee Libraries 73
University of Utah
J. Willard Marriott Library 74
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech University Libraries 75
University of Washington
Research and Instructional Services 76
Washington University in St. Louis
WU Libraries & Information Technology Organization Chart 77
University of Waterloo
Circulation Services 78
Circulation/Access Services Mission Statements
Brigham Young University
Circulation. Mission 80
University of California, Davis
Access Services Department. Mission and Goals 81
University of Connecticut
Access Services. Mission Statement 83
University of Minnesota
Information Access & Delivery Services. Mission, Vision, Values 84
University of Oklahoma
Access Services 85
Princeton University
Circulation Division. About the Circulation Services Division 86
Tulane University
Access Services & Circulation 87
University of Utah
Access Services 88
Circulation/Access Services Home Pages
University of California, Santa Barbara
Access Services 90
Indiana University Bloomington
Customer and Access Services 91
University of Iowa
Access Services 92
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Davis Circulation-Home Page 93
University of Oregon
Knight Library Access Services Department 94
University of Tennessee
Access and Delivery Services 95
Washington State University
Access Services 96
University of Waterloo
Circulation Services 98
Job Descriptions
Arizona State University
Position Description. Head, Access Services and Interlibrary Loan 100
University of California, Davis
Statement of Primary Responsibilities. Head, Access Services Dept 103
University of California, Santa Barbara
Statement of Duties and Responsibilities. Head of Access Services 105
University of Chicago
Assistant Director, Access & Facilities 106
University of Connecticut
Job Description. Director of Library Access Services 108
George Washington University
Head, Circulation/Reserves Department 111
North Carolina State University
Head, Access and Delivery Services 113
University of Oklahoma
Head, Access Services 114
Pennsylvania State University
Statement of Core Responsibilities (Head of Access Services) 115
Princeton University
Circulation Services Director 116
Purdue University
Head, Access Services 118
University of Utah
Head of Circulation and Interlibrary Loans 119
Virginia Tech
Unit Head, Circulation/Reserve/Storage 121
University of Washington
Coordinator for Access Services 124
Washington University in St. Louis
Head of Access 126
S ELECTED RESOURCES
Journal Articles 129
Additional Circulation/Access Services Web Sites 129
Library Services Web Sites 130
SURVEY RESULTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction the respondents used that name in 1995 compared
to only 14% in 2005. The survey responses indicate
In 1991, SPEC Kit 179 Access Services: Organiza-
that at least eight libraries changed the department
tion and Management documented the emergence
name to Access Services in each ve-year period
of a new trend in ARL member libraries. Over the
between 1991 and 2005; the single largest increase
course of a decade, a variety of services related to
was during the period 1996 to 2000, when fteen
providing access to library resources were being
institutions changed names. In addition to the in-
brought under one administrative umbrella. That
creasingly popular Access Services, other names
department was typically called Circulation,
for these departments include Borrower Servic-
though a growing number of libraries began to use
es, Collection Services, and Resource Support
the term Access Services.
Services.
In the spring of 2005, this follow-up survey
was conducted with the intent of tracking devel-
Changes in Department Activities
opments and trends in access services since 1995.
While there is no single prototype for the range of
Seventy-seven of the 123 ARL member libraries
services provided by these departments, there is a
(63%) responded to the survey, indicating an ongo-
set of ve services that has remained core under the
ing interest in both the topic of access services and
circulation/access umbrella from 1991 to 1995 to
the functions of access services departments. The
2005: circulation; stacks maintenance and shelving;
survey results presented here also show a steady
billing; entry/exit control; and reserve services,
evolution in department name from circulation to
both print and electronic. A smaller but consistent
access services and an increasing relevance of this
number of circulation/access services departments
depatment s functions to library users.
have also had responsibility for retrieval from off-
Background site shelving, study-carrel registration, and library
security since 1995.
All but three of the seventy-seven libraries re-
Between 1995 and 2005, a growing number of
sponding to the current survey have a discreet
circulation/access services departments absorbed
department that has primary responsibility for
other traditional library units and took on respon-
circulation and other activities related to access-
sibility for new services. Some of these changes,
ing collections. Sixty-three of these departments
such as the increase in circulation/access services
have either the word circulation or access in
departments that have responsibility for current
their name. The decade between 1995 and 2005 saw
periodicals (+19%), microforms (+28%), the infor-
a marked decrease in the number of departments
mation desk (+38%), and interlibrary loan (+39%)
identi ed solely as Circulation, though: 39% of
Access Services 11
are likely the result of organizational restructuring. ferings remained the same from 1995 to 2005 at
The increase in the number of these departments nineteen libraries.
offering on-campus document delivery (+100%), On average, staffed service-desk hours increased
circulation of laptops (+200%), and electronic re- across the board between 1995 and 2005. At most of
serves (+269%) is certainly attributable to the wider the responding libraries any increase (or decrease)
adoption of new services made possible, in part, by was just a few hours per week. The most dramatic
new technology. It also indicates that circulation/ increases were reported by a handful of libraries
access services departments are responding to the that have combined multiple services at one desk
demands of students and faculty in the we want and staffed it all (or most of) the hours the build-
it wherever we are environment and that libraries ing is open. For example, one library increased ser-
have become more service oriented as a whole. vice-desk hours from 82 per week to 160 per week.
In addition to these activities, a number of re- Other large jumps were from 101 to 133, 102 to 154,
spondents reported an array of other offerings such 105 to 133, and 107 to 146 hours per week.
as services for users with disabilities, catalog main- Automation has had a signi cant impact on the
tenance, computer lab maintenance, shipping and staff work ow in circulation/access services de-
receiving, copyright clearance, in-house printing, partments over the past decade. With the exception
and copy card sales, to name a few. Only a handful of entry/exit control and accounting, which were
of respondents reported handing off an activity to fairly well automated by 1995, and stacks mainte-
another department in the past ten years; these in- nance, which remains fairly unautomated, survey
clude small declines in the number of circulation/ respondents reported increases of between 100%
access services departments that now have respon- and over 600% in the automation of every staff ac-
sibility for entry/exit control, study-carrel registra- tivity. The substantial increase in the automation of
tion, photocopy services, preservation, lockers, and some processes, such as notices, billing, bindery,
distance learning. and the submission and management of interli-
As units were combined and services added, brary loan requests (109%, 125%, 135%, and 158%
service points were consolidated. Forty-two re- respectively), is probably a re ection of the normal
spondents reported that multiple services were of- rate of development and adoption of suitable soft-
fered from 55 separate service desks in 1995. These ware. The jump in automation of offsite storage re-
were most often either the former circulation desk, trieval requests (420%), on the other hand, is more
reserves desk, or reserves/current periodicals desk. likely attributable to the increase in the number
Fifty-four respondents reported that there were 81 of libraries that rely on storage facilities to man-
consolidated service points by 2005. Between 1995 age overcrowded stacks and maintain access to
and 2005, eight respondents reported that single- low-use items than it is to the fact that the requests
service desks merged to form multi-service desks themselves are automated.
and at least twelve others reported that brand new Between 1995 and 2005, library users also ben-
multi-service desks were created. At eight of the e ted from an increase in automation. The majority
responding libraries multi-service desks split to of respondents now offer online do-it-yourself
provide different combinations of services; in two renewals, ILL requesting, storage-retrieval request-
cases some services left the access services depart- ing, and document delivery. Forty-one percent of-
ment. Thirty-six combined desks added services fer self-service circulation. Library users may also
such as interlibrary loan/document delivery, me- make multimedia reservations, register for study
dia, laptop circulation, and other responsibilities; carrels, submit materials for reserves, and place
only three dropped any services. Service-desk of- holds and recalls online.
12 SPEC Kit 290
Staf ng and Reporting Relationships dent wages. The majority of these budgets include
funds for salaries, of ce supplies and equipment,
Though about half of the respondents reported that
and printing or copying. Other budget categories
the supervisor of the circulation/access services
include equipment rental and repair, telecommu-
department has a title of Head of Access Services
nications, postage, travel and training support, and
or Head of Circulation Services, the speci c titles
contracts. All but a few of the department heads
vary widely. Nonetheless, the titles and the report-
manage the wage budget and many manage sup-
ing relationships indicate that these individuals
plies. Only about a quarter manage equipment,
hold high-level management positions. Two-thirds
personnel, or other budget categories. Budgets
report to an assistant or associate dean or director
range from $66,000 to $4,000,000 with an average of
in their libraries; 21% report to a library dean or
$668,220. There seems to be a correlation between
director; 13% report to the head of a division or a
the very highest budget levels and the number of
branch library.
support staff, but that does not hold true for the
Roughly equal numbers of respondents report-
lower budgets.
ed that the number of positions in the circulation/
access services department increased, decreased,
Service Evaluation
and stayed the same between 1995 and 2005.
The responding libraries use a variety of techniques
Slightly more respondents reported an increase in
to evaluate the effectiveness of circulation and ac-
the number of student assistants and a decrease in
cess services. Almost all of them track the number
the number of support staff. Librarian and other
of circulation transactions and most track the use
professional positions were more likely to stay the
of other services. Seventy percent of respondents
same. On average, there are two librarians and two
have used the LibQUAL+ survey to solicit user
and a half other professionals in each department.
satisfaction feedback on these services. Other tech-
The bulk of the department is made up of support
niques for gathering user feedback include focus
staff and student assistants, about 23 of each.
groups, interviews of both internal and external
As the functions associated with circulation/ac-
users, comment cards and suggestion boxes, and
cess services departments have increased, become
usability studies, among others.
more automated, and arguably more complex, so
has the need for staff to become versed in a greater
Conclusion
variety of functions. With the steady-state or decline
The 1991 SPEC survey de ned access services as
in staf ng, the amount of cross-training of staff has
the department responsible for physical access to
increased: 82% of respondents indicated that staff
library collections. The operation of current access
were trained to perform at least two functions in
services departments has evolved, transforming
2005, as compared with only 34% in 1995. Similarly,
existing services and adding new ones primarily
the survey results show a decrease in specialization
due to technological innovations and to the prior-
from 1995 (79%) to 2005 (36%). At the same time,
ity placed on meeting user demand for delivery
the respondents comments make clear that even
of services and resources. While still the locus for
today some staff focus on specialized areas of ex-
physical access to print collections (circulation,
pertise while others are generalists.
stacks and storage maintenance, reserves), access
Budget services is expanding its mission to include not
only access to physical and electronic collections,
Half of the circulation/access services departments
but also delivery of these resources, regardless of
have a distinct operating budget and half do not.
whether they are licensed, or held locally, remotely,
All but one of the operating budgets covers stu-
Access Services 13
or consortially. This trend was brought about partly to broaden the array of services provided, and of
by the evolving nature of information storage and physical items circulated, such as videos and lap-
the access-vs-ownership library model, and partly top computers.
by the advances in technology that streamlined the As emerging technology and the trend toward
requesting process for users and facilitated request automation continues to have an impact on how
management by staff. users interact with the library, and on the library s
Access services departments have both re- ability to provide access to resources, access ser-
sponded to and transformed the ways users iden- vices departments will continue to evolve by com-
tify, request, and receive resources remotely and bining service points and previously discreet de-
have also maintained the competing priority of partments; adjusting hours of service and staf ng;
assisting users in the library. Combining service and constantly revising procedures to better serve
points, expanding hours of service, and cross-train- users.
ing staff have enabled access services departments
14 SPEC Kit 290
76985
Copyright © 2005
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