- Email: [email protected]
The human side of outsourcing: highlights from the ALCTS President’s Program
110
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
because of misconceptions about the core record; and Columbia staff editing errors. Harcourt’s study revealed that only 3.4% of the PCC copy required legitimate edits. This percentage is in line with the editing percentage for LC copy. The results of the study also illustrated the necessity of written guidelines for handling PCC copy and the need for ongoing training of staff to uniformly apply written guidelines. Columbia’s policy is available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/ inside/units/bibcontrol/osmc/pcctoc.html. Harcourt suggests that even if your library does not create PCC core records, copy cataloging supervisors should study the standards to know how to handle PCC records at their institution. Iris Wolley, Cataloger, Central Technical Services, Cornell University, discussed the implementation of BIBCO at her institution. Wolley’s presentation covered both original and copy cataloging because PCC has not had a large impact on copy cataloging at her institution. Cornell has processed approximately 13,400 PCC records to date and is the largest contributor of records to PCC. In 1996, Cornell made an institutional commitment to PCC. All original catalogers and some copy catalogers received BIBCO training. More information about the implementation, training issues, and procedures may be found by following the links at http://www.library. cornell.edu/cts/. The PCC core record is the default choice for all materials at Cornell. Bibliography, art exhibition, and other such notes are added at the discretion of the cataloger. All series are traced. Additional subject headings are added at the discretion of the cataloger. At Cornell, authority control validation is handled by an outside vendor. PCC core records are incorporated into the regular work flow and are treated in the same manner as full-level or LC copy. Wolley speculated that the low percentage of PCC records found during copy cataloging is a result of the esoteric nature of the materials requiring original cataloging at the PCC libraries. All three panelists were enthusiastic about PCC and urged more libraries to receive training and to adopt the standard. If more libraries were to adopt the PCC standard, more standardized bibliographic records with acceptable authority control would be available for processing in copy cataloging operations. Because these records would require less verification and editing, more copy cataloging records could be processed more quickly. Despite some audience concerns about “dumbing down” the catalog, panelists agreed that PCC is the “smarter” way to catalog. PII: S0364-6408(98)00110-1
Deborah Fetch Head, Cataloging Department Woodward Library Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN 37044 Internet: [email protected]
The Human Side of Outsourcing: Highlights from the ALCTS President’s Program Many ALA programs have focused on outsourcing from the institutional perspective. This year’s ALCTS President’s Program took a different tactic by presenting the employee’s perspective. Four panelists, two human resources professionals from libraries and two librarians employed by vendors, gave their personal perspective on this timely topic. Joyce Carter, Human Resources Director, Wright State University Library, spoke about Wright State’s early and often publicized venture in the outsourcing of their cataloging operations. In 1993, the library’s administration decided that outsourcing would be in the best interest of the entire organization. Before the outsourcing decision was made, cataloging employees were given realistic
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
111
production standards based on benchmarks obtained from similar institutions. The decision to outsource was necessary because the cataloging staff did not meet production standards, and money could be saved by outsourcing. Wright State saved $250,000; $100,000 of this amount was allocated to the materials budget, and the remainder was used to purchase computer equipment for the library. The nine employees who lost positions in cataloging were given 3 months notice. These individuals, as state civil-service employees, had bumping rights within the university. Despite the best efforts of the administration, the result of telling the employees about the outsourcing was chaos. Employees kept asking why. There were tears and more tears, anger, long lunches, late arrivals, absenteeism, and overall poor morale. The cataloging department’s work routine was disrupted. As vacancies in other areas of the library occurred, supervisors were required to accept cataloging employees who brought their ill will with them, disrupting the entire library. In fact, morale at the entire university was affected. Employees wondered if this could happen in the library, could it happen to them? There was talk of unionism. Despite all the disruption, Carter reiterated that outsourcing was the right and necessary thing to do. How would she do it differently now? Carter next discussed how to handle outsourcing while maintaining working operations and good staff morale. Decide how much and when to tell employees. Base your decision on what is right for your institution, and make it consistent with the organizational culture. Make employees part of the planning process. Bring in all the people who will be affected by the change. The most successful outsourcing strategies are those designed by the employees. There is a direct relationship between employee involvement and the financial outcome of outsourcing. Provide the employees with the services and support they need to make the transition. Train the people who will notify the outsourced employees on how to communicate effectively. Tell the employees affected in private. Communicate openly and truthfully about what is happening at every stage of the process. Present the decision as final. Provide reasons for the decision. Do not be defensive. Deal with employees’ reactions, but do not discuss past performance issues. Give separation benefits in writing. Explicitly explain the transition of any responsibilities. Be prepared to handle the survivors. Survivors are also affected by outsourcing. Reactions can range from surprise, shock, denial, disbelief, fear of failure, and distrust. Work is shifted to the remaining employees who will need training and support. Allow survivors to grieve the loss of friends and change. Define the new organization for the survivors, and tell them over and over again. Develop a sense of community. Help survivors prepare for career transitions and teach them how to be value-added employees. Carter emphasized that outsourcing is a necessary and effective business tool that must be managed carefully to assist the employees and the organization to make the transition to a new, more effective structure. Communication, employee involvement, and training are key issues in making outsourcing work. Carol Olsen, Head of Human Resources, Stanford University Libraries, offered an alternative scenario in which staff morale problems were minimized. Beginning in 1994, Stanford started the process of re-engineering the libraries. Technical processing was the first area to be re-engineered. The re-engineering was necessitated by budgetary constraints. One of the major objectives of the re-engineering was to be able to create the new organization without involuntarily laying off employees. This could only be done through creative measures. Employee involvement, communication, and training also were key factors to Stanford’s success. The re-engineering was employee driven. A team of staff from the technical services departments, other areas in the libraries, and other university departments was formed to oversee the redesign. Communication was stressed. Stanford held community debates to discuss the redesign.
112
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
Employees were given ample time to discuss the reorganization. Human Resources published a “Question and Answer” Web page and sent out weekly communications online. Stanford was fortunate to be able to put in place two employee-assistance programs, which were able to mitigate the impact on employees. Interested staff was encouraged to consider early retirement. A voluntary layoff program was initiated. Staff could voluntarily apply to be laid off and receive up to 1 year’s salary and benefits. Some staff was able to combine the two programs by electing the layoff program and then retiring. Because of these programs, no employees at Stanford were involuntarily laid off. The impact on the surviving employees was great. The new organization was flatter and less paternalistic. Supervisors played a more critical role in evaluation and were also expected to take a broader view of the organization. More interesting and challenging jobs were created. Previous professional-level work was assigned to paraprofessionals. Staff was able to move around the organization by applying for temporary jobs in other areas to broaden their skills while their regular jobs were held for them. Cash bonuses were given to individuals and teams for outstanding performance. Olsen deemed Stanford’s re-engineering to be a success. No employees lost their jobs involuntarily. Drastic structural changes were made to the organization. New efficiencies were created such as outsourcing 40% of copy cataloging and authority control operations. Moving from the organizational view to the individuals’ view, Dale Hague, of the TALX Corporation, spoke concerning his transition from cataloging in an academic library to cataloging for a vendor. There are as many similarities as differences. Catalogers working for vendors do the same work and use the same tools as other catalogers. In Hague’s setting, he receives more support from his employer for professional development than he received while at an academic library. Cataloging for a vendor is more customer-oriented. Because the customer is contracting for a service to be performed, the cataloger cannot set aside a difficult item for a later time. All problems must be resolved within the contracted time frame. Thus, the time-honored academic cataloger’s problem backlog is not acceptable in a vendor setting. Another difference is that because vendors are revenue-driven, more work represents more revenue. Hiring additional employees is more readily accomplished. Vendor catalogers are exposed to a broader range of local practices because they catalog for many libraries. On the other hand, it is a drawback not to have access to an historical framework in which to make cataloging decisions for a local library. Hague offered a personal observation on outsourcing. He believes that for some libraries outsourcing is inevitable. As a trend, outsourcing will grow; and as it grows, it will become more acceptable. Librarians who remain in the traditional library setting need to know how to evaluate the work the vendor is doing for them, or they will have failed in their responsibilities. Finally, Lynne Branche Brown, Chief Operations Officer, Yankee Book Peddler, offered her perspective as a librarian working for a vendor. During her career, Brown has focused on the acquisitions’ side of librarianship, but has moved from corporate librarianship to academic librarianship to working for a vendor. In all of these positions, Brown has done exactly the same type of work, helping to establish relationships between the vendor and the library to bring materials to the library user. Librarians employed by vendors are still librarians. They are simply working in a different venue. Working for a vendor gives the librarian a different perspective, and librarians give the vendor a different perspective. Brown sees the vendor as being an extension of a library in that the vendor is providing services for the library’s customers. There are, however, differences between working in the for-profit setting compared to the not-for-profit library. Vendors are more attentive to the bottom line. The work is more time-sensitive, with pressure to get the right book/record to the right library on time. Generally, there is less diversity in activities. A vendor cataloger spends more time cataloging materials than many catalogers in academic libraries do. Brown also sees the trend toward outsourcing of cataloging as inevitable. But that
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
113
trend is not a loss of knowledge, it is a shift of knowledge away from individual libraries to librarians employed by vendors. As more libraries outsource, there will be more opportunities for librarians to be employed by vendors. Brown encourages librarians to take the challenge and try working for a vendor. The new workplace can be seen as a scary place or as an opportunity to add breath of knowledge and diversity. Take the opportunity. This year’s President’s Program presented a balanced and informative look at how new trends in library management, such as outsourcing, are affecting our organizations and the individuals employed by them. Much useful information was provided on how to effectively deal with outsourcing, both as a manager and as an employee. PII: S0364-6408(98)000111-2
Deborah Fetch Head, Cataloging Dept. Woodward Library Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN 37044 Internet: [email protected]
Bias in Academic Library Collections: Highlights from the ALCTS/CMDS Collection Development in Academic Libraries Discussion Group Three years ago at the ALA Midwinter meeting in Philadelphia, the ALCTS/CMDS Collection Development in Academic Libraries Discussion Group sponsored a program on document delivery and direct patron access to collections. The house was packed. Two years ago a large audience at Midwinter in San Antonio heard about the selection and collection of Web sites. Unfortunately, a topic of equal significance, but with a much lower profile, drew about two dozen to this summer’s discussion group. The fragility of diversity in collection development, its sometimes unintentional causes, and the inherent dangers of some of its solutions have long been issues for libraries, but their significance has rarely been greater. From the presentations and subsequent discussion, there is no question that the small, albeit steady publication of peripheral material, buoyed by the spirit of both small and alternative publishers and members of the library community, will continue against the patterns of both the marketplace and the effect of evolving technology. Some of the solutions to alternative publishing’s dilemmas have the potential to reinforce existing difficulties, but do make for a challenging issue in collection development. The panelists for this discussion, although they represented three different perspectives, had converging visions of where small presses, marginalized points of view, and generally underrepresented groups and disciplines may be headed. Byron Anderson, Head of Reference, Northern Illinois University Libraries; Mev Miller, Project Coordinator, Women’s Presses Library Project; and Milton Wolf, Vice President for Collection Programs, Center for Research Libraries, all expressed sympathy for the tenuous existence of much peripheral information. A serious danger in efforts to promote a broader awareness of and a predilection for small press, rare (in the sense of non-core), third world, and alternative materials is that of being co-opted into the core. Diffusion in selling or watering down of the edge of a topic to make it more palatable as a legitimate, marketable entity threatens the essential identity of these materials. Some small publishers have considered, for example, the technique of a few university presses to cultivate in their lists a very small number of popular, mainstream items that can become the cash cow with
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
because of misconceptions about the core record; and Columbia staff editing errors. Harcourt’s study revealed that only 3.4% of the PCC copy required legitimate edits. This percentage is in line with the editing percentage for LC copy. The results of the study also illustrated the necessity of written guidelines for handling PCC copy and the need for ongoing training of staff to uniformly apply written guidelines. Columbia’s policy is available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/ inside/units/bibcontrol/osmc/pcctoc.html. Harcourt suggests that even if your library does not create PCC core records, copy cataloging supervisors should study the standards to know how to handle PCC records at their institution. Iris Wolley, Cataloger, Central Technical Services, Cornell University, discussed the implementation of BIBCO at her institution. Wolley’s presentation covered both original and copy cataloging because PCC has not had a large impact on copy cataloging at her institution. Cornell has processed approximately 13,400 PCC records to date and is the largest contributor of records to PCC. In 1996, Cornell made an institutional commitment to PCC. All original catalogers and some copy catalogers received BIBCO training. More information about the implementation, training issues, and procedures may be found by following the links at http://www.library. cornell.edu/cts/. The PCC core record is the default choice for all materials at Cornell. Bibliography, art exhibition, and other such notes are added at the discretion of the cataloger. All series are traced. Additional subject headings are added at the discretion of the cataloger. At Cornell, authority control validation is handled by an outside vendor. PCC core records are incorporated into the regular work flow and are treated in the same manner as full-level or LC copy. Wolley speculated that the low percentage of PCC records found during copy cataloging is a result of the esoteric nature of the materials requiring original cataloging at the PCC libraries. All three panelists were enthusiastic about PCC and urged more libraries to receive training and to adopt the standard. If more libraries were to adopt the PCC standard, more standardized bibliographic records with acceptable authority control would be available for processing in copy cataloging operations. Because these records would require less verification and editing, more copy cataloging records could be processed more quickly. Despite some audience concerns about “dumbing down” the catalog, panelists agreed that PCC is the “smarter” way to catalog. PII: S0364-6408(98)00110-1
Deborah Fetch Head, Cataloging Department Woodward Library Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN 37044 Internet: [email protected]
The Human Side of Outsourcing: Highlights from the ALCTS President’s Program Many ALA programs have focused on outsourcing from the institutional perspective. This year’s ALCTS President’s Program took a different tactic by presenting the employee’s perspective. Four panelists, two human resources professionals from libraries and two librarians employed by vendors, gave their personal perspective on this timely topic. Joyce Carter, Human Resources Director, Wright State University Library, spoke about Wright State’s early and often publicized venture in the outsourcing of their cataloging operations. In 1993, the library’s administration decided that outsourcing would be in the best interest of the entire organization. Before the outsourcing decision was made, cataloging employees were given realistic
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
111
production standards based on benchmarks obtained from similar institutions. The decision to outsource was necessary because the cataloging staff did not meet production standards, and money could be saved by outsourcing. Wright State saved $250,000; $100,000 of this amount was allocated to the materials budget, and the remainder was used to purchase computer equipment for the library. The nine employees who lost positions in cataloging were given 3 months notice. These individuals, as state civil-service employees, had bumping rights within the university. Despite the best efforts of the administration, the result of telling the employees about the outsourcing was chaos. Employees kept asking why. There were tears and more tears, anger, long lunches, late arrivals, absenteeism, and overall poor morale. The cataloging department’s work routine was disrupted. As vacancies in other areas of the library occurred, supervisors were required to accept cataloging employees who brought their ill will with them, disrupting the entire library. In fact, morale at the entire university was affected. Employees wondered if this could happen in the library, could it happen to them? There was talk of unionism. Despite all the disruption, Carter reiterated that outsourcing was the right and necessary thing to do. How would she do it differently now? Carter next discussed how to handle outsourcing while maintaining working operations and good staff morale. Decide how much and when to tell employees. Base your decision on what is right for your institution, and make it consistent with the organizational culture. Make employees part of the planning process. Bring in all the people who will be affected by the change. The most successful outsourcing strategies are those designed by the employees. There is a direct relationship between employee involvement and the financial outcome of outsourcing. Provide the employees with the services and support they need to make the transition. Train the people who will notify the outsourced employees on how to communicate effectively. Tell the employees affected in private. Communicate openly and truthfully about what is happening at every stage of the process. Present the decision as final. Provide reasons for the decision. Do not be defensive. Deal with employees’ reactions, but do not discuss past performance issues. Give separation benefits in writing. Explicitly explain the transition of any responsibilities. Be prepared to handle the survivors. Survivors are also affected by outsourcing. Reactions can range from surprise, shock, denial, disbelief, fear of failure, and distrust. Work is shifted to the remaining employees who will need training and support. Allow survivors to grieve the loss of friends and change. Define the new organization for the survivors, and tell them over and over again. Develop a sense of community. Help survivors prepare for career transitions and teach them how to be value-added employees. Carter emphasized that outsourcing is a necessary and effective business tool that must be managed carefully to assist the employees and the organization to make the transition to a new, more effective structure. Communication, employee involvement, and training are key issues in making outsourcing work. Carol Olsen, Head of Human Resources, Stanford University Libraries, offered an alternative scenario in which staff morale problems were minimized. Beginning in 1994, Stanford started the process of re-engineering the libraries. Technical processing was the first area to be re-engineered. The re-engineering was necessitated by budgetary constraints. One of the major objectives of the re-engineering was to be able to create the new organization without involuntarily laying off employees. This could only be done through creative measures. Employee involvement, communication, and training also were key factors to Stanford’s success. The re-engineering was employee driven. A team of staff from the technical services departments, other areas in the libraries, and other university departments was formed to oversee the redesign. Communication was stressed. Stanford held community debates to discuss the redesign.
112
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
Employees were given ample time to discuss the reorganization. Human Resources published a “Question and Answer” Web page and sent out weekly communications online. Stanford was fortunate to be able to put in place two employee-assistance programs, which were able to mitigate the impact on employees. Interested staff was encouraged to consider early retirement. A voluntary layoff program was initiated. Staff could voluntarily apply to be laid off and receive up to 1 year’s salary and benefits. Some staff was able to combine the two programs by electing the layoff program and then retiring. Because of these programs, no employees at Stanford were involuntarily laid off. The impact on the surviving employees was great. The new organization was flatter and less paternalistic. Supervisors played a more critical role in evaluation and were also expected to take a broader view of the organization. More interesting and challenging jobs were created. Previous professional-level work was assigned to paraprofessionals. Staff was able to move around the organization by applying for temporary jobs in other areas to broaden their skills while their regular jobs were held for them. Cash bonuses were given to individuals and teams for outstanding performance. Olsen deemed Stanford’s re-engineering to be a success. No employees lost their jobs involuntarily. Drastic structural changes were made to the organization. New efficiencies were created such as outsourcing 40% of copy cataloging and authority control operations. Moving from the organizational view to the individuals’ view, Dale Hague, of the TALX Corporation, spoke concerning his transition from cataloging in an academic library to cataloging for a vendor. There are as many similarities as differences. Catalogers working for vendors do the same work and use the same tools as other catalogers. In Hague’s setting, he receives more support from his employer for professional development than he received while at an academic library. Cataloging for a vendor is more customer-oriented. Because the customer is contracting for a service to be performed, the cataloger cannot set aside a difficult item for a later time. All problems must be resolved within the contracted time frame. Thus, the time-honored academic cataloger’s problem backlog is not acceptable in a vendor setting. Another difference is that because vendors are revenue-driven, more work represents more revenue. Hiring additional employees is more readily accomplished. Vendor catalogers are exposed to a broader range of local practices because they catalog for many libraries. On the other hand, it is a drawback not to have access to an historical framework in which to make cataloging decisions for a local library. Hague offered a personal observation on outsourcing. He believes that for some libraries outsourcing is inevitable. As a trend, outsourcing will grow; and as it grows, it will become more acceptable. Librarians who remain in the traditional library setting need to know how to evaluate the work the vendor is doing for them, or they will have failed in their responsibilities. Finally, Lynne Branche Brown, Chief Operations Officer, Yankee Book Peddler, offered her perspective as a librarian working for a vendor. During her career, Brown has focused on the acquisitions’ side of librarianship, but has moved from corporate librarianship to academic librarianship to working for a vendor. In all of these positions, Brown has done exactly the same type of work, helping to establish relationships between the vendor and the library to bring materials to the library user. Librarians employed by vendors are still librarians. They are simply working in a different venue. Working for a vendor gives the librarian a different perspective, and librarians give the vendor a different perspective. Brown sees the vendor as being an extension of a library in that the vendor is providing services for the library’s customers. There are, however, differences between working in the for-profit setting compared to the not-for-profit library. Vendors are more attentive to the bottom line. The work is more time-sensitive, with pressure to get the right book/record to the right library on time. Generally, there is less diversity in activities. A vendor cataloger spends more time cataloging materials than many catalogers in academic libraries do. Brown also sees the trend toward outsourcing of cataloging as inevitable. But that
ALA Midwinter Conference 1998
113
trend is not a loss of knowledge, it is a shift of knowledge away from individual libraries to librarians employed by vendors. As more libraries outsource, there will be more opportunities for librarians to be employed by vendors. Brown encourages librarians to take the challenge and try working for a vendor. The new workplace can be seen as a scary place or as an opportunity to add breath of knowledge and diversity. Take the opportunity. This year’s President’s Program presented a balanced and informative look at how new trends in library management, such as outsourcing, are affecting our organizations and the individuals employed by them. Much useful information was provided on how to effectively deal with outsourcing, both as a manager and as an employee. PII: S0364-6408(98)000111-2
Deborah Fetch Head, Cataloging Dept. Woodward Library Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN 37044 Internet: [email protected]
Bias in Academic Library Collections: Highlights from the ALCTS/CMDS Collection Development in Academic Libraries Discussion Group Three years ago at the ALA Midwinter meeting in Philadelphia, the ALCTS/CMDS Collection Development in Academic Libraries Discussion Group sponsored a program on document delivery and direct patron access to collections. The house was packed. Two years ago a large audience at Midwinter in San Antonio heard about the selection and collection of Web sites. Unfortunately, a topic of equal significance, but with a much lower profile, drew about two dozen to this summer’s discussion group. The fragility of diversity in collection development, its sometimes unintentional causes, and the inherent dangers of some of its solutions have long been issues for libraries, but their significance has rarely been greater. From the presentations and subsequent discussion, there is no question that the small, albeit steady publication of peripheral material, buoyed by the spirit of both small and alternative publishers and members of the library community, will continue against the patterns of both the marketplace and the effect of evolving technology. Some of the solutions to alternative publishing’s dilemmas have the potential to reinforce existing difficulties, but do make for a challenging issue in collection development. The panelists for this discussion, although they represented three different perspectives, had converging visions of where small presses, marginalized points of view, and generally underrepresented groups and disciplines may be headed. Byron Anderson, Head of Reference, Northern Illinois University Libraries; Mev Miller, Project Coordinator, Women’s Presses Library Project; and Milton Wolf, Vice President for Collection Programs, Center for Research Libraries, all expressed sympathy for the tenuous existence of much peripheral information. A serious danger in efforts to promote a broader awareness of and a predilection for small press, rare (in the sense of non-core), third world, and alternative materials is that of being co-opted into the core. Diffusion in selling or watering down of the edge of a topic to make it more palatable as a legitimate, marketable entity threatens the essential identity of these materials. Some small publishers have considered, for example, the technique of a few university presses to cultivate in their lists a very small number of popular, mainstream items that can become the cash cow with