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The
Erling Oe
The
The Journal of
The Academic Library as a Full-ServiceInformation Center
by Sue Samson and Erling Oelz
Available online 19 July 2005
The Information Center (IC) evolved to takecontrol of technology, to integrate the library’sgrowing collection of networked resources withits service mission, to build a team of personnel
committed to the success of the IC, and tointegrate assessment into the cycle of change at
the Mansfield Library.
Sue Samson is Professor and Head,Information and Research Services Division,
Mansfield Library, 32 Campus Drive,University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
[email protected];lz is Professor and LibQual Services Coordinator,
Mansfield Library, 32 Campus Drive,University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Academic Librarianship, Volume 31, Number 4, pages 347–351
‘‘Change has become a cliche, a worn-out conceptthat has lost its power to inform. At the sametime change continues to be a constant—and,
indeed, what would be the alternative?’’1 Perhaps nowherehas change been more profound than in the arena ofinformation technology. Being a librarian means adaptingand learning something new every day; being a librarianmeans navigating the Web while still being able to usemicroforms; being a librarian means change is a dynamicpremise of professional effectiveness.
One aspect of this change is that computers and networkedresources have become an integral part of academic librarycollections during the past decade. Their impact is clearlydefined by the advent of areas in academic libraries describedvariably as Information Commons, Information Centers, orInstruction Commons. The definition of such terms variesconsiderably between libraries but essentially describes aspecific location in which electronic workstations are main-tained by qualified staff for the delivery of electronicresources for research and production.2
Library user demand for the integration of electronicresources with production software and technical supportevolved into the formation of an Information Center (IC) atThe University of Montana-Missoula Mansfield Library.This paper describes the implementation process used bythe Mansfield Library to take control of technology, tointegrate its strong networked resources with its servicemission, to build a team of personnel committed to thesuccess of the IC, and to assess the results.
HISTORY AND IMPLEMENTATION
The University of Montana-Missoula (UM) is a coeducational,doctoral university with an enrollment of 13,000 students and700 faculty. The student body is composed of 11,000 under-graduates and 1600 graduates. In 1995, the Mansfield Librarywas providing service from three distinct locations: its mainbuilding, a separate location for media materials and instruc-tional equipment, and a separate campus location for theCollege of Technology library recently incorporated into theUM system. Each of these locations required personnel toprovide reference assistance, circulation and access services,and processing of materials; and hours of access varied formlocation to location. In addition, the smaller satellite mediacollection received strong recommendation from the universi-
July 2005 347
ty’s recent accreditation team to alleviate the overcrowding forboth personnel and materials and to make the collectionsaccessible comparable to accessibility of the main collection.
This recommendation, along with planning investigationsalready underway, began what would evolve into the designand implementation of the IC. Steps were put in place tointegrate the media collection into the main building alongwith the personnel, service desks, and processing. Once thisintegration occurred, discussions developed to address themultilevel service desks in place within the main library.These included separate service desks for: media circulation;monograph circulation; reference for government documents,maps, archives, and special collections; general reference;interlibrary loan; and copy services. In addition, thesedifferent service desks continued to maintain variable servicehours. Users were frequently sent to another service desk ordiscovered that the service desk where they expectedassistance was closed. The idea of one-stop assistance hadappeal from both the perspective of user service and theperspective of organizational exigency.
At the same time and similar to other academicinstitutions, networked resources at the Mansfield Librarywere having a profound effect on the way users accessedinformation. Use of networked resources has expandedexponentially over the past decade, growing in numbersand changing library user services rapidly (Fig. 1). A clusterof six computers that provided access to eight databases onCD-ROM morphed into a cluster of twenty networkedcomputers that provided Internet access and linked to overfifty databases. Currently, the network supports 145 work-stations; provides access to the Web, e-mail, productionsoftware, and more than 150 databases; and links to acomplete array of copy services, including laser and colorprinting, scanning, fax, slide production, presentation, andgraphic design. Reference and instruction support are alsoadjacent and integral to the service.
THE PLAN
The nature of reference queries, the need for technicalsupport, the maintenance of numerous service points with
Figure 1The Number of Subscription Networked ResourcesAvailable from the Mansfield Library Website,
1997–2003
348 The Journal of Academic Librarianship
variable hours of service, and the need to provide servicewithout additional staff coalesced into a plan for the creationof a center where all questions could receive answers duringall open hours. At the beginning of the process, thefollowing goals were identified in an effort to integratenew needs with a new model of service:
! maintain consistent hours of access at fewer service points;
! maximize the talents of all personnel;
! provide one-stop service for library users; and
! expedite referrals to qualified personnel.
Two ad hoc committee task forces were established toexplore the steps necessary to establish a single point ofservice and relocate several units within the library. TaskForce 1 was charged to build on the concept of one-stopshopping and to develop a proposal that would establish asingle reference point and consider the realignment of all userservice functions at the same time. Task Force 2 was chargedto develop a proposal that called for the relocation of theArchives and Special Collections to address the protection ofthose elements of the collection that are truly unique andirreplaceable and to create a showcase Montana Room toserve as an exhibit, reception, and research area.
These groups represented those who would be involvedin the process and their reports were given to the Directorof Public Services. These proposals resulted in the decisionto implement the IC with the following guidelines:
! the location of the IC was targeted for front and center aslibrary users entered the building;
! the design of the IC would incorporate all relevant servicepoints—media and monograph circulation, integrated refer-ence, and interlibrary loan—with the exception of the CopyServices and Archives;
! all services would be available during all open hours withthe exception of Archives; and
! training appropriate to quality levels of service would beprovided to all IC personnel.
The final implementation plan involved a sequence ofinterwoven tasks. The design and construction of the ICdesk included the unique needs of all integrated servicepoints; for example, circulation and interlibrary loanoperations preferred stand-up service points, while referencetransactions and technical support required seated serviceand dual-monitor computers. Relocation of media collec-tions, ready reference materials including government docu-ments and maps, and interlibrary loan operations wereintegrated into the new IC. The traditional hard copyReference Collection was condensed with less frequentlyused titles relocated into the main collection in order tofocus on the rapidly expanding electronic reference collec-tion. This shift accommodated the relocation of a largecluster of computer workstations that had previously beenspread throughout the library into an area adjacent to thenew IC. Technical support and information services includ-ing reference and instruction were placed in sight of andadjacent to the computer cluster.
‘‘The design and construction of the IC deskincluded the unique needs of all integratedservice points [circulation reference media
ILL technical support]...’’
A single, continuous service desk provides inter-con-nected walk-up assistance for library users. Referenceassistance is positioned in the center of this extendedservice area to provide front-line assistance and referrals.Although circulation, reference, technical support, andinterlibrary loan have distinct work areas with signage, alibrary user can approach the desk at any point and receivea basic level of assistance that may lead to a personalreferral or to another area of the service desk if necessary.In general, this is handled by the user being directed to thearea within the service desk where their particular need canbe most expeditiously addressed.
Finally, the implementation plan included a series ofcontinuing education opportunities offered to all IC staffduring a two-week period prior to fall semester and theopening of the IC.
THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM AND TRAINING
Critical to the success of the Information Center as it adaptedto the needs of Mansfield Library users were the need for astable, reliable network and the need for an integratedreference and technical support team to address the broadspectrum of user questions. The model of reference servicedevoted exclusively to locating information sources hadgradually given way to a new model that addressed locatinginformation online in tandem with transferring the informa-tion via e-mail, downloading, or presentation software.Reference questions are a blend of locating information,using online class software, accessing syllabi online, partic-ipating in online discussions groups, receiving and sending e-mail and attachments, using information to design anddevelop PowerPoint presentations or Microsoft documents,building tables in Excel, and printing options in pdf or htmlformats.
Even five years ago, the nature of reference questionsrelied less on a knowledge of hardware and softwareapplications. However, once the IC workstations becamefull-service, library users flooded the premises; and theirexpectations for assistance were the groundwork for anew model of service. Several levels of support were putin place to address the increase in technical supportqueries.
First, the job descriptions for students who had previouslybeen hired to shelve reference books and provide backupassistance at the reference desk during slow hours wererewritten. These positions were refocused to be front-linetechnical support for computer-related questions. Studentsapplying for these jobs are now required to have a high levelof experience with word processing software, hotmail, Web,and computer hardware. Their primary training is under thedirection of Technical and Network Services and addressesthe nuances of the local area network, remote accessrequirements, and a myriad of frequently asked technical
support questions. Allocated hours for this student supportwere also increased as a result of funding made availablethrough a student computer fee that targets the computingneeds of all students.
Second, reference technicians provide a main source ofconsistent reference desk support throughout busy daytimehours. During high-volume times, librarians team up withtechnicians to provide a greater depth of coverage. All referencetechnicians were required to participate in the technical supporttraining in order to have a competency level equal to that of thetechnical support students. They are often scheduled into vacanttechnical support slots or fill in for students unable to make theirshifts.
Third, all librarians participated in continuing educationopportunities that addressed their needs for a better under-standing of the technical questions that were forthcoming. Inalmost all instances, librarians are scheduled on the ICreference desk with technical support either from a studentor from a reference technician. However, all IC personnelwere encouraged to strengthen their expertise so that theycould provide a full complement of support.
Scheduling of the reference area of the IC includes a teamapproach that incorporates technical support student assis-tants, reference technicians, and librarians; all three arescheduled during prime time building usage, and varyingcombinations of two team members and sometimes oneduring low-use hours. In addition, Technology and NetworkServices provides backup support with two positions targetedat providing public computing assistance for difficult orcomplex questions. Technology and Network Services alsomonitors an online help desk function that includes criticalstatus for emergency assistance with public stations. Furtheruser assistance comes from the circulation and interlibraryloan operations that exist on each side of the reference area.With all IC staff trained to provide a basic level ofinformation assistance, fill-in occurs automatically and natu-rally for both walk-up and telephone queries when queuesform at any point at the IC.
Training needs were addressed initially when the IC opened.The two-week training series addressed an array of needs:complete tour of the library that was supported by aWeb guide toall collections; a tour of each area of the integrated IC thatidentified unique capabilities of each section and the focus of theservices provided; technical support basics in support of thepublic computers; and time for a Q&A session.
Since the initial training, on-going continuing educationopportunities have been designed on a model of Reality CE.Trainers collect actual questions that provide a cross-sectionof training needs. These questions are variously grouped bygeneral subject areas or types of questions in order to havethe CE sessions focus on particular training needs. The CEsessions are held in a classroom with networked computers,and IC personnel are grouped into teams and given aquestion to answer in fifteen to twenty minutes. Each groupthen reports to the whole group with their approaches to thequestions. Discussion is encouraged and members of thegroup provide additional input on methods and/or ways ofanswering the questions. These questions and potentialmethods for answering them are recorded and madeavailable on the intranet. This Web site provides a sourceof frequently asked questions and can be further used fortraining with new IC personnel.
July 2005 349
OUTCOMES AND DISCUSSION
Use of the Library
During the past five years, use of the library and itscollections has shifted. While circulation and in-house referencequeries have flattened, door counts, online access, and virtualreference have increased significantly. (Table 1). These datareflect trends in academic libraries nationwide and theunprecedented advances in information technologies that haverevolutionized almost every facet of higher education.3 Therapid growth of electronic collections, the expectations oflibrary users to access these resources in full text via the Web,and the increasing technical savvy of library users havecombined to present challenges to academic libraries of howbest to meet the changing information needs of their clientele.
‘‘While circulation and in-house referencequeries have flattened, door counts, online
access, and virtual reference have increasedsignificantly.’’
A result of these changes has been the advent of spaceswithin the academic library designated to deliver electronicresources for research and production that also provide acomplete complement of instruction, reference assistance, andtechnical support. This concept builds on the trends identified inrecent library renovations in which the model of a library is nolonger one of warehouse but one of a workshop open forexploration and discovery.4 The evolution of the informationcommons concept has been one approach to providing new andrefined levels of service to academic library users.5 The conceptcan be readily adapted to the campus culture and needs ofindividual institutions. Examples include an InformationCommons at Colorado State University, an Instruction Com-mons at Iowa State University, and shifting levels of technicalsupport at Central Michigan University.6
Workstation Availability
Another aspect of the Information Center concept is themanagement of the technology—computer workstations thatprovide access to information resources, a wide range of presen-tation software, networked copy services, online classes, elec-tronic reserves, and faculty Web pages among other resources.7
As Graham reports, when the library becomes the most popularcomputer lab on campus, the definition of quality service andsupport to library users must be redefined and enhanced.
At the Mansfield library and during the time the IC was beingdesigned and implemented, the university’s Information Tech-
TableLibrary User Statistics Showing Trend
Transaction Type 1998–1999 1999–2000
Reference queries 44,819 52,528
Circulation loans 179,968 158,721
Building visits 531,104 552,368
Web visits 147,410
350 The Journal of Academic Librarianship
nology Office transferred the management of one of theircomputer labs that was located in the library to the library’sadministration. This particular computer lab had often func-tioned at less than 50 percent operation even while studentswaited in line for use of a workstation upstairs in the IC.8 In partthis was due to the location but also to the fact that printingoptions were limited and access was restrictive. The user-friendly access to the cluster of visible workstations in the IC, theease of printing to networked laser printers adjacent to the IC,and the location of immediate technical and research supportnearby have fostered high use. This is underscored by data thatshow a rise in the door count and the continuing rise in access tothe library’s Web page (Table 1).
Ease of access to the workstations remains the cornerstone ofthe popularity of the IC. The ebb and flow of computer usecorrelates to the beginning and end of class periods during theday, to the demands of the semester system, and to thefluctuation of the academic year. To make access as smoothas possible, technical support students circulate regularly tomake sure all stations are operating properly. If malfunctionscannot be remedied, they are immediately reported to theTechnology and Network Services help desk on a critical statusthat receives one-hour service. Occasionally, an empty station islocated in the cluster and waiting library users are waved intoplace. If the queue is longer or more frequent than usual, patronsare encouraged that the wait will not be too long; and in factmost queues are short lived.
Personnel and Training
At its best, this model of service is a finely tunedchoreography that allows IC personnel to flow easily fromone service area to another to address whatever questions ariseand from whatever source-in-person, telephone, or virtual.Central to this model is a team of personnel committed toquality service and, in particular, to the success of the IC; andunderscoring this team concept is the need for successfultraining and a competent referral system.
‘‘...this model of service is a finely–tunedchoreography that allows IC personnel to flow
easily from one service area to another to addresswhatever questions arise and from whatever
source-in-person, telephone, or virtual.’’
As described earlier, the creation and staffing of atechnical support desk filled the missing link in the ICteam. The technical support students are well trained and
1s of Use from 1998 to the Present
2000–2001 2001–2002 2002–2003
48,981 30,184 43,176
189,185 188,066 163,249
562,896 679,951 599,322
262,222 389,688
capable and provide an important link to integratinginformation resources with software applications. In addition,they frequently provide assistance to other students, could beconsidered peer assistants, and offer an excellent level ofuser-friendly support that strengthens the library mission.9 Asa point of service, a technical support student is available formore hours than other members of the team includingreference technicians and librarians. Most importantly, by thejuxtaposition of the service points, all IC personnel can learnfrom one another and interact with library users in supportof all aspects of a question. Thus, a library user who needsto access a syllabus from electronic reserves, completeresearch on a particular topic, print peer-reviewed journalarticles in pdf format from a database, compile a PowerPointpresentation incorporating graphics, print a color basedhandout, and check out a video and book will receiveone-stop assistance even though a team of four IC personnelprovide input.
Assessment
Shill and Tonner completed a comprehensive study on theuse of new, expanded, renovated, or reconfigured librariesfrom 1995 to 2002.10 One of their recommendations forfurther research focused on whether the creation of an IC orthe provision of productivity software on library computershas an affect on building use. One of the most telling userstatistics relative to the implementation of the IC is the doorcount prior to and after its implementation in 2001 (Table 1).Although circulation numbers have softened, patron doorcounts continue to rise. Access to the library’s Web site hasalso continued to rise dramatically from 147,410 visits to thesite for 616,923 Web pages in academic year 1999–2000 to389,688 visits to the site for 1,153,754 Web pages inacademic year 2002–2003. A visit is defined as oneconnection for all activity done by a particular computer inthe space of thirty minutes. From numbers alone, it appearsthat the IC with its cluster of networked computers,production software, and adjacent technical, instruction, andreference assistance is addressing the needs of many libraryusers.
In addition and in tandem with the design and develop-ment of the IC, the Mansfield Library participated inLibQual+k during fall semester 2003. The timing of thisassessment corresponded to the second year of IC imple-mentation and provided an excellent opportunity to reviewthe impact of this service model in ‘‘a survey that measuresuser perceptions and expectations of library service quality infour dimensions: Access to information, Affect of Service,Library as Place, and Personal Control.’’11 The data from theLibQual+k survey will be used to further enhance servicesprovided at the IC. A library-wide retreat focused on thesurvey results and The 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan andincluded a presentation by a librarian from a participatingLibQual+k library to provide a framework for how theMansfield Library can use the survey results to launchproductive change. This retreat included brainstormingsessions by small groups that focused on specific aspectsof the LibQual+k survey results. An ad hoc committee wasthen formed to develop goals and measurable objectivesbased on the comments of these groups. These goals andobjectives will set the groundwork for the next evolution ofrefining the IC model of service.
THE FUTURE
At the Mansfield Library, evolution is a key ingredient ofthe service mission that reflects the need for changeidentified in The 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan. Themodel described here to adapt user services to the changingneeds of students, faculty, and staff at The University ofMontana is one that can be adapted and modified in librariesacross the country. Similar to many academic libraries, theIC evolved in an effort to take control of technology, tointegrate the library’s growing collection of networkedresources with its service mission, to build a team ofpersonnel committed to the success of the IC, and tointegrate assessment into the cycle of change at the MansfieldLibrary. The integration of assessment will provide the datanecessary to address change as it relates to the needs andexpectations of library users. As those needs and expectationschange, so will the services.
‘‘...the IC evolved in an effort to take control oftechnology, to integrate the library’s growing
collection of networked resources with itsservice mission, to build a team...and to integrate
assessment into the cycle of change...’’
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Cathy De Rosa, Lorcan Dempsey, and Alane Wilson, The 2003OCLC Environmental Scan: Pattern Recognition: A Report to theOCLC Membership (Dublin, OH: OCLC, 2004).
2. Allison Cowgill, Joan Beam, and Lindsey Wess, ‘‘Implementingan information commons in a university library,’’ Journal ofAcademic Librarianship, 27 (November 2001): 432–439.
3. Harold B. Shill and Shawn Tonner. ‘‘Does the building stillmatter? Usage patterns in new, expanded, and renovated libraries,1995–2002,’’ College & Research Libraries, 65 (March 2004):123–150; and Beveryly P. Lynch, ed. Information Technologyand the Remaking of the University Library (San Francisco:Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995).
4. Patricia Cohen, ‘‘Spaces for Social Study,’’ The New York Times,Final Ed (August 1, 2004): 19.
5. Cowgill and Wess, ‘‘Implementing an information commons in auniversity library.’’
6. Ibid.; David Gregory and William J. Nixon, ‘‘The instruc-tion commons: An Information Literacy Initiative at IowaState University,’’ Library Review, 52 (2003): 422–432; andKrista Graham, ‘‘When the library becomes the largestcomputer lab on campus,’’ C&RL News, 64 (July/August2003). 462–468.
7. Richards Griffin, ‘‘Technology Planning: Oregon State Universi-ty’s information commons,’’ OLA Quarterly, 6 (Fall 2000): 2.
8. Kim Granath, Use of Public Computer Workstations at theMansfield Library , Unpublished report (Missoula, MT: MansfieldLibrary, 2003).
9. Jacqueline Borin, ‘‘Training, supervising, and evaluating stu-dent information assistants,’’ Reference Librarian, 72 (2001):195–206.
10. Shill and Tonner, ‘‘Does the building still matter? Usage patternsin new, expanded, and renovated libraries, 1995–2002.’’
11. Association of Research Libraries, LibQUAL+k Spring 2003Survey: Institution Results University of Montana-Missoula,(Washington, DC: ARL, 2003) p. 1.
July 2005 351
