Help page for the new catalog

Our doughty IT and tech services folk are still configuring the full WorldCat Local catalog.

But it's important to have some help documentation on hand. If nothing else it's prep for training workshops!

So a couple of us are looking at existing help guides and working on things for our own library. Our working group includes the DE librarian (aka tutorial maker extraordinaire), a director of marketing and outreach (sounds exalted but she's nice and very approachable), and the systems librarian (our catalog guy).  We've got access to a librarian who has been working reference at High Point University Libraries.  Would be nice to pull her into the working group, too.

Here are the WorldCat Local help pages that I liked best from other institutions:

• Tips, Tools, and Tutorials, Pepperdine University Libraries - so brief, so pithy. LOVE! IT!
• About WorldCat Local, University of Arizona Libraries - very descriptive, more detail, but still very readable.
• WorldCat Local Features, OCLC - this is a sales pitch written to librarians, but I like the mix of text and screenshots.

Speaking of training...we've got our  first year instruction coordinator planning some workshops. Yay!! I think that she's the most prolific presenter in our library (one year she taught 173 library instruction workshops).  I think we're going to start with sandbox sessions for library personnel before the rollout, then move out to other groups on campus.

Benchmarking for DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice)

I recently received a request to report on library support for a potential new Doctor of Nursing Practice program with nurse anesthesia and adult/gerontology nurse practitioner tracks. 

Apparently there are a number of NC schools seeking to offer a DNP program (see News & Record story).  That makes sense, given the AACN position on moving the terminal degree for advance nursing practice from master's level up to a doctorate.

Of course, we're interested in comparing our library stuff to the stuff at libraries already supporting this kind of program.  I started with the established DNP programs suggested by the faculty member - Duke University, University of Maryland, etc.

Now, I know that our library resources are great.  And value for dollars spent on databases, journals, etc.? A-MAZING.  (One of our administrators is currently organizing a cost/use analysis requested by UNC General Administration for our library PLUS other libraries in one of our consortia.  b/c he kicks a** at that stuff).

But I'm getting a serious case of library envy when comparing our collection and human resources to schools that charge upwards of $43,000/year.

Since I have some time, I'd rather start at the other end - benchmark nursing resources at libraries similar to ours.  Get that kick-a** feeling back before checking out the heavy hitters.

New library catalog coming soon!

We're getting a new catalog this upcoming academic year.  It will be in the cloud. So not at all like this:

Creative Commons licensed photo from dfulmer (2010)

Moving towards the cloud...
You might already be familiar with the new catalog. Right now, when you click on our catalog, you see something called "UNC Library Express"

This is a version of OCLC's WorldCat Local, called quick start. We're currently transitioning to the more robust version. The new version should be ready this July (2012). You'll still be able to use our old catalog for awhile. I've been told it'll be still be available at least through fall 2012 and likely into spring 2013.

But starting this summer, the WorldCat search will be much more prominent on our library pages than the old catalog search.

Here's what a WorldCat Local search looks like:

I'm sure the roll out will come with official messages since a new catalog is a big deal in libraryland.


Public-facing improvements with WorldCat Local

• Search books, e-books, and videos in our library AND in other OCLC libraries.  Greensboro, TALA (academic libraries in the Triad), other libraries in the UNC system, and the world  - already active!
• Links into e-books and online articles - coming soon!
• Easier InterLibrary Loan - "Request item" links fill in the request for you - already active!
• Share - post records to Facebook and other social media sites - already active!
• Lists - create your own book lists to share (or not) - already active!

To name just a few. 

There are some cool new features. But every catalog is different. I'm one of the old-school types who will miss call number searching.  So I'm glad that a) OCLC is constantly developing WorldCat and b) we'll have our old catalog for awhile.


Big changes on the back end...
WorldCat Local is an online search hosted by OCLC. It relies on catalog records stored by libraries locally on their own servers.

WorldShare Management uses the same search interface as WorldCat Local, but it really goes into the cloud.  Libraries no longer store catalog records on their own servers (or do lots of other behind the scenes ILS work locally).  It's web-based. This is the goal we're aiming for by the end of academic year 2012-2013.

Want more info?

• WorldCat Local Features
• Support for WorldCat Local
• Discovery through WorldCat Local: An in-depth demonstration - webinar recording, requires a name and email to view

FYI, these are librarian and library staff resources.

Disclaimer
Info is based on notes from an OCLC site visit, multiple webinars and in-person meetings, a fair amount of online searching, and of course the expertise of our systems librarian and many others who work hard providing the resources that I rely upon as a public services librarian.

This post reflects my own PoV only.

Dates mentioned here are based on the info currently available to me and they are subject to change.

UNCG/WFU Liaison Brainstorming

What's the deal?

There's been a lot of talk about services and priorities at my library in the past few years.  When the academic programs were reviewed, library services and resources were reviewed too.  Some activities were discontinued and some personnel were reassigned.

Right now there's a group looking at liaison librarian roles. I'm pretty interested in the outcome, since much of what I do is liaison work.

Who are the liaisons?

Most of our liaisons are reference librarians. Their primary jobs have something to do with instruction, research assistance, and collection development.  But we have liaisons from other library departments (IT, Administration). Also at several administrative levels (department head to associate dean). 

Liaisons used to be assigned to academic departments. These assignments have been growing with the addition of new academic programs and the expansion of liaison assignments to living and learning communities, student groups, research centers, etc.  Meanwhile liaisons have also been picking up additional responsibilities within their subject areas - a few of the librarians co-teach for credit courses or embed themselves (play an ongoing, active role) into courses, other librarians are heavy into library guide and tutorial creation, etc.


So let's talk
Steve Cramer, Business Librarian Extraordinaire, called together liaisons from Z. Smith Reynolds Library (Wake Forest University) and from UNCG. We discussed roles, strengths and weaknesses of our liaison systems, plus ways to improve them.

Roles
What are some of the things that we're doing at both institutions?

Strengths and weaknesses
What's working well?  What could be improved?

Strengths of a liaison system drawing from various library depts and administrative levels, with assignments across campus departments and other groups

• Wide coverage of campus for library matters
• Library goodwill - people like learning that you are "their" librarian!
• More viewpoints and strengths from each library area/level available directly to patrons
• Self-agency - flexibility in allowing personnel to focus on subject areas or job functions in which they excel

Weaknesses

• Increased difficulty for administration, training, reporting, assessment of liaison activities
• Growing demand - not sustainable to keep expanding services and activities indefinitely
• Difficulty in finding or keeping a good match between assignments and librarians

Solutions
Ideas for stretching finite resources to meet growing demand.

1. Hire additional liaisons - that one got a big laugh
2. Review and reallocate liaison assignments based on academic department size and need.  
3. Spread liaison work around. Perhaps share liaison tasks with library personnel who have a strong academic background in a subject area? Or let library science student workers loose on tech type stuff?
4. Specialization vs. generalization of liaison work - Perhaps allowing librarians to specialize in job function might save time, effort, duplication? Teaching liaisons (all in reference/outreach dept?) vs. collection liaisons.
5. Reduce time-intensive work:
• Increase approval plan and support additional demand driven/patron driven book selections.
• Rely more on tutorials in library instruction, e.g. assign basic skills tutorials as priming before library talks.