Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 15:27:29 -0500
From: Judy Alliprandine (Jefferson Co. PL) <judya_at_jefferson.lib.co.us>
Subject: Throughput standards for technical services operations
Request: We are trying to identify standards for materials throughput in
technical services.
Background: Our library is attempting to reduce the amount of time
materials sit in queue at our library service center, where we order,
receive, catalog and process our new materials. We are a multi-branch
county library, and we have enjoyed annual materials budget increases for
several years now, without an increase in acquisitions and cataloging staff
to handle the increased volume. Over time, this has created quite a
new-materials backlog. Our new materials awaiting unpacking are currently 9
weeks behind our in-door date, and our turnaround time for unpacked
materials can run as long as 4 to 5 months.
We have a new manager who has started a project to review and reevaluate our
processes. As a part of this, she has suggested that there must be
established profession standards for new materials throughput which we
should try to meet. In other words, how quickly should the average material
move through acquisitions, cataloging and processing? What should our
order-placement turnaround be? The same for materials receiving, cataloging
and processing?
I am unaware of such standards, nor have I been able to locate them in the
literature or the Acqweb archives. Is anyone aware of such standards and
where I might find them? Many thanks --
Judy Alliprandine
Head, Acquisitions Unit
Jefferson County Public Library
303-275-2251
303-275-2255 FAX
judya_at_jefferson.lib.co.us
--Boundary_(ID_ujqCJkGxt8N+4jnfgSSHaA)--
Received on Sat Feb 24 2001 - 17:28:42 EST