Reducing service points in the academic library: How to provide quality customer service in the face of budget cuts

Leuzinger, Julie

doi:10.5860/crln.74.10.9027

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Leuzinger (2013) outlined the experience of combining multiple service points in the face of severe budget constraints coupled with a remodeling project at the University of North Texas. In 2009, the Willis Library operated six separate service points including check out, circulation, ILL, fines, reserves, and reference.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Julie Leuzinger reported similar frustrations of the multiple service desks at the University of North Texas:Public services staff spent a good portion of their day playing “pass the patron,” referring from one desk to another, and on several occasions patrons got frustrated by not being able to take care of their library business in one location, or were embarrassed because they did not know where they should go to receive the services they needed(Leuzinger, 2013).…”

Section: Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reviewing and reforming library service points

Keisling

Sproles

2017

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Purpose To support the success of their students and faculty, libraries have to understand changing user needs. Robust user assessment programs and analysis of service patterns can reveal many of those needs. Many libraries have responded to changing user expectations by consolidating service desks and providing better organization of user services. Recent advances in assessment have added to libraries’ capacity to refine the scope and goals of service desk mergers. Assessment and analysis support better conceptual frameworks for realigning organizational structures and overarching service models. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Using a renovation and organizational restructuring in Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville as a case study, this paper examines the assessment process, organizational restructuring, and physical renovation that resulted in service desks merging. Findings This study found that comprehensive and ongoing user assessment is crucial to planning for renovations and service changes. User needs awareness must then be linked with organizational models and service delivery systems. Service desk mergers will be successful when they result from thoughtful assessment and analysis. Research limitations/implications Other case studies with assessment driven renovation projects, service desk mergers, and organizational changes would be useful to add to these findings. Practical implications This paper provides a process and framework for library leadership who are evaluating and revising service delivery models. Originality/value The perspectives and process described in this case study will be of value to improve library service delivery models.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reviewing and reforming library service points

Keisling

Sproles

2017

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“…A more efficient delivery of a wide variety of services is also noted as a reason for blending service desks (Churchwell, Stark, & Wallace, 2011;Flanagan & Horowitz, 2000;Murphy et al, 2008). Increased demand for virtual reference and increased demands on librarian time for services like library instruction is also widely noted (Bugg & Odom, 2009;Crane & Pavy, 2008;Leuzinger, 2013;Sheffield et al, 2013;Wang & Henson, 2011), as is the need for more efficient staffing due to staff reductions and constrained or decreasing budgets (Bracke, Chinnaswamy, & Kline, 2008;Murphy et al, 2008;Sheffield et al, 2013;Troy & Lawson, 2012).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of those that do, most implicitly equate improvements in service quality to the reduction of user confusion and frustration formerly created by referrals between separate desks (Crane & Pavy, 2008;Flanagan & Horowitz, 2000;Leuzinger, 2013;Troy & Lawson, 2012). A few also mention increased service consistency or the development of more usercentered policies (Allegri & Bedard, 2006;Johnson et al, 2011;Murphy et al, 2008).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aiming for service excellence: Implementing a plan for customer service quality at a blended service desk

Oud

Genzinger

2016

Journal of Access Services

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Aiming for service excellence: Implementing a plan for customer service quality at a blended service desk" (2016). Library. 35. http://scholars.wlu.ca/lib_pub/35Aiming for service excellence: Implementing a plan for customer service quality at a blended service desk Joanne Oud and Peter Genzinger, Wilfrid Laurier University Library, Waterloo, ON, Canada KEYWORDS Access services; blended service; service quality; single service desk; user services ABSTRACT This article discusses a public service review and redesign that resulted in a blended service desk combining reference and circulation functions, staffed by nonlibrarians. The redesign implements a number of organizational structures that encourage service excellence, as found in the business literature and in examples of nonlibrary organizations that excel in customer service. The article identifies key organizational structures that have been shown to support or hinder good service and discusses the process of implementing these structures in practice and the results of an assessment process designed around determining success.

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“…Leuzinger (2013) mentions the fact that, in today's budget environment, academic libraries are expected to "do more with less" (p. 530) and discusses how the University of North Texas reduced its library service points and utilized support staff to reduce personnel costs. Ryan (2008) analyzed reference transactions to determine the cost-effectiveness of staffing the reference desk with librarians vs non-librarian staff, concluding that the low percentage of questions requiring a librarian's expertise makes scheduling librarians at the desk a fiscally unwise practice.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking librarians off the desk: one library changes its reference desk staffing model

Peters

2015

Performance Measurement and Metrics

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Purpose -This paper is a case study of the decision at Central Michigan University to take librarians off the reference desk. Departmental data on reference desk traffic and other ancillary functions of the reference department was used to make the case for removing the librarians from the desk. Data collected since the decision was made has supported the decision to move to an on-call reference desk staffing model. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -The department reviewed and analyzed data on reference desk transactions of all types from previous years to inform its decision making. Data trends and an analysis of the nature of the questions asked at the reference desk were instrumental in the analysis. Findings -The department determined that the statistical data justified the removal of the librarians from the reference desk. Data collected since moving to the on-call model supports the earlier decision. Originality/value -This paper provides libraries considering their own desk staffing models with a discussion of another library's decision-making process and evidence of a successful migration to a new reference service model.

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Reducing service points in the academic library: How to provide quality customer service in the face of budget cuts

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Reviewing and reforming library service points

Reviewing and reforming library service points

Aiming for service excellence: Implementing a plan for customer service quality at a blended service desk

Taking librarians off the desk: one library changes its reference desk staffing model

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