NewS & More
June 2010
In this issue:
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•
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Circ Desk Remodel
NSM Stuff Sessions
Librarians Live at FLB
Interview with Tom
Teper
• Main Stacks Bags
• NSM Office Hours
NSM
NSMNews
News&&Other
OthLibrary
Happenings
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Circulation Desk Reconfiguration Completed
The Central Circulation desk and the
entrance to the Main Stacks were
remodeled this fall to create a more
functional and aesthetically pleasing
service point.
direct route to both circulation services
and to the Stacks themselves. At
the same time, staff benefit from
better workflows and much improved
space.
This project was developed by the
University Library to provide easier
access to the Main Stacks and a
better arrangement of space for
behind-the-desk functions. For more
details, see (http://www.library.illinois.
edu/nsm/stacks/circdeskplan.html)
As noted in the Stacks Users Services
Implementation Plan, “the former
arrangement of the main service point
dissuaded users from self-service and
was a significant cost center - requiring
the staffing of multiple service points
(turnstile, Stacks circulation desk, and
Main Circulation Desk) within a thirty
foot radius.”
The new configuration also provides
more space for shelving ILL and hold
items, as well as for print reserves.
Library and Information Science and
English print reserves were relocated
here in the Fall 2009 and other units
in the Main Library will be joining them
soon.
The area in front of the desk and
surrounding the Info Desk has also
been rearranged. Public access
computers are now located on tables
in the northeast section of the room.
An arrangement of lounge chairs
and tables was placed in front of
the desk where people can wait for
With a clear passage from the items being paged. Wooden lockers
Information Desk that leads into an were installed for the convenience of
inviting entrance into the Main Stacks, patrons entering the Main Stacks.
the new entrance provides a more
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Recent NSM Stuff Sessions
These informal sessions provide concise, timely information about NSM projects and related activities
for the Library community. Dates for upcoming meetings and summaries from past sessions may be
found at: http://www.library.illinois.edu/nsm/stuffsessions/index.html
June 21, 2010
- Update on NSM Projects
- Panel Discussion on “New Models of Scholarly Support Services”
May 13, 2010
- The Future of the University Library: Alex Scheeline, Senate Committee on the Library
Librarians Live at FLB
Armed with a laptop, printed materials, and a
bowl of candy, they are working to counteract
the perception that libraries and librarians
are separate from the rest of the University
community. They distribute guides, bookmarks,
and other materials with the names of different
libraries and their contact information.
(Paula Carns & Chris “Kit” Condill)
Several lunchtimes each semester librarians with
expertise in Slavic, Asian, German, Latin, French,
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese set up a table in
the lobby of the FLB to “meet and greet” faculty
and students and provide information about
Library resources and services. Paula Carns
(Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Librarian and
Acting Librarian for Latin American and Caribbean
Studies) says that these informal sessions are
a way “to inform faculty and students about the
libraries and librarians that serve the School of
Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics.”
Since many resources are now available
online, librarians are finding that they see less
of faculty and students in the physical library
buildings, and this outreach is one way for them
to keep in touch beyond official meetings and
events. While they do not get many reference
questions during these sessions, this program
allows them to meet people who are often not
aware of the range of language and subjects
expertise available at the Library. Faculty and
Teaching Assistants appreciate having the
printed materials highlighting the collections
and services at the Library on hand for their
classes. Students have noted that encountering
librarians in this way has changed their image
of librarians to that of outgoing and engaged
members of their University community. Prof.
Carns thinks that “This is exactly what we are
trying to accomplish!”
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Conversation with Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian
for Collections and Associate Dean of Libraries
In the interview excerpted below, Robyn Bianconi, GSLIS student and grad hourly for New Service Models,
poses several questions to Tom Teper regarding the relationship between NSM and collections, as well as current and future projects relating to collections development at the Library. The full interview is available at:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/nsm/newsletter/Tom_Teper_Interview_-_Full_Version.pdf
Robyn Bianconi:
How would you describe the link between NSM
and Collections?
Tom Teper:
One of the biggest services that the library
has offered faculty and students is access to
collections, and I think in many respects we
still think that’s the case. One: just because
a physical space is not being utilized the way
that it was historically, it doesn’t mean that
the collections are not still valuable to the
faculty and students. And secondly, we really
looked at them as being almost two separate
issues…we haven’t tied the collections
allocations for any one discipline to any of
this process at all.
Robyn Bianconi:
The Stacks Service Planning Team and the
Collection Development Committee worked to
define collections parameters for what is housed
in Oak Street, Main Stacks and departmental
libraries. Can you talk about that...
Tom Teper:
Sure, the Stacks Services Team actually
outlined some general parameters for what
should be included in those three types of
locations....For many, many years the Stacks
was essentially the remote storage location
for many of our unit libraries. For others it
was the only location. When we had a subject
specialist but no specified unit for materials,
the Stacks held virtually everything that
person acquired, virtually. But almost
a decade ago now we opened the first
module of our remote storage facility,
and began moving a fairly significant
amount of lower-use material out to
that site. This, in many cases, was done
in a very deliberative manner, thinking
about what belonged in the Stacks, what
belonged in a unit library, what could go
into this location...The amount of content
that’s available electronically has vastly
increased, and has changed the equation
a little bit about what perhaps should
go in each location...And, I think it’s
difficult for us to argue that we’re being
effective stewards of the material if we’re
allowing it to sit on the floor...And now the
discussion that is starting to happen with
the Collection Development Committee is
about is looking at our collection from a
fairly rational perspective and trying to
determine what materials rightly belong
in different locations.
Robyn Bianconi:
How has the project of de-duping serials
been progressing? What about duplicate
monographs?
Tom Teper:
We actually just started some discussions
about de-duplication of serials. It’s been
discussed by our Collection Development
Committee, it’s been discussed by our
administrative council. And we have
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Teper Interview, Con’t.
calculated, roughly, if we take all of the
multiple copies of journals that are also
available online, that across the library
system we have about a mile and a quarter of
shelving space that is occupied by materials
that we not only have multiple print copies of,
but we also have electronic access to. So at
this point in time the proposal that has been
put forth has been to start looking at some of
the units that are managed centrally, like the
high density storage facility and the Stacks,
and to also look at some of the other units
that are going through the NSM process....
In the end it may not be a systematic sweep
across the entire library system. But I think
as we look at the changing use patterns of
the collections, and frankly the value of real
estate on this campus, and even within the
library system itself, that it’s hard for us to
argue that it’s justifiable to keep copies 3, 4,
10, 14 in some cases, of something that we
also have available online.
Tote Bags Provided for the Main Stacks
Central Access Services has started providing
tote bags for users of the Main Stacks. The
idea for the bags came from numerous patron
requests for a way for them to carry books in
and out the stacks and utilize their carrels
more effectively. The tote bags were funded
by a Strategic Marketing and Communications
grant.
NSM Office Hours
JoAnn Jacoby holds office hours on Tuesdays from 4-5 in 436 Library. Please feel free to drop by during
the office hours, or if that is not convenient, schedule an appointment to meet another time.
Story Ideas?
If you have a story idea for a future issue or want to share your successes with the rest of
the library, please let us know. Send ideas, drafts and/or photos to nsm@library.uiuc.edu
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