---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 1994 12:11:44 EDT
From: W Ted Rogers <WTR100F%ODUVM.bitnet@uvmvm.uvm.edu>
Subject: Serials service desk survey results

I recently posted a survey on serials service desks here as we here
at Old Dominion University Library are in the first stages of
planning a serials service desk to service patron needs on the
current display and bound volumes floor of the library.  Enough
interest was generated to warrant posting the results.  I tried to
restrict myself in categorizing the responses by referring only to
explicit statements in the responses with minimal inference on my
part.  The exception is question 6 regarding the level of
instruction given new staff on the desk which required quite a bit
of inference on my part.

1.   In your library, what is the purpose of the serials service
     desk.  Is it purely informational or does it include other
     services, e.g. journal circulation, journal reserve, etc.?

     Total responses:  17.  Categories of responses:
     ACCESS (INFORMATIONAL/DIRECTIONAL):     17 of 17.
     CIRCULATION:   10 of 17 (2 of 10 mentioned circulation of
                    other types of media beyond journals).
     RESERVE:  4 of 17.
     OPAC & OTHER EQUIP. ASSISTANCE:    5 of 17, although some may
                         have held OPAC assistance implicit in
                         access assistance.
     CITATION INTERPRETATION: 4 of 17, although some may have held
                         this as implicit in access assistance.
     JOURNAL STACKS MAINTENANCE:   2 of 17.
     REFERENCE:     6 of 17 (the high number is due to many
                    providing assistance for networked databases).
     TECH. SERVICES FUNCTIONS:     1 of 17.

2.   Organizationally, how does the serials service desk fit into
     your library's organizational structure?  Is it part of the
     serials acquisitions unit, public services, etc?

     Total responses:  17.  Categories of responses:
     SERIALS:  4 of 17.
     ACQUISITIONS (incl. serials): 4 of 17.
     TECHNICAL SERVICES: 1 of 17.
     REFERENCE:     3 of 17.
     PUBLIC SERVICES:    5 of 17.

3.   At which hours is the serials service desk  staffed relative
     to the hours at which the library is open?  If available,
     please include your peak staffing hours.

     Total responses:  17.  Categories of responses [note: there is
     overlap between categories]:
     ALL HOURS LIBRARY OPEN:  10 of 17.
     CLOSES EARLIER THAN LIBRARY:  5 of 17, of whom one specified
                         2 hrs and one specified 1 hr.
     OPENS LATER THAN LIBRARY:     5 of 17, of whom one specified
                         2 hrs, one specified 1 hr, and one
                         specified 1/2 hr.
     HOURS COINCIDE WITH REFERENCE:     3 of 17.
     Peak hours total responses:   9.
     MID-MORNING THROUGH EVENING:  2 of 9.
     LATE MORNING-EARLY TO MID-AFTERNOON:    1 of 9.
     AFTERNOON:     3 of 9.
     LATE AFTERNOON-EARLY EVENING: 1 of 9.
     EVENING:  1 of 9.
     VARIES:   1 of 9.

4.   Please provide a brief summary of the scope of the questions
     received and the information provided at your serials service
     desk.

     Total responses:  17.  Examples:
     "Where are the restrooms?"  "Where are the 1993 issues of
     TIME?"   "How can I find articles about environmental
     scanning?"   "What is the current population of Japan?"  "Has
     a particular issue of a title been received?"  " Does the
     library subscribe to a particular title?"  " Where is a
     particular issue?"  "How do I find this title?"  "What does
     this printout/citation mean?"  "Where are the articles on (any
     subject)?"  "How do I find a citation for an article published
     in 1983 by a guy named Simpson; it had the word culmination in
     the title?"  Assistance was provided with OPACs, microform
     reader/printers, media equipment, and CD-ROM databases.

5.   By whom is the serials service desk staffed, viz. is it
     staffed by professional librarians, by paraprofessional staff,
     by classified support staff, by student assistants, by any
     combinations of the aforementioned?

     Total responses:  17.  Categories of responses [note: there is
     overlap between categories]:
     LIBRARIANS:    6 of 17, of whom 2 specified that librarians
                    served only as backup.
     PARAPROFESSIONAL, CLASSIFIED & SUPPORT STAFF:  16 of 17, of
                         whom 2 specified that these categories of
                         employees served only as backups.
     GRADUATE ASSISTANTS:     1 of 17.
     STUDENT ASSISTANTS:      16 of 17, of whom 1 specified that
                              SAs served without any backup.

6.   What sort of training is provided for those who staff the
     serials service desk?  By whom is this training provided?
     Does this same person also co-ordinate scheduling staff for
     the desk?

     Total responses:  17.  Categories of responses [note: there is
     overlap between categories]:
     TRAINED BY LIBRARIAN:    4 of 17.
     TRAINED BY SUPPORT STAFF:     12 of 17.
     TRAINED BY STUDENT ASSISTANTS:     1 of 17, noting that only
                              very experienced SAs did training
                              and it was in conjunction with
                              staff.
     WHO DOES TRAINING NOT ADDRESSED:   2 of 17, one of whom noted
                              it was undecided during
                              reorganization and one of whom
                              merely gave the library department
                              responsible.
     FORMAL TRAINING:    4 of 17.
     MODERATELY FORMAL TRAINING:   6 of 17.
     INFORMAL TRAINING:  2 of 17.
     LEVEL OF TRAINING NOT ADDRESSED:   4 of 17, one of whom noted
                              it was undecided due to
                              reorganization; the others did not
                              provide enough information for me to
                              make a valid inference.
     TRAINER RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHEDULING:     10 of 17.
     TRAINER NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHEDULING: 0 of 17.
     SCHEDULING NOT ADDRESSED:     7 of 17.

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond.  The
information provided will be very helpful for ODU's library faculty
and staff in making some important decisions.

MAIL                                           TELECOMMUNICATIONS
W Ted Rogers                   Internet: wtr100f@oduvm.cc.odu.edu
Serials Librarian             or: wtr100f@shakespeare.lib.odu.edu
University Library                         Bitnet:  wtr100f@oduvm
Old Dominion University                        Ph.:  804 683-4144
Norfolk, VA 23529-0256                         Fax:  804 683-5035