Managing libraries in a crisis

This is an interesting conversation, not least because of the multiple external disasters the library has had to deal with.

For me this highlights the point that while operational processes can be best delivered just in time the management and governance of a line of business or a public service has to be just in case. Those risk assessments, contingency plans, fallback positions and reviews of  organisational strategies are all essential components of day-to-day business as usual.

In my experience crisis management seems to have been the norm in English public libraries for the past thirty years, even without earthquakes, shootings and pandemics. It would be good if the preparations for reopening libraries could be used not just to put together the essential tools needed for a safe and orderly resumption but also the opportunity to review how these services are structured and supported so that they don't have to be managed on adrenalin.

I'm pessimistic about this because the pressures on the limited resources available will be understandably focussed on the return to business as usual but the problem all along is that we've never established what business as usual really is or how its resilience is to be resourced.

Library data part two: what do we know about the stock?

In principle stock data is much the least problematic data set held by libraries when it comes to trying to map it and potentially share it across local authority boundaries or make the data openly-available. There are good reasons for this:

• Every English public library service has a catalogue of resources
• There has been decades' worth of data-sharing for the purposes of interlibrary loans including, but not limited to, the UnityUK database
• There are long-established standards for title-level bibliographic data
• The outsourcing of most bibliographic metadata, limits the number of original sources of data and so imposes some consistency

Added to this can be the data mapping work involved in setting up an interface with the evidence-based stock management system CollectionHQ and the increased use of library management systems in consortium settings. Both of these get library systems people thinking about the way their data maps against external frameworks,

Technically, data about virtual stock holdings can be treated the same way as physical stock holdings. Culturally, there is some variation in approach between library services.

For the purposes of this post we'll assume that all stock has been catalogued and the records held in the library management system. In reality this will be true of most, if not all, lending library stock and a high proportion of whatever reference library stock there is these days. Many local studies collections and special collections are still playing catch-up

Title-level bibliographic data

All the bibliographic records come from the same place so this is standard data and would be easy to share and compare, right? Well… up to a point, Lord Copper.

• Not all library authorities are buying in MARC records.
• Of those that do, not all of them are retrospectively updating their old records so they'll have a mix of bought-in MARC records and locally-sourced records which may or may not be good MARC records in the first place and which certainly have variations in the mapping details.
• Those that did do a retrospective update may have hit a few glitches. Like the library authority that had an LMS that had ISBN as a required field and so had to put dummy data in this field which turned out to be the valid ISBNs of extremely different titles to the ones they actually had. (This wasn't Rochdale, though it did cause us some collateral damage.)
• There may be local additions to commercial MARC records, for instance local context-specific subject headings and notes.
• Commercial MARC records may not be available for some very local or special collection materials so these will need to be locally-sourced.

Taking these into factors into consideration this would be much the most the most reliably uniform component of a national core data set for libraries if any such were ever developed. The data available would be either:

• A full MARC record + the unique identifier for this bib record in this LMS (this is required to act as a link between the title-level data and the item-level data); or
• A non-MARC record including:
  • Title
  • Author
  • Publisher
  • Publication date
  • ISBN/ISSN or other appropriate control number, if available
  • Class number
  • Unique identifier for this bib record
  (I think there's a limit to the amount of non-MARC data that should be admissible.)

For the purposes of this game RDA-compliant records can be assumed to be ordinary MARC21 records (there's a heap of potential MARC mapping issues involved in any national sharing exercise which we won't go into here). I can see the need for the use of FRBR by public libraries but I don't see it happening any time soon so it's not considered here.

Item-level holdings data

The library catalogue includes holdings data as well as bibliographic data so that, too, could be part of a national data set. The detail and format of this data can vary between LMSs and from one library authority to another:

• Some, but not all, item records may have at least some of their data held in MARC 876 — 878 tag format
• The traditional concept of a "collection" may be described in different fields according to the LMS or the local policy. Usually it would be labelled as one or other of item type, item category or collection.

Which data to include? Or rather, which would be most likely to be consistently-recorded? My guess:

• Unique identifier (usually a barcode)
• Location
• Key linking to the appropriate bibliographic record
• Item type/item category/collection label best approximating to the traditional concept of "collection"
• Cost/value
• Use, which would generally mean the number of issues
• Current status of the item

After that the variations start to kick in big time.

There are a few devils in the detail, for instance:

• There is no standard set of "collections," though there is a de facto standard set of higher-level item types:
  • Adult Fiction
  • Adult Non-Fiction
  • Children's Fiction
  • Children's Non-Fiction
  • Reference
  • Audiovisual
  • Everything else
  The item type/item category/ collection for each library authority would need to be mapped against a standard schedule of “Item types.” For instance, when I used to pull out stock data for CIPFA returns I didn't have the appropriate categories available in fields in the item records; so in Dynix I had a dictionary item set up to do the necessary in Recall and with Spydus I set up a formula field in a Crystal Report, in both cases it involved a formula including sixty-odd "If… Then… Else…" statements.
• Are those already used for CIPFA adequate or would a new suite need to be developed and agreed?
• Would this translation be done at the library output stage or the data aggregation stage?
  For CIPFA our translation was done at output, for CollectionHQ it was done at data aggregation stage according to previously-defined mapping.
• Cost could be the actual acquired cost including discount; the supplier's list price at time of purchase, without discount; or the default replacement cost for that type of item applied by the LMS.
• Use count data may be tricky:
• It could be for the lifetime of the item or just from the time that data was added to this particular LMS if the legacy data was lost during the migration from one system to another. 
• Some LMSs record both "current use" (e.g. reset at the beginning of the financial year) and total use. You need to be able to identify one from the other.
• The use of loanable e-books/e-audiobooks may not be available as this depends on the integration of the LMS with the supplier’s management system.
• Curated web pages would be treated as reference stock and not have a use count.
• Some LMSs allow the recording of reference use as in-house use.
• Item status is always interesting:
• Does this status mean the item is actually in stock?
• Is the item available?
• Has the item gone walkies/been withdrawn?
• Again, this would have to be a mapping exercise, similar to the one we did for CollectionHQ

So what have we got?

Overall, then, we could say that every public library could put their hand to a fair bit of title-level data that's reasonably consistent in both structure and content; and some item-level data that wouldn't be difficult to be structurally consistent but would need a bit of work to map the content to a consistent level.

Library data part one: variations on a theme

Over the Summer I've been doing a bit of work for the Public Libraries Taskforce and that set me thinking about the data that public library services hold. Each one holds a shedload of data about its resources, its customers and its performance, but each one holds a slightly different shedload to its neighbours. Why would that be?

Technical reasons

• There are surprisingly few standard data structures in play in public libraries
• Different management systems hold data in different ways
• Even if the data has the same structure a different suite of descriptive labels may be in use

Human reasons

• An organisation might not feel the need to record the data at all
• The quality — or not — of the data may not be a priority so elements may be missing
• Naming conventions, etc. may change over time without retroactive conversion, leading to internal inconsistency
• The data may still be on bits of paper

Having said that there are some key data that are generally common to all, though variable in detail. I'll have a look at those over the next few posts.

Ambitions 1998

Another bit of archaeology. In 1998 — back when we had only five libraries networked and on the library management system and before the reality of The People's Network — I was asked why the library service didn't have an IT strategy so I drafted one. This is some of the working-out.

Rochdale Library Service

Information/Communications Strategy — suggested bullet points

1         Factors informing the strategy

a)       Operational needs

i)        Lending

·         Stock management & control

—  Making stock work harder

—  Audit requirements

·         Borrower management & control

—  Accessibility to library services across the Borough

—  Fines/charges control

—  Market analysis

·         Reservations management & control

—  Reaching performance targets

—  Managing costs of interlibrary loans

ii)      Reference

·         Increasing access to electronic information resources

—  Access to new forms of material

—  Access to wider ranges of material

—  Making existing materials more widely available

—  Increasing the accessibility of Council information

iii)    Access to Library information

·         Access to the Library Catalogue

·         Access to local history materials

—  Digital formats

…  Documents

…  Pictures

—  Indexing

…  Local history collections

…  Local newspapers

·         Accessibility

—  Within libraries

—  Mobile library provision

—  Meeting special needs

—  Telematic access

iv)    Management information

·         Stock management information

—  Stock use analysis

—  Stock age analysis

·         Statutory statistical requirements

—  CIPFA

—  Audit Commission

·         Performance indicator measurement

—  Local

—  National

·         Financial information & control

—  Stock ordering management

—  Book fund analysis

—  Budget monitoring

v)      Administrative requirements

·         Word–processing

·         Contact management — shared resources

—  Council telephone numbers

—  Emergency numbers

—  Professional contacts

—  Suppliers

·         Bibliographical information (all formats)

—  Records for requests

—  Approvals

—  Bibliographical records

b)      Staffing/support issues

i)        Training

·         Designing systems to minimise training needs

·         Commitment to empowering staff — enabling local problem–solving

·         Resources for delivery

—  Staff time

—  Cover for staff being trained

—  Trainers

—  Opportunity and resources for preparation

ii)      Support

·         Ownership issues

—  Enabling local problem–solving

…  Spreading skills widely

…  Agreeing what can be expected of staff locally

—  Support structures within the Library Service

…  Professional Librarians taking responsibility for library systems

…  Other staff

—  Third–party support

…  Within the Council

…  Suppliers

…  Cost implications

·         Providing support at the front line

—  For staff

—  For the public

c)       External pressures

i)        National issues

·         New Library: People’s Network

·         National Grid for Learning

·         Audit Commission: Due for Renewal

·         Information for All

ii)      International perspectives

·         European information issues

—  Information 2000

—  IRISA–LAPSA & successor organisations

·         Internet access

d)      Technological possibilities

i)        Dynix library system

·         OPACs

—  Graphical interfaces

—  Web PACs

—  OPACs for special needs (e.g. Libris Envisage)

—  Off–line PACs (“OffPACs”)

·         Cash management

·         Acquisitions

—  Order management

—  Supplier performance monitoring

·         Community Resources

—  Community organisations

—  Events

—  Newspaper indices

·         Internet publishing

ii)      PC–based systems

·         Word–processing

·         Spreadsheets

·         Custom databases

·         SQL–compliant systems

·         Electronic reference materials

·         Tutorial materials

·         Web browsers

·         Windows NT networks

·         Intranet systems

iii)    Unix–based systems

·         Electoral roll

·         Corporate financial data

iv)    Self–service opportunities

·         Reservations

—  OPACs

—  Web–based telematic systems

·         Circulation

e)       Restraints

i)        Funding for projects

·         Capital funding

·         Revenue funding for maintenance, etc.

·         Staffing costs

ii)      Expertise

·         Within the Library Service

·         Within the Council

—  Knowledge of library systems

—  Networking

iii)    Staff time

iv)    Support issues (see above)

v)      Corporate policies

2         Suggested outcomes

a)       Dynix Library System

i)        Aim to stay with Dynix for the period of this strategy provided the development and support of the system meets the needs of the Library Service.

·         Join forces with other Dynix users to lobby for enhancements to the system to meet outstanding needs

·         Keep a watching brief as to the development of the product as a graphical system based on PCs 

·         Pending proper reassurance on the life expectancy of the Dynix system, add remaining libraries to the system

—  Circulation

—  OPACs

·         Implement procedures to automate parts of the stock editing system

—  Transfers of some fiction collections

—  Flagging up “tired” or “under–used” stock

—  Collection inventory systems

·         Implement the Acquisitions module — automating the order process; book fund monitoring; supplier performance monitoring

·         Developing the use of Community Resources

—  Making the Community Organisations database available

…  On OPAC

…  On Council intranet via WebPAC technology

…  On World–Wide Web via WebPAC technology

—  Making local newspaper indices (currently in card format) available on OPAC

…  Could be made available on the World–Wide Web and Council intranet via WebPAC technology

·         Investigating the effectiveness & viability of the Dynix Cash Management system

·         Develop new OPAC functions

—  Kids’ Catalogue

—  Graphical interfaces

—  Publishing the Library Catalogue on the World Wide Web, including allowing “WebPAC” access to search for particular items

…  Requires web access to the processor housing the library system

 Allows the possibility of allowing self–service reservation via the WWW

·         Telephone access

—  Investigate the effectiveness and viability of potential options

…  Automated telephone renewals

…  Automated telephoned messages — overdues/charges/reservations notices

ii)      Where possible, create interfaces between the Dynix Library System and PC–based software

·         Management information

—  Collating data between Dynix and proprietary software (e.g. for spreadsheet analysis)

…  This would require a third piece of software to act as an interface between the two

—  Investigating the effectiveness & viability of the Dynix “Executive Information System” — data warehousing/reporting system

·         Catalogue information

—  Envisage — OPACs for visually–impaired

—  Off–line copies of the Catalogue on CD–ROM (using the data conversions already taking place for Envisage)

…  Replacing microfiche at off–line libraries

…  Replacing microfiches as “back up” at on–line libraries

…  Could be available on laptop on Mobile Library

…  Could be available on laptop on Housebound Service

·         Using WWW technology (especially Java) to enable telematic delivery of library services (available from Dynix release 162E)

—  Access to the Library Catalogue

…  Potentially including placing reservations

—  Access to library information

…  Community Organisations

…  Events

…  Newspaper indices

—  Constraints

…  Requires a change in Council policy on web access to networked data

…  Requires web access to the processor housing the library system

b)      Workstation access to other information systems

i)        PC–based information

·         Access to PC–based electronic references

—  Networked electronic references based on a Windows NT server

…  Allows resources to be shared between libraries

…  Expensive references kept secure centrally

…  CD–ROMs cached to hard disk to improve speed of access

…  Using existing networks where feasible

…  Networking dependent on licensing regimes — some material may not be networked; some networked licences may be prohibitively expensive

…  May be able to derive use statistics for individual references

…  Potential for differential access — different reference materials for different client groups

—  Intranet connection with the rest of the Council

…  Council information

…  Statutory papers/minutes

…  email

·         Library intranet

—  Staff manuals in hypertext format

—  Staff notices

—  Staff training materials

—  Contact information

—  Shared bookmarks for WWW

ii)      The Internet (more probably, just the WWW)

·         Staff workstations

—  Including email

—  Access to appropriate lists

·         Public workstations

—  See below

iii)    Other systems

·         Reference Enquiry Desk workstations access to Electoral Roll

·         Administrative/management systems

Financial systems

 Suppliers database

c)       PC–based services to the public

i)        Extension of Open for Learning facilities

ii)      Maintenance of text–reading and Brailling facilities

iii)    Word–processing facilities

·         Support?

·         Cost of consumables?

iv)    Computers Don’t Bite and successors

d)      Public Internet access

i)        Controlled access

·         ?Timed out by software on PC

·         ?Time booked and issued to “borrower”

·         Use of Net Nanny et al. To prevent inappropriate access

·         ?Users registered, including disclaimers

—  Promise not to look for illegal/immoral materials (how defined?)

—  Promise not to hack machines

—  Accept responsibility for own actions

—  Agree that Library Service not responsible for anything the customer does during their time on the Internet

—  Accept that service may be withdrawn from the customer if they break the rules

·         Costs

—  To Library Service

…  Service provider subscriptions

…  Line costs

—  To the customer

…  ?How to be as inclusive as possible

…  ?How nominal is a nominal charge

…  ?Charge period — session or season

e)       Local history collections

i)        Access to the Local History Catalogue

·         Staff at Heywood and Middleton need access to the Catalogue at Rochdale

…  Cost

…  Training load

…  Is there OPAC access?

—  Why not Dynix at Local Studies?

…  Cost

…  Training load

—  Why not both in both places?

…  Compatibility?

…  The Library Catalogue on Dynix will be searchable from a Web browser with 162E. If both catalogues Z39.50 compliant, both could be searched from a Web browser (as per draft Telematics strategy)

·         Practical issues

—  Large cataloguing task

—  May require some modification of the Dynix Catalogue record to include additional MARC fields (e.g. additional media fields; URL tags; image data)

—  Would need to look at how other libraries/museums approach the job

ii)      Digitising local history materials

·         Security of primary materials

·         Making materials more widely accessible

—  PAC–style picture catalogues

—  Intranet/WWW access

·         Pictures

—  Scanned into JPEG format

—  Catalogued

…  ?Dynix (how catalogued?)

…  ?Proprietary database system

—  PAC access

…  ?Dynix

…  ?Proprietary system

—  Electronic watermarking for copyright purposes

·         Documents

—  Copyright issues

—  Imaging

…  Investigate routes taken corporately through Document Imaging Working Group

—  Transcription

…  Investigate effectiveness/viability of scanning and OCR (optical character recognition) systems

f)        Office applications at main libraries

i)        Word–processing facilities — MS Word

ii)      Use of MS Word and MS PowerPoint for DTP/notices

iii)    MS Excel for spreadsheet analyses

iv)    MS Access for local databases (created by Systems Manager for local use — e.g. for enquiry desk statistics)