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Library Staff Phase II FAQ
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This project seems to require a lot of publicity material.
What help is there in explaining this project?
Added Volumes and Currently Received Issues
What do we do when a current print issue of an experimental
or control journal arrives for which there is an electronic version?
How do we handle JSTOR "moving wall"
volumes? When a new volume becomes available in electronic form, do control
libraries have to mark volumes, now available electronically, for the
purpose of counting use? Do experimental libraries have to put the print
volume, for which there is now electronic coverage, in storage? What if
a currently available ejournal expands retrospective digital coverage
during the study?
Binding
Can we bind current issues of journals during the study?
For experimental journals currently received, will we hold
the unbound issues in storage locally and send them to be bound before
we send them to remote storage?
Most of the binding current issues information seems focused
on experimental campuses. From what I read, it sounds as if control campuses
will do a normal binding for current issues, however that is done on each
campus. Is this correct?
Circulation
When an experimental title is recalled from "storage",
is it ok to check it out to someone?
How can we identify print volumes of experimental titles
that may be left on the shelf at non-study libraries or were put into
an RLF prior to the study?
Comment Cards
We aren't going to put these comment "cards"
out on the shelves as we feel it makes more sense to have them just at
the public service desks. There's no good place to keep loose sheets of
paper in the stacks or current periodical shelves. Also, our signs where
periodicals have been removed from the shelves refer people to a service
desk. We think it would be better to have people go to a desk where they
can talk to a person first before filling out a comment, just in case
we can meet their need. If the person is upset or wants to vent, then
we can hand that person a form to record feedback. Is this OK?
Guidelines for Phase II
Will there be guidelines for Phase II, the period when
experimental titles are in remote storage and we are gathering usage data
for control and experimental titles?
Labels
Earlier discussions gave me the impression that the data
slips would contain the journal title on each one. Is that still true?
If not, for the purposes of the study will the control campuses need to
write the journal title on each slip (and if so, has that been factored
into the workload costs)?
Launch Date for Phase II
How firm is the September 4 date for moving volumes to
storage?
Recording and Tabulating Usage Data
Can we use barcode readers or other methods for gathering
usage data for control titles?
Do we have to tabulate the usage data ourselves?
Staff Training
Who will be doing local training and when?
How do we inform our ILL/document delivery staffs that
a user may recall either the print volume or a photocopy/fax from an RLF
of a title that is part of the study?
As a bibliographer I access the current issues of experimental
titles for the book reviews they contain. Putting the most current issues
of the experimental titles in storage will affect my work. What should
I do?
Supplies
When will the supplies be available, including labels,
flags, and usage data slips?
How do you know how many slips to order? And what if we
run out of supplies?
Surveys
Can we use the survey form as both the request form and
the survey form, thus eliminating matching up the two forms later?
Can we ask library users to fill out the survey form
at the time they request an item from storage?
How will the library convey a survey form to those
users who request a copy of an article from an experimental journal housed
in remote storage and the article is supplied via desktop delivery?
Use Data Collection by Control Libraries
We are still trying to decide if it makes sense for our
campus to collect control data electronically or manually. Since the paper
data collection forms are going in each bound journal volume (which contains
a varying number of journal issues and sometimes at our campus even more
than one journal volume bound in that one physical volume) does the electronic
use data also need to be collected at the level of the physical bound
piece? Are the online vendors giving use data at the volume level, or
at the title level? I just wanted to double check, since the answer will
make a difference in our procedures locally.
Do we have to record six different data elements for usage
of control titles as noted in the Usage Subgroup Report?
Can we use barcode readers or other methods for gathering
usage data for control titles?
Earlier discussions gave me the impression that the Use
Data Slips would contain the journal title on each one. Is that still
true? If not, for the purposes of the study, will the control campuses
need to write the journal title on each slip (and if so, has that been
factored into the workload costs)?
Use Data Collection by RLF's and Local Storage Facilities for Experimental
Titles
What about usage counts for the experimental print journals
that are in storage? Do we have to record six different data elements?
How will RLF recalls and requests for copies/faxes be
tracked?
What will be done with the copies of these requests?
Should data be gathered from a patron if a request for
a paper copy of a study title goes to a campus that is neither an experimental
group nor a control group for the title, but owns the paper anyway?
Will data be gathered from sources other then the publishers/providers
of electronic journals and libraries?
Use Data for Electronic Journals
Do the publishers provide use data by other than month
by month? If we start in September any day other than September 1, will
the publishers be able to start the statistics on that day?
Adaptable Text Materials
This project seems to require a lot of publicity material. What help
is there in explaining this project?
Project explanation, news release, and opening day letter are available
in the Publicity Materials section of this
web site for use and modification by campuses to help explaining the project.
Added Volumes and Currently Received Issues
What do we do when a current print
issue of an experimental or control journal arrives for which there is
an electronic version?
Experimental libraries will send currently received issues or volumes
to storage. Control libraries should mark current issues for usage data
gathering.
How do we handle JSTOR "moving wall"
volumes? When a new volume becomes available in electronic form, do control
libraries have to mark volumes, now available electronically, for the
purpose of counting use? Do experimental libraries have to put the print
volume, for which there is now electronic coverage, in storage? What if
a currently available ejournal expands retrospective digital coverage
during the study?
No, it is not necessary to make any adjustments in study coverage as a
result of moving wall volumes. Control libraries will not need to mark
and track use of these new volumes. Experimental libraries will not need
to remove and store the print equivalents of the additional volumes. The
same practice will apply to electronic journals currently available that
add retrospective digital coverage during the study as to JSTOR moving
wall titles.
Binding
Can we bind current issues of journals during the study?
Yes, both Control and Experimental libraries may chose to bind titles
during the experiment. However, care must be taken to collect the Use
Data slips in each of the unbound Control issues, replace CMI labels and
place a new Use Data slip in the newly bound volume. Experimental volumes
may also be bound again taking care to return them to storage rather then
allowing them to find their way back onto the shelf.
Decisions regarding binding current unbound issues should be made at
the campus in terms of local practice. There is no reason to change your
local practices, if current unbound issues are normally unavailable when
they are being bound.
For experimental journals currently received, will we hold the unbound
issues in storage locally and send them to be bound before we send them
to remote storage?
The RLFs are prepared to handle both bound and unbound issues. Keeping
the current issues of experimental titles locally may provide a temptation
to circulate the paper copies which would impact the study data. However,
it is a campus choice to store locally or regionally.
Most of the binding current issues information seems focused on experimental
campuses. From what I read, it sounds as if control campuses will do a
normal binding for current issues, however that is done on each campus.
Is this correct?
Yes, control libraries should bind current journal issues just as they
would if these were not study titles. The same is true for experimental
libraries which keep the current issues on site.
Circulation
When an experimental title is recalled from "storage", is
it ok to check it out to someone?
Different journals from the stacks go out on loan for different circulation
periods at each campus, sometimes depending on the branch library or journal
classification. If an experimental title were recalled for a user, the
item would be checked out to the user under established circulation policy.
Recalls of experimental titles from storage are handled the same as any
other recall from storage, save that we need to properly record the usage
data for purposes of the stud and include a questionnaire in each volume.
How can we identify print volumes of experimental titles that may
be left on the shelf at non-study libraries or were put into an RLF prior
to the study?
In order to identify and collect use data of experimental print volumes,
each RLF and campus storage facility that holds experimental titles may
chose to mark all volumes of the title by applying stickers/labels/sleeves
to the outside of the physical items for the length of the project. This
will mean that a volume can be readily identified as part of the project
when staff goes to the shelf. This could prevent the need for RLF or campus
storage unit staff to compare each lending request they receive against
a list of experimental titles. NRLF will not be putting labels on the
experimental volumes stored their, but plans to put a sleeve on experimental
titles before they are returned to the campus at the request of a user.
Comment Cards
We aren't going to put these comment "cards" out on the
shelves as we feel it makes more sense to have them just at the public
service desks. There's no good place to keep loose sheets of paper in
the stacks or current periodical shelves. Also, our signs where periodicals
have been removed from the shelves refer people to a service desk. We
think it would be better to have people go to a desk where they can talk
to a person first before filling out a comment, just in case we can meet
their need. If the person is upset or wants to vent, then we can hand
that person a form to record feedback. Is this OK?
Yes. The purpose of the comment cards was to give users an opportunity
to express any concerns at the time they discovered that their favorite
journal had been removed to storage.
Guidelines for Phase II
Will there be guidelines for Phase II, the period when experimental
titles are in remote storage and we are gathering usage data for control
and experimental titles?
Yes, they presently available in the Operational Guidelines section of
this web site and have been sent directly to the CMI Campus Liaisons.
Labels
Earlier discussions gave me the impression that the data slips would
contain the journal title on each one. Is that still true? If not, for
the purposes of the study will the control campuses need to write the
journal title on each slip (and if so, has that been factored into the
workload costs)?
Library staff at the campuses will be responsible for entering the title
of the journal on the Use Data Slips, on signage and on title specific
handouts. And, yes, this should be factored in to the workload costs.
Launch Date for Phase II
How firm is the September 4 date for moving volumes to storage?
September 4th is still our goal for having all volumes off library shelves.
We have not yet established the date when all campuses will begin to gather
usage data for both control and experimental titles. I am contacting the
CMI liaisons and trying to get a sense of how everyone is doing before
we establish that date. (Note: Our launch date has been established at
October 1, 2001. That is the date when we will begin collecting use data.)
Recording and Tabulating Usage Data
Can we use barcode readers or other methods for gathering usage data
for control titles?
Yes, as long as the method you are using yields the results of the manual
method, i.e., counting every reshelving event during the defined study
period.
Do we have to tabulate the usage data ourselves?
The answer is no. We are developing procedures that will include the frequency
of submitting usage data, but the staff at Office of the President will
do the tabulation.
Staff Training
Who will be doing local training and when?
Local training is the responsibility of the campus libraries. However
the CMI Director would be happy to visit your campus to answer questions
and to talk about the project. Training is specific to local campus library
procedures for preparing materials for storage, etc.
How do we inform our ILL/document delivery staffs that a user may
recall either the print volume or a photocopy/fax from an RLF of a title
that is part of the study?
The RLF or campus storage facility should follow their normal practice
for supplying copies of articles from materials in storage or supplying
the entire volume or issue. It is anticipated that some users will prefer
the print volume/issue because content is lacking from the electronic
version.
As a bibliographer I access the current issues of experimental titles
for the book reviews they contain. Putting the most current issues of
the experimental titles in storage will affect my work. What should I
do?
The CMI Project is very interested in this type of staff situation. Experimental
titles can be kept in local storage as long as the campus library can
provide the needed usage data. More importantly the study would like to
know why the digital version of the current issue is not adequate for
your work. The research design will be asking library staff about this
type of in the later stage of the experiment.
Supplies
When will the supplies be available, including labels, flags, and
usage data slips?
The supplies have been rush ordered and should be delivered to the campuses
by August 31. All supplies will be delivered directly to the CMI liaisons.
How do you know how many slips to order? And what if we run out of
supplies?
We tried to overestimate the number of labels and usage data slips in
our orders to the vendor. If a campus library does run out of labels or
slips, the CMI liaison should contact CMI staff to receive additional
supplies. There is no charge to the campuses for these supplies.
Surveys
Can we use the survey form as both the request form and the survey
form, thus eliminating matching up the two forms later?
No. While we understand the advantage of combining the request form and
survey form for economy in recording vital information (e.g., user name
and campus), it may not be feasible for every campus to do this. For some
campuses, in fact, the request from may be available online only. Campus
storage units and RLF's should follow a uniform practice of attaching
a user survey form to the CMI experimental title that has been requested,
whether it is a volume, issue or photocopy.
Can we ask library users to fill out the survey
form at the time they request an item from storage?
No. It is not feasible for every campus to ask that the survey form be
filled out at the time of request, as desirable as that option may be.
For some campuses, it may be difficult, even impossible, to train staff
at various desks where requests are taken to distinguish between requests
for items in storage and requests specifically for CMI titles.
We prefer that users fill out the survey at the point of pick up rather
than at the point of request. Campuses that deliver requested material
directly to the user, rather than requiring that the material be picked
up at a library location, should of course include the survey form, with
attached copy of the request, with the delivered material. Being consistent
in this regard is important to obtaining comparable results.
How will the library convey a survey form to
those users who request a copy of an article from an experimental journal
housed in remote storage and the article is supplied via desktop delivery?
The survey form should be scanned along with the article requested by
the user and displayed along with the article on the desktop. We recommend
displaying the survey form first followed by the article requested.
Use Data Collection by Control
Libraries
We are still trying to decide if it makes sense for our campus to
collect control data electronically or manually. Since the paper data
collection forms are going in each bound journal volume (which contains
a varying number of journal issues and sometimes at our campus even more
than one journal volume bound in that one physical volume) does the electronic
use data also need to be collected at the level of the physical bound
piece? Are the online vendors giving use data at the volume level, or
at the title level? I just wanted to double check, since the answer will
make a difference in our procedures locally.
Providers of the electronic journals in our study can only provide use
data by journal title and by the campus where the journal is accessed.
Their data will be available incrementally, e.g., monthly, six month periods,
etc. I believe that JSTOR can provide use data by citation but since they
are the only provider that can do so, we used the lowest common denominator:
use data by journal title and by campus of user. So the answer to your
question is that we do not need the data collected at the level of the
physical bound piece as long as the bound volume is included in the period
covered by the study.
Do we have to record six different data elements for usage of control
titles as noted in the Usage Subgroup Report?
No, the Research Committee has advised that the data gathered on control
titles be as similar to the data collected on electronic journal as possible,
and therefore should be simplified to "each instance of reshelving"
per volume/issue. This will be addressed in the Guidelines for Phase II
of the study.
Can we use barcode readers or other methods for gathering usage data
for control titles?
Yes, as long as the method you are using yields the results of the manual
method, i.e., counting every reshelving event during the defined study
period.
Earlier discussions gave me the impression that the Use Data Slips
would contain the journal title on each one. Is that still true? If not,
for the purposes of the study, will the control campuses need to write
the journal title on each slip (and if so, has that been factored into
the workload costs)?
Library staff at the campuses will be responsible for entering the title
of the journal on the Use Data Slips, on signage and on title specific
handouts. And, yes, this should be factored into the workload costs.
Use Data Collection by RLF's and
Local Storage Facilities for Experimental Titles
What about usage counts for the experimental print journals that are
in storage? Do we have to record six different data elements?
No. The RLF's and campuses storing experimental journal volumes/issues
locally will be responsible for providing us with a count of each use
of a volume or issues during the defined study period. We are not asking
campuses to record multiple uses of the requested volumes/issues.
How will RLF recalls and requests for copies/faxes be tracked?
RLF's keep a copy of the requests for the experimental print volumes included
in the study. We do not anticipate that many requests for the print. To
make it easier for staff to identify and track usage study volumes should
be in a separate location from the other collections.
What will be done with the copies of these requests?
RLF's/ILL units' copy of requests for a paper copy of an experimental
title will be used to compile a list of people for further surveying.
Should data be gathered from a patron if a request for a paper copy
of a study title goes to a campus that is neither an experimental group
nor a control group for the title, but owns the paper anyway?
Yes, we anticipate that users will obtain the paper copies from other
campuses as well as from the print copies that have been relocated to
an RLF or to a local storage facility. However, for purposes of the study,
we will only count requests from the owning campus.
Will data be gathered from sources other then the publishers/providers
of electronic journals and libraries?
Yes, the collection of use data will be complemented by an extensive program
of interviews and surveys of faculty, students and staff to determine
what factors influence the acceptability of digital formats as a substitute
for print.
Use Data for Electronic Journals
Do the publishers provide use data by other than month by month? If
we start in September any day other than September 1, will the publishers
be able to start the statistics on that day?
The period of time covered by electronic publisher/provider statistics
varies. For example, APS, Blackwell and SIAM provide data by the month.
Other electronic publishers provide data twice a year or annually. CMI
staff will be working with providers of electronic journals to obtain
the usage data that we need in the appropriate increments.
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