Public Service Priorities is a summary report by the LAUC-B Public Service Task Force (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/LAUC/PSTF/) which was established in June of 1998 to faciliate a library-wide discussion intended to create recommendations for optimal public services throughout the library system.
 
The Task Force reviewed a number of major documents and user comments and consolidated their recommendations regarding public service.  The reports reviewed were:  Report of The Blue Ribbon Committee on the Library (April 1998), Report of the External Advisors on the Library (April 1998), the Senate Library Committee's response to the Blue Ribbon Committee Final Report (May 1998), the summary of the survey of faculty and graduate students sponsored by the Center for Library Resources (Fall 1997), comments made by the User Panel sponsored by the Public Service Task Force (Fall 1998), the Report of the Task Force on Library Services for Undergraduates (June 1998), and the Research Services Report (1993). Additional recommendations were culled from Task Force work during the Fall of 1998 and the Spring of 1999.
 
This report summarized much careful study and thought on the part of a number of groups concerned with the state of the UC Berkeley Library.  It may be seen as a snapshot of the near-future public service needs at the time that it was written; and as a potential catalyst for discussion and action.  This document was not a comprehensive list of all library public service needs, nor did it attempt to address a long-term vision for the future of the Library.
 
The report was submitted to University Librarian Gerald R. Lowell in April of 1999.  In August of 1999 the report was referred to the Public Services Council.  The Council is using the report as a springboard for setting its own work priorities.  Many of the concerns expressed in the report are currently being addressed by various Library committees and task forces.

Please see the Public Services Council web site at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/AboutLibrary/psc.html and the web sites for other committees and groups at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/AboutLibrary/committe.html

PSTF recommendations which are currently (Spring 2000) being addressed include:

establish excellence in public service as a library-wide goal

provide clearer locus of responsibility for public service - a single AUL, for example

establish either a more cohesive administrative structure for or a Head of the Main Library

rebuild staff - qualified subject specialists, reference staff, adequate technical service staff to process collections

enable patron-initiated requests of various kinds

conduct a library-wide user study or survey, including members of the campus community who do NOT use the library; why DON'T they use the library?

address connectivity and security issues for laptop users

establish a mechanism for regular communication between Systems and Public Service staff

plan collaboratively and coordinate public services for all campus libraries including affiliated libraries

communicate more effectively with campus administration, Academic Senate, IS&T

Expedite reshelving, turnaround time ILL, recalls and searches, establish objectives for measuring success in these areas

restore highly trained reference professionals

improve assistance at point of need including signage, leaflets, help screens, voice mail system

make printing more widely availbale

provide low-cost copying

address accessibility of materials, especially in the Main Stacks

study long-term and short-term storage issues

improve distribution of materials on compact vs. fixed shelving; can we facilitate browsing?

coordinate reference and research services in Doe/Moffitt

If you have any questions about the report, please contact PSTF co-chairs Phyllis Bischof and Corliss Lee.

Critical

• Establish excellence in public service as a library-wide goal (1993, PSTF)
• Design space and services according to public service needs (PSTF)
• Emphasize staff training programs (1993), including customer service training (UGTF, PSTF)
Facilitate staff attendance at training sessions (PSTF)
• Establish a mechanism for regular communication between Systems and Public Service staff (PSTF)
• Reverse the impression that public service is not valued by the peer review process

• Plan collaboratively and coordinate public services for all campus libraries including affiliated libraries (UGTF, PSTF)
• Communicate more effectively with campus administration, Academic Senate, IS&T (BRC, ExtA, SLCR)
• Extend outreach to campus community, especially in terms of reference service (BRC, ExtA, SLCR, PSTF)
• Improve public relations (BRC); explain frequently questioned policies and services, such as compact shelving, time needed for transactions such as ILL, recalls and searches, etc. (PSTF)
• Incorporate user research and evaluation of public service more fully (BRC, 1993, PSTF)
Solicit and respond to user comments on an ongoing basis (PSTF)
• Survey public service units to ascertain public services offered; maintain this information centrally for library planning purposes and for dissemination to users (PSTF)

• Revise Guidelines for the Evaluation of Public Service, dated 3/90, and add to web (PSTF)
• Revise Public Service Policy Manual (on Library web site); incorporate a revision of the Goals for Public Service, 1/81 (PSTF)
• Permit endowment and gift funds to support regular staff positions (SLCR)

Critical: Address accessibility of materials, especially in the Main Stacks:

• Study long term and short term storage issues (planning for additional on-campus stack space) (PSTF)
• Improve distribution of materials on compact vs. fixed shelving; can we facilitate browsing? (UP, PSTF)
• Move newly received materials more quickly through technical processing to shelves (PSTF)

• Review loan periods (BRC, PSTF, CLR, UGTF)
• Purchase multiple copies of books in high demand (CLR, PSTF)
• Improve ability to track materials after initial receipt, during internal processing, binding, etc. (PSTF)
• Expedite reshelving (CLR, UGTF); turnaround time ILL (PSTF); recalls and searches (CLR, UGTF)
• Secure collections more fully (PSTF)

Critical

• Restore highly trained reference professionals (UP, PSTF)
• Rebuild Doe’s interdisciplinary reference collection (PSTF, UP)
• Coordinate reference and research services in Doe/Moffitt (UGTF, PSTF)
• Improve training of current reference staff (SLCR); facilitate staff attendance at training sessions (PSTF)
• Discuss establishing a minimum number of hours per week of service by reference staff to ensure more in-depth knowledge of electronic and print resources (PSTF)
• Offer longer reference hours, including weekend service both Saturdays and Sundays in consistent location[s] (PSTF)

• Publicize library reference services more widely (SLCR, UGTF)
• Improve assistance at point of need including signage, leaflets, help screens, voice mail system (PSTF, 1993)
• Improve user assistance in Main Stacks (PSTF)
• Improve user education (SLCR) and online tutorials (1993)
Re-institute 1 unit "Bib I" class (Pass/Not Pass) (UP, PSTF)
• Explore the possibility of electronic reference (1993) and other reference to remote users via FAX or telephone (PSTF)

• Consider ways to help users to identify staff more readily, e.g. staff badges (PSTF)

Critical

• Re-establish an undergraduate library (UGTF)
• Make printing more widely available (PSTF, 1993)

• Extend hours of public service units (PSTF)
• Provide low-cost copying (PSTF, 1993, UGTF)

• Provide secure carrels in or near Main Stacks (UP)

Critical

• Coordinate resources among all UC campuses to reduce costly duplication of online catalogs and databases (PSTF)
• Include early review by public service staff when developing new catalogs and other access tools (PSTF)
• Work with IS&T to coordinate a central help desk for electronic access problems (1993)
• Appoint a web manager for the library web site with authority to reorganize it (PSTF)

• Create more powerful public and staff computers/faster network (PSTF) with better and speedier maintenance (SLCR, PSTF)
• Maintain accurate catalog and circulation records (PSTF, SLCR)

• Provide clearer locus of responsibility for public service – a single AUL, for example
• Establish either a more cohesive administrative structure for or a Head of the Main Library
• Rebuild staff – qualified subject specialists, reference staff, adequate technical service staff to process collections
• Enable patron-initiated requests of various kinds
• Conduct a library-wide user study or survey, including members of the campus community who do NOT use the library; why DON’T they use the Library?
• Address connectivity and security issues for laptop users