Many thanks to those of you who submitted an evaluation of the roving project (we received 28 evaluations from the 34 people who participated in the pilot). ISMC reviewed the evaluations during its last meeting, and we were pleased to learn that most of you agree that:
Responses to other questions on the evaluation provided a good understanding of the challenges posed by this kind of reference service. In particular, some staff clearly expressed reservations about approaching individual users to offer unsolicited help.
However, it seems clear that the majority of you saw value in staff being visible and available to users in areas away from the reference desk, particularly in the vicinity of the workstations. Even more strikingly, there is value in being available to move from the desk to the workstation area to help solve problems that are brought to the desk by individual users.
With this background, ISMC has agreed to introduce roving as a usual element of reference service when circumstances allow -- that is, when the desk is double staffed and one of the staff on duty is free to move about. We believe that reference service will be better – and more valuable to our users – with this proactive approach that makes it easier for users to get help right when they need it.
On the evaluation form, 15 people noted that they would like access to some training about successful roving strategies, or at least an opportunity to share ideas about how to make this kind of service effective. The Training Committee has agreed to work with two members of ISMC, Doug and Maureen, to prepare a session (perhaps held more than once) for those who’d like to explore techniques that have been found to be successful. We’re not yet sure when the session(s) will be offered, but we’re aiming for mid-February. When we know the session dates, we’ll be able to determine when to begin roving as an expected part of our regular service.
Meanwhile, of course, we do encourage you to go to the workstations, or wherever else users may need help, as often as possible.
I want to mention one other topic that was raised in the evaluation: the physical layout of the reference area in both Porter and Davis. While most people indicated that the current layout is fine, some changes, such as repositioning the reference desk so that staff can readily see the workstation area, were suggested. This is an important idea, and one that we will explore as opportunity allows.
The evaluation did not uncover any substantial problems with the statistical form or the way roving was being scheduled. For those interested in a full summary of the evaluations, we’ve posted a copy on the ISMC web page (include the URL).
If there are points about roving that people think should be raised for general discussion, we can make time available for that purpose at the department meeting scheduled for this Friday. Please let me know by Wednesday if you would like that to happen, so that we can get it onto the agenda.