Library Faculty/Staff Scholarship and Research

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/11

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Author: search.filters.author.Negro, Toni

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    Reserves UNreserved
    (2017-03-23) Spangler, Emily; Negro, Toni; Singh, Madhu
    Academic libraries struggle with managing print course reserves and making them easily accessible to students, while also attempting to streamline their service desk operations. At a state university system regional center, the library provides academic support to students from nine institutions that offer graduate and undergraduate studies at the center, which includes course reserves for all programs. The library has initiated a pilot that provides open and easy access to course reserves. This pilot is an effort to improve services to students and faculty following the merger of our circulation and reference desks. When additional consideration was given to improving transactions that occur daily at the service desk, we arrived at the conclusion to make the “Reserves UNreserved.” The pilot is a transition from a traditional check out process to an open self-service, on site use, with no time limit restrictions. How can libraries best manage their course reserve collections, while making them easily accessible to students without hindering their service desk operations? Explore how to overcome this challenges as we discuss the preliminary results of a pilot project that moved course reserves from behind the barrier of a desk to an area in open stacks.
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    Rethinking Customer Service Training: A Curricular Solution to a Familiar Problem
    (Taylor and Francis, 2016) Epps, Sharon; Kidd, Judith; Negro, Toni; Sayles, Sheridan
    High-quality customer service is an important aim of the library experience. Its importance is evidenced by attention given to the topic in scholarly literature and academic conference proceedings. This article describes the challenging process of creating and delivering a blended customer service training curriculum to all library staff working at public service points in the University of Maryland Libraries. An online course, in-person workshops, and digital badges were devised. Assessment was conducted at the end of the first year, resulting in revisions to the course.
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    It’s Fun to Partner: Expanding Library Collaborations
    (ALA, 2017) Munster, Irene; Harrington, Eileen; Negro, Toni
    As funding continues to diminish in libraries, partnerships become even more important as a way to survive. Academic libraries often collaborate cross-departmentally within the university to enhance their impact on users. Expanding these collaborations to outside institutions makes libraries efficient, effective and responsive to changing needs of users. They extend the scope of resources and real-life experiences to participants, as well as increase awareness of library services. This paper will describe collaborations the Priddy Library engaged in not only within academia, but also innovative programs with national and local government agencies, while highlighting the pitfalls and promises of these partnerships.
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    Study of the Libraries’ Information and Research Services
    (2011-09-26) Luckert, Yelena; Todd, Cindy; Zdravkovska, Nevenka; Guay, Beth; Hammett, Kevin; Henry, Stephan; Langholt, Joscelyn; Markowitz, Judy; Negro, Toni
    In spring 2011 Public Services Division Mangers charged the Information and Research Services Team (IRST) to analyze and make recommendations for service improvement for all areas of Information and Research Services. IRST conducted surveys, interviews, literature review and an environmental scan of University of Maryland Libraries and other institutions in order to assess and evaluate the current information services situation and collect information for the following recommendation. In the ‘Considerations’ and ‘Recommendations’ sections, IRST identified the following areas that need to be modified: staffing, technology and physical spaces. The appendices section of this report contains the charge and a summary of findings.
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    Bridging libraries: the merger of a school district library and an academic library
    (2010-06-27) Münster, Irene; Bailey, Gail C.; Wray, Tanner; Negro, Toni; Biggs, Janet
    In January 2008, The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS), and University of Maryland Libraries signed an agreement to merge the MCPS Professional Library collections, staff and services into USG’s library to provide enhanced library resources and services to both clienteles. Administrators and librarians of the three institutions have learned how to partner and collaborate in this unique environment, while maintaining library services to both the USG (academic) and MCPS (professional educator) communities. The collection merger required retrospective conversion of 15,000 records, conversion from Dewey to Library of Congress classification, and physical integration, without interruption of service. Library cultures (special vs. academic) were dramatically different and adjustments have been made to combine and share knowledge, while providing some distinctive services. Staff adjusted to new responsibilities and to working with different systems and new patrons. Now that the merger is complete, the immediate future is demanding new adjustments from each partner to improve some services already provided and to satisfy users’ expectations, while looking for new ways to enhance the outreach to this diverse clientele. The poster will present challenges faced in merging the two libraries, solutions developed, and impact on services for library users.