Cataloguing Lean Project 2008 Anne Wilcox (Deputy, Acquisitions and Cataloguing)
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Transcript of Cataloguing Lean Project 2008 Anne Wilcox (Deputy, Acquisitions and Cataloguing)
Cataloguing Lean Project
2008
Anne Wilcox (Deputy, Acquisitions and Cataloguing)
The project
• What it involved• Why we did it• What we did• What happened• What happened next …
Why did we do it?
• Eliminate backlog of books• Reduce catalogued-to-shelved process times• Ensure consistency of processes• Free up cataloguing time
What we did #1
• Preparation• Technical aspects of cataloguing• Process analysis• Problems applying Lean• Confirmation of times/processes
What we did #2
• Workflow• Process analysis (NB unedited bib records
already downloaded/created by Acquisitions)• Change of procedure• Categorise• Prioritise• Monitor (times and numbers)
What we did #3
• The backlog• Analysis of processes and times showed extra
staff needed to eliminate backlog• Finance was agreed for staffing to eliminate
backlog (of new books, DVDs and items waiting for processing)
What happened
• 3 out of 4 aims achieved• Backlog was eliminated within 4 months• Average non-urgent book-to-shelf time was
reduced from 10 weeks to approximately 2 days• New workflow procedures with consistent
processes were in place• Existing consistent technical processes were
continuing• Time freed-up? To be established going forward
What happened next
• Reappearance of backlog (c. 2500 items by November 2012)
• Why?• Move out of library during Redevelopment• Research Enhancement funding• Variety of inputs• Gifts needed catalogued too• Supporting other sections• Project work• Staffing
However today …• Backlog has now been eliminated again
• Urgent books continue to be catalogued and processed the same day• Other books are now quickly available to readers (either the same day or within
about a week)• Gifts are included in the daily cataloguing schedule• Cataloguing standards are maintained
How we did it
Combination of …• Continuous improvement (of existing Lean
process of daily planning, plus prioritising inputs)
• Collaboration with Collections team• Recall system • Collections stock moves• New Quick Cat process
How Quick Cat works
• Non-urgent books and gifts into store with pressmark to identify shelf location
• Catalogued to initial Quick Cat standards: check title, edition, ISBN, authors and editors, remove any misleading data. Overlay with a better record if possible. Add classmark and item identifiers to enable recall.
• Readers can recall them and get them within 24 hours• Working with ebbs and flows of inputs, upgrade to
recognised international standards• Available to move into main stock as part of planned
programme
Looking forward
• Still many other calls on the section's time apart from cataloguing new books
• These likely to increase• Freeing-up extra staff time unlikely to happen
any time soon!