REPORT, FISCAL YEARS 1998-1999 & 1999-2000
August, 2000
The reorganization of Technical Services created TSAA in December, 1998.
Department responsibilities include some from the prior Technical Services organization and new ones identified during the analysis and reorganization of the Tech Services Division in Fall, 1998. TSAA handles accounting functions formerly handled in the FAD and RAD units and the new responsibilities of supporting the other 4 TS depts in a web presence, documentation, training, computer software & hardware, supplies, reception and special projects.
Staffing
The department began with 8 positions, including one vacancy, the documentation and training manager.
Members were: Sheryl Williams, Head; Accounting Unit - Ellen Scherer, Jean McMeans, Kathie Miller; Automation Support - Deb Cameron; Documentation & Training - Empty position, Jim Whitcomb, Mary Stiffler.
Changes:
- Jim Whitcomb left the LMTA2 web position 4/99.
- Lisa Iacobellis became the Lib Assoc 1 Documentation & Training Manager 2/99.
- Christina McMenemy held the LMTA2 web position from 6/99 - 12/99.
- Janie McIntyre took the LMTA2 web position 1/00.
- A 50% LMTA2 position was transferred with serial invoice processing to TSAA from SER in Spring 00.
- Sindy Chan, TSAA accounting student assistant, took the 50% position 5/00.
- Ellen Scherer's position was reclassified from Lib Assoc 1 to Lib Assoc 2, spring 00.
Notable Accomplishments
Accounting Unit:
- Elimination of accumulated vendor statements during first year of TSAA.
- Creation of Kathie's ALERT e-messages to TS depts to resolve missing piece invoice problems.
- Use of the Paid Voucher Report (via ARMS IDT) printed on our laser printer, means corrections are made on accounts before they can appear on the Accounts Payable monthly FAS reports.
- Absorption of serial invoice processing, including an additional staff member and problem solving enhancements, into the Accounting unit.
- Jean's creation of separate Quattro Pro fund account ledgers for easier updating and review.
- Ellen worked with MOD and OSUL Fiscal Officer to improve credit card book purchase accounting practices.
- Sheryl relieved Carol Diedrichs of several accounting activities she had continued to handle after becoming AD, including maintenance of Felix fund and collection manager information, monthly reconciliation of OSUL and AP accounting information, maintenance of serial fund balances and maintenance of prepay accounts.
- Kathie keyed 46,975 invoice lines in the year between March 99 and Feb 00.
- The staff made all preparations needed for a successful transition to the ARMS accounting system.
- Accounting staff developed problem resolution lines with Accounts Payable and smoother workflows within TSAA so that invoices are batched more frequently and AP cut checks are mailed out often within a week of sending the invoice to AP. This is a marked improvement over the 4 to 6 weeks turnaround time of a couple years ago.
- In the second full fiscal year of TSAA, accounting workflows were so improved we were able to spend out an additional $20,000 of encumbered funds.
Automation Support Unit:
- Physical reorganization of staff, workstations and equipment in all 5 depts in 3 rooms and more than once per dept. The limited downtime and planning for efficient change took significant effort and negotiating. Deb Cameron was the linchpin in the operation. She participated in the purchase and installation of all furniture and equipment needed to support the TS reorganization, including complete change and upgrade of the phone system.
- Imposed order on information: Created master lists of TS keys & equipment, created an electronic floorplan of TS depts for IT to use when called to assist with problems, became co-owner of TS listservs to rapidly update that information.
- Established OCLC Tech Pro monthly delivery/pickup of Asian, Slavic and Serial cataloging.
- Deb assisted MOD in eliminating the backlog of approval shipments the first year after reorganization.
- Deb reviewed mono order records for purging from Felix. Total of records archived: 64,059 in 98/99; 108,141 in 99/00. Deb worked with the IT dept to allow her to ftp archived order records to a limited access shared server space from which IT staff burn the information to a cd-rom which is kept for audit purposes 5 years.
- Deb created a number of standard student employee authorizations to fit the varying needs of the 5 TS depts and arranged with IT to have a number of authorizations available to Deb so she can expedite access for new student employees. This relieves IT from having to build individual authorizations for each new individual.
- Deb worked out how to print postings and accounting reports using the laser printer, eliminating the DEC server and the last of the Wyse terminals.
- Deb worked with IT to provide staff access through numerous software and hardware changes including CatME, CJK, Cataloging Tools, WindowsNT, Eudora 4.22, etc.
- Assisting SER with ‘lib has' project, Deb updated/added/deleted 2,077 checkin records.
- Established ‘IT Corner' portion of quarterly TS division mtg to share PC, printing, software hints, etc.
- Documented computer support procedures and made them available throughout OSUL via the IT dept liaison group.
Documentation & Training Unit:
- Creation of TS web site (live 7/99), TS dept web sites and Carol Diedrichs personal web site (10/99). Subsequent addition of collection manager forum information, keyword searching, monthly highlights, reports, procedures, hotlinks, etc.
- Moved all web pages from Galaxy to Apollo server with complete checking of all details.
- Training of numerous TS staff and students individually and in groups included: Specialized training of over 15 individuals for Felix, CatME, K level cataloging, Eudora, serial checkin, Quattro Pro and providing workshops on Eudora 4.2 and Eudora 4.3.
- Took on coordination of all supply requests for all 5 TS depts, handling of incoming phone calls, management of all TS staff and student time cards and pay checks, hiring of student employees to help cover reception for room 040 depts throughout each workday.
- Assistance to SER serial checkin efforts by 2 of the unit's 3 staff with increased production as needed.
- Management of incoming monograph and serial material and outgoing serial checkin material flows was transferred from the accounting staff to the Documentation and Training manager 3/99. Prior to Lisa's taking on this responsibility, Jean and Ellen oversaw moving the operation twice, from the Mail Room to room 022 to room 038. Lisa hired a series of students for this work over the past 2 years and established student training procedures for all the activities involved. She established increased bin use, working with dept libraries to keep the bins circulating. When students were not available to handle the mail, she, Janie and Mary were the mainstays in keeping the material moving.
- Creation of spreadsheet format to combine statistics of all 5 TS depts with training of staff on inputting information.
- Worked with Mail Room, Fiscal Officer and Supply Room management to resolve problems and improve mail handling and tracking into and out of TS depts. Special effort was made to manage the material flow during the 4 week CWA strike, 5/00, when regular Mail Room staff were on strike and many delivery services wouldn't cross picket lines. Arrangements were made with dept libraries and OSUL vans were used to deliver and pickup serial bins.
- Numerous special projects include: Lisa revising Tschera Connell's cataloging tutorial to fit the TS web site between 11/99-6/00; large scanning projects for Beth Russell and Magda El-Sherbini; Christina assisting with SER ‘lib has' project.
- Lisa led TS Process Improvement subgroup to create ‘I am a book' tour and began arranging regular presentations of it.
- Documented numerous procedures and crib sheets of use to TS staff and students and made them available in paper and on the web, including: Using the newest FAX machine, using the scanner, WordPerfect spell check personalized files, serial checkin procedures and room 038 mail handling guidelines.
General:
- Established basic responsibilities for the completely new department of TSAA:
ACCOUNTING
- Process non-problem unit order invoices within 7 days of receipt.
- Batch process invoices for payment at least 3 times a week.
- Review and mail checks within 2 days of receipt.
- Produce, review, and distribute Accounting Reports twice a month.
- Review and reconcile FAS reports within 3 weeks of receipt.
- Review statements and resolve invoicing problems monthly.
DOCUMENTATION & TRAINING
- Initiate and respond to TS requests for documentation and training.
- Develop and maintain TS web site & TS dept web pages.
- Maintain incoming serial and monograph mailflow.
- Answer the 292-6314 line for the 3 depts in room 040; forward calls, voice mail & messages.
- Manage incoming and outgoing daily mail for TS depts.
- Coordinate supply requests from all TS depts, distribute supplies.
- Manage TS staff & student time sheets.
AUTOMATION & PROJECTS
- Respond to TS requests for help with PCs, printers & other equipment.
- Produce & print MOD ORT boolean, print MOD order slips & print claim slips daily.
- Support other TS depts with regular assistance in various workflows.
- Designed multiple backup approach to TSAA responsibilities including mail handling, posting accounts, producing accounting reports, answering phones, providing first contact assistance for computer problems, weekly ftp of Felix information and pickup of OCLC cataloging production.
- Facilitated ergonomic assessments of numerous TS staff and followed through with equipment upgrades.
- Proved the concept of a central support dept within Technical Services was practical and valuable.
- Process non-problem unit order invoices within 7 days of receipt.
Staff training & service overview
Deb Cameron: Lead member of Campus Campaign 99/00, member Binding Task Force, process improvement training, IT Liaisons Group member
Lisa Iacobellis: Lead Labelling Task Force, participated in ‘I am a book' tour creation group, member Staff Advisory Council, member TS Social Cmte, member Libraries Training Advisory Council, attended Computer Workshop software training sessions & workshops for supervisors and managers, process improvement training
Janie McIntyre: In house and Computer Workshop training on various software including web site creation
Jean McMeans: Training sessions for ARMS and BRIO implementation, Computer Workshop software training sessions
Christina McMenemy: Computer Workshop training for web site creation
Kathie Miller: ARMS and BRIO training sessions, member Performance Management cmte, Computer Workshop software training sessions
Ellen Scherer: More than 8 training sessions for ARMS and BRIO implementation, Computer Workshop software training sessions, process improvement training
Mary Stiffler: Computer Workshop training on several kinds of software
Sheryl Williams: Sexual harrassment prevention training, process improvement training, ARMS and BRIO training, Computer Workshop training on various software