The Xteam: A Team Approach to Reference Department Management

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The X-team A Team Approach to Reference
Department Management

• Pamela Sherwill-Navarro, MLS, AHIP
• Tara Tobin Cataldo, MLS, AHIP
• Nancy Schaefer, MLS, AHIP
• Faith A. Meakin, MLS, AHIP
• University of Florida
• Health Science Center Libraries

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University of Florida

• Academic Health Science Library
• Serves 6 Colleges
• 6 Reference Librarians
• Responsibilities
• Liaison
• Education
• Reference
• Professional/Committee

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Reference Department Evolution

• 1999
• head of reference moves to another division
• senior reference librarian becomes acting
  department head
• 2000
• senior librarian retires
• librarians rotate as acting department head

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Search for a New Department Head

• 3 unsuccessful searches
• Expensive
• Time consuming
• Frustrating

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Experiment 1Rotating Head Experiment
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Rotating Department Head Positives

• All librarians experience
• Interacting with other department heads
• Administration / management
• Problem solving
• All librarians gain an understanding of the
  overall workings of the library
• Minimal liaison group neglect

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Rotating Department Head Negatives

• Confusion about who to contact
• Some projects tasks fall through cracks
• Lack of mentoring for junior librarians
• Department not moving forward
• Lack of direction
• Lack of priorities
• Lack of continuity
• Librarians dissatisfied / stressed

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The Challenge from Administration

• Decisions on
• Reference departments place on the O chart
• Support needed from administration other
  library departments
• What is lacking and how to provide it

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Reference Plots Plans
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The Initial Plan

• 2 half-day offsite retreats
• Written agenda
• Timeline developed

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First Retreat

• Environmental scan
• Top 15 functions of a department head
• 5 possible solutions for each
• SWOT analysis of department
• Ideas for future
• Seminar luncheons
• Write our own evaluations

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The Second Retreat

• Review content of 1st retreat
• Self ID of strengths, weaknesses, professional
  objectives interests
• Divide up duties
• Discuss future projects
• Develop an action plan
• Prepare presentation to department heads

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The Action Plan

• Identify and divide department head duties
• New reporting structure O chart
• Need for one contact person
• Select Team Leader
• Present plan to library director
• and department heads

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Skills of Team Leader

• Well organized
• Ability to cut to the chase
• Self-disciplined
• Efficient
• Decisive
• Critical thinker
• Most experienced with the institution
• Firm but reasonable advocate for department

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Duties of Team Leader

• Day-to-day management
• Approval of leave time
• Reviews of administrative paperwork
• Contact person for other departments
• Maintenance of reports statistics
• Troubleshooter
• Liaison to department heads

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More Duties

• Meets at least once a semester with individual
  librarians
• Delegates tasks / duties
• Meets bimonthly with library director
• Attends weekly department head meetings
• Supervises 1 department paraprofessional

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How Is It Working?

• Improved department morale
• Continuity
• Fewer details missed
• Improved communication
• Cooperative atmosphere
• Department moving forward
• Clearer priorities
• One point of contact

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The Administrative View
Supervision of reference librarians is like
herding cats
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Administrative View - Positives

• Reference librarians are engaged and enthusiastic
• Team leader is doing good job due to personal
  qualities
• This model is a viable solution to address the
  lack of experienced leadership
• The department performs as a real team

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Administrative View -Negatives

• Consultation with the team leads to slower
  decision making
• The team has limited experience with
  institutional politics
• Directors distance from departments daily
  activities makes it difficult to complete annual
  reviews
• Still no formal mechanism for mentoring and
  tenure

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Evaluation

• Self evaluate biannually
• Feedback from library director
• Regular meetings of team leader and library
  director
• Round robin sessions monthly

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The Future

• Continue with retreats and seminars
• Search for education coordinator
• Attend campus training for teachers
• Utilize new marketing person
• Maintain continuous quality improvement

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Applying the Model at Other Libraries

• Required elements
• Shared vision
• Mature, responsible, hardworking individuals
• Appreciation of others strengths weaknesses
• Openness
• Desire to learn from others
• Genuine willingness to share/teach others
• Decisive, practical, forward-thinking
• team leader with resolve

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The End
Pamela Sherwill-Navarro - Pam_at_library.health.ufl.e
du Tara Tobin Cataldo Tara_at_library.health.ufl.ed
u Nancy Schaefer NancyS_at_library.health.ufl.edu F
aith Meakin Faith_at_library.health.ufl.edu