21 Matheson Library
The most significant event was the introduction of Voyager. This development
affected almost all aspects of service, work routines, publications and
operations in the Matheson Library (and across the faculty teams). Lending
services were the first area to be fully operational. Christine Cooze as Lending
Services Librarian worked with staff in designing the overall set up for Monash
Loans and was ably assisted by Yasmin Moore who wrote operating and procedures
manuals. Other Matheson staff also were involved in Voyager implementation and
training and all staff attended training sessions.
A trial Inter Campus Loan service was run late in the year largely
coordinated by Matheson Loans staff. The trial proved popular and also bumped up
the loans statistics for Gippsland as many books sitting there had previously
been inaccessible to undergraduate students.
The change in Matheson Library opening hours caused much angst amongst
students. The additional opening hours during January and February were
appreciated, especially the midweek extension of hours when the Library was
strongly patronised, but the reduction of weekend opening hours during semester
was considered by many to be a problem. A review was undertaken for General
Library Committee and various options considered for 2000. The Matheson Annex
proposal was accepted as a solution for 2001.
The Monash Lectures On Line service was in full operation this year and
entered a strong growth phase. Additional theatres were fitted out for Law, and
Strategic Innovation Funds were used to fit out theatres at Berwick and
Gippsland. The service proved popular with students and also won an ALIA
(Australian Library and Information Association) Innovation award. There was
continued growth of electronic library resources and services to serve remote
clients with virtual services. The year also saw further development, expansion
and greater use of the Virtual Librarian.
The results of the Customer Satisfaction Survey proved that Matheson staff is
committed to quality service. 71% of the 900 forms distributed from Matheson
were completed and returned and users were prepared to recognise the competence
and dedication of Matheson staff. The highest number of comments received in
these returned forms praised the Matheson Library and its staff. Matheson did
better in this survey than it did in the 1995 survey despite staffing being
reduced from a high of 59.12 EFT (66 bodies) in 1995 to 44.0102 EFT (50 bodies)
in 1999. An analysis of concerned comments revealed users wanted more computers,
photocopiers, books and library staff; they had problems with the implementation
of Voyager; wanted hours of opening reviewed; and some were unhappy with first
impressions gained when they approached staff at service points.
The Business Plan was successfully achieved for 1999. The weeding of material to
the Matheson Store and pre 1960 serials to the Serials Store will greatly assist
with reshelving and management of the collection in 2000. The serials relocation
was long overdue but finding funds and staff time had proved extremely
difficult. The project to review the feasibility of introducing self-charging
produced a report with recommendations for Management Committee, and the Working
Group looking at Learning Spaces developed a concept that was presented to the
University Librarian. Marie Pernat was responsible for developing a model for an
electronic reference service, e-Query, and then overseeing its implementation.
The Matheson Annexe proposal developed out of the problem of the cost to
extend opening hours. This was a proposal to integrate the area presently
occupied by the National Centre of Australian Studies into Matheson and so
create an area that would be part of Matheson when it was open, but which could
also be opened independently for extended hours once Matheson was closed. A
business plan was developed and support sought from Library Management
Committee, the Dean of Arts (the staff from the Centre need to be relocated) and
student bodies. At the last 1999 meeting of General Library Committee it was
agreed to proceed with the proposal.
The ARC funded consortium purchase of catalogue records for the microform
collection has been extremely advantageous to Monash in that over 82% of the
300,000 records acquired are for titles held at Monash. The bulk of these are
for the Eighteenth Century collection, which is still being published. Other
collections we hold that records were bought for are - Goldsmiths' Kress Library
of Economic Literature; Nineteenth Century: Publishing, Book Trade, Knowledge;
and Spanish Drama of the Golden Age.
Funds were again received from Tokyo Marine and Fire Insurance and the Nippon
Foundation to assist in building up our Asian material.
Some new print reference titles purchased were: Encyclopaedia of Aesthetics
(4 vols); Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (4 vols); Encyclopaedia of
Environmental Science; Encyclopaedia of Popular Music (8 vols); Encyclopaedia of
World Biography 2nd ed (4 vols); Modern Germany (2 vols). Some electronic
reference sources purchased were - Database of Classical Bibliography; Dow Jones
Interactive; Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalogue; Encyclopedia Britannica
1999; Index to United Nations Documents and Publications; and JSTOR.
All Lending Services and Music and Multimedia staff attended a workshop on
customer relations. This was very successful and a number of tasks for 2000 were
identified and agreed priorities for service delivery established.
Many staff attended internal workshops and staff development sessions and
also took the opportunity to attend external conferences. Yasmin Moore and
Tracey Jenkins attended the Library Technicians Conference in Perth; Janice
Droogleever attended the IFLA Conference in Bangkok; Georgina Binns attended the
International Association of Music Libraries Conference in Wellington, New
Zealand; Andrew Harrison attended the Aurora Leadership Institute at Thredbo;
Eiko Sakaguchi attended the Japanese Studies Association of Australia Conference
in Rockhampton, Queensland, and Jung Sim Kim attended the Korean Studies
Association of Australia Conference in Sydney.
Grace Giannini participated in a successful two-month exchange with Martin
Scarrott of the University of North London. Pam Blaikie received a Personal
Development Award for her excellent work on MULTELS and the Music and Multimedia
team were awarded a Library Team Excellence Award for their involvement in the
Monash Lectures Online Service.
Grace Giannini published "Drop-In sessions: Information Literacy
responding to Student Needs". Marie Pernat published "Widening the
Net: Monash University Library's Flexible Student-centred Information
Services". Marie was also seconded for part of her time each week to assist
in Library Administration and provide secretarial services for General Library
Committee and CODIL (Committee of Divisional Librarians). Glenn Martin was
seconded for part of his time each week to assist the University Librarian with
coordinating the Library wide photocopy service and its supply.
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