Dear All,
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to my enquiry about roving (attached). I received 9 very helpful replies, all from university libraries, which I have summarised below:
Which staff do roving?
Rovers tend to be library assistants, including senior library assistants/supervisors, but there is a wide variety here: 2 institutions have used students (one has had specific feedback that users like to ask students) and 3 have used professional staff. Rovers tend to be dedicated to that job (rather than shelving etc. at the same time), but there is usually an expectation that rovers will also tidy the library, fill photocopiers, ask users to move trailing laptop leads, and so on, as they move around the building.
When is it done?
6 of the 9 libraries provide a roving service all year round in term time. However, many of these pointed out that enquiries tail off towards the end of term, so there is a need to make a judgment call and reduce staffing or stop roving altogether if the service is not being used. The other 3 institutions just do roving for the first few weeks of term.
Roving is only seen as something to offer in core hours, Monday to Friday. Times mentioned include 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; the average is probably around 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. One institution had tried roving between 5 and 7 p.m., but had not received many enquiries, so were not likely to do it again.
What do rovers wear/carry?
All institutions have some form of identification for rovers. Staff are generally reluctant to wear anything other than their normal clothes, but it does make them more noticeable to users. Rovers wear a T-shirt/polo shirt (at 2 libraries), an "Ask me" badge or their usual ID badge (4), smart blouses (1), a tabard (1), or a lanyard (1).
Rovers at 6 institutions carry a clipboard with a library logo or "Ask me" to identify them as library staff and also, in many cases, to record statistics about the type of enquiries. There are some concerns that a clipboard may put users off, as someone with a clipboard looks like someone doing a survey. [Also see the lis-link thread "Roving off to a slow start", 10th February 2010 for more on this.] One library also provides an internet tablet and a cheap mobile phone to use on the move.
Is roving used in addition to a fixed desk?
Overwhelmingly yes. Roving is not a replacement for fixed enquiry desks; it is an added extra.
General comments:
In general, roving has been seen as a very positive thing. It is seen as a personal service which makes for a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and helps engagement with library users. It makes for a more seamless service, with help provided at the point of need, and it relieves pressure on the enquiry desks. It is seen as particularly useful at the start of the year or after a major reorganisation such as opening a new extension. The reaction from students has been positive; many see the enquiry desk as a barrier, and roving helps those who don't like to ask questions because of shyness, lack of confidence or language difficulties.
On the negative side, some staff are uncomfortable with approaching users. It can also be demoralizing when the library is quiet and there are very few enquiries (especially when there is a tall stack of work back at the desk that needs doing). It is also important to train rovers to identify users' needs and know when to refer users to the enquiry desk.
I hope that's useful to others - it certainly provoked a good discussion here this morning.
Kind regards,
Leon
Leon Perry
Bibliographic Resources Officer
University Library
University of Portsmouth
023 9284 3017
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