Summary for list of my recent enquiry:
5 authorities replied to this enquiry.
They all expressed concern about supply times for requests for items not
yet published and there overall impact on % supplied within given dates.
I also had replies from a "Quality Standards Adviser" for Resource and a
CPLS (Committee on Public Library Statistics) adviser expressing there
awareness of this issue and interest in the debate.
1 authority used publication date as the "date" a request was taken.
1 authority excluded advance orders altogether.
1 authority felt that their performance was measured unfavourably against a
neighbouring authority which charged a premium for requests placed prior to
arrival of stock; the smaller percentage of pre-pub requests received as a
result of this policy led to shorter supply times.
The other two authorities that replied were concern enough, like ourselves
in NEL, to be discussing the problem.
I'm sure the problem of how these request supply times our counted varies in
many other authorities across the country.
As the recently published standard (PLS 9) makes clear, requests should be
counted
" based on counting the period from when reservation was made to the time
when the borrower was informed that the book was available."
In NEL we will continue to monitor as the standard dictates and quote these
supply times.
Our main aim is to use the standard and our own monitoring procedure as
tools to improve our own performance in satisfying customer requests. Our
only solution to the problem of pre-pub requests at present, is (to
attempt) to monitor the number of requests whose supply times are affected
by being placed prior to publication. This we will do for our own benefit
when analysing our performance and identifying ways to improve it.
Gary Nugent
Stock Manager
North East Lincolnshire Libraries
Grimsby Library
Town Hall Square
Grimsby
DN31 1 HG
Tel: 01472 323615
e-mail [log in to unmask]
http://www.nelincs.gov.uk/ic/index.htm
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