I heard from four people -
Kevin Batchelor, Principal Librarian, Brent Library Service
In Brent we establish the staffing level needed for each hour open. This is
set higher than what is actually needed, to take account of leave and
sickness. We have just reviewed staffing levels due to the implications of
managing ICT services.
If this level is, say 5.5 and the library is open 35 hpw, we need 5.5x35 or
192.5 hours of staffing. This is then split up by the level of staff. In our
case this includes part or all of a Librarian, a Customer Services Officer
(the site manager), Customer Services Assistants on Scale 3 (who
occasionally open and close), and Library Assistants on Scale 1/2 - these
include 2-4 Saturday staff per library, a number we'd like to reduce!
Town Hall Library, Forty Lane, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 9HV
tel: 020 8937 3503 mobile: 07947 068577
fax: 020 8937 3504 email: [log in to unmask]
Adrian Olsen, Head of Libraries and Information, Southwark Council, replied
-
Kevin
Is your example figure of 5.5 an average per open hour? Presumably at slack
periods you might only need, say, 4 staff, whereas at busy periods or for
some kind of hectic children's activity for example, you might need 7? The
art always seems to lie in trying to juggle/negotiate the pattern of staff
hours worked (giving a total of 192.5 in your case) to fit the requirements
and coverage at any given time (plus in our case trying to make sure we have
a Librarian or Library Manager in charge as much as possible - we use
Library Assistants to take charge in an emergency if no-one else is
available).
Elaine Jewell
Central Library, Bayard Place, Broadway, Broadway, Peterborough PE1 1HZ
We have one which I have attached. It sorts out allocations between
libraries, not rotas per se. It has lots of sheets because I used it to
work out staffing allocations for increased opening hours
Tel: 01733 742702 Fax: 01733 742601 <<Peterboro' restructuring lib
hours.xls>>
And from an anonymous person, who agreed with the theory but said - "
Unfortunately we run more of a 'flying by the seat of your pants' approach
and if people are ill or on leave, those who are left just have to work
harder."
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