Self-service and Library Assistants

I am writing on behalf of the RFID Project Board to let you know about the work we currently have in progress that aims to install self-service machines across library services over the next two years – and the potential for our Library Assistant roles in this process.  

The first stage of the project is now underway and by the start of next academic year, we will have self-service facilities available at the Main library, IoA, LaSS and the Bartlett. We already have self-service at the Science library, the Cruciform and the Eastman.

In rolling out self-service across Library Services, we do not intend to make staff savings. We do intend to improve the student experience however. The concept of ‘the student experience’ continues to play a significant part in the next library strategy and will do so in the forthcoming UCL strategy as well. Self-service is one very practical and effective way to realise the objectives in these strategies. 

Our students really like Self-service. From all of the feedback we receive via Reader Services, it’s up there among the most asked after/requested thing, especially after a library has had to close due to unforeseen circumstances. Self-service complements the way our current students like to work and study. As our opening times become longer and extend out over traditional closed periods, self-service gives them access to material that would otherwise be unavailable when we are not there to issue it to them.

The presence of self-service machines in a library also changes the way we deliver services on the front line. When it was introduced to the Science library, the Library Assistants were understandably worried about what their role would be. The popularity of self service within academic libraries coincided however, with this new emphasis on the student experience and hence, having the machines really aided and abetted our re-examination of the way in which we provided front line services to our students.

Freed from the issue desk, staff are now able to provide help much more proactively. We can spend more time with our students and collaborate with them to provide the services they really want and where they are really needed. This could be library inductions, help with enquires, helping with IT problems, finding missing items on reading lists, responding to comments on Twitter or just having the time and space to listen to someone who doesn’t understand how something works or finds that some aspect of our service just isn’t working for them. And of course, we do still issue a few books from time to time.