Validation Process Focus Group Reports
Rutgers University Libraries Faculty and Staff Academic Excellence Quality Indicators Focus Group Results

Library Assessment Committee Members: Susan J. Beck, Chair, Judy Gardner, Nancy Hendrickson, Ann Montanaro, Gary Golden, LAC Cabinet Liaison

The Rutgers University Libraries' Library Assessment Committee conducted focus groups with library faculty and staff on each campus during October and November 2004. This was part of the process to validate the criteria for the Library's Academic Excellence Quality Indicators.

This report presents the responses from the Library Faculty and Staff resulting from those focus groups. Although the initial use of the information was to validate the Library's Academic Excellence Quality Indicators, the committee believes that the resulting information should be shared with all as it has far wider implications for the Libraries than just for use in the development of the Indicators.

At each focus group, each participant was given a list of the questions. Issues discussed included: organizational climate, computing, work environment, access to learning, and recognition.

At the conclusion of the each focus group, individuals were asked to complete a survey ranking the Academic Excellence Quality Indicators in terms of their importance and value to them as RUL faculty and staff members. Forty-nine individuals completed the surveys. As you can see from the Table 1, Library faculty and staff ranked Organizational Climate as the Indicator that was most important to them.

The Committee recommends the Libraries conduct an Organizational Climate Inventory as soon as possible to identify specific faculty and staff concerns.

Table 1. Rutgers University Libraries Cumulative Rankings

Academic Quality Excellence Indicators	RUL (N=49)
	Rank	Score
Organizational Climate	1	2.85
Institutional Support	2	3.81
Access To Appropriate Computing Equipment	3	4.22
Recognition	4	4.59
Access to Learning & Development Activities	5	4.61
Personal Safety	6	4.87
Systems Availability	7	5.1
Physical Plant Security	8	5.4
Scale: 1=most important    8=least important

Definition of survey terms

• Institutional Support (University support of the mission and goals of the library.)
• Access to Learning and Development Activities
• Recognition
• Access to Appropriate Computing Equipment
• Systems Availability (The availability of systems to do work i.e. system uptime)
• Physical Plant Security (The physical environment of the library, includes issues such as lighting, work areas, signage, alarm systems, mold, temperature, etc.)
• Personal Safety
• Organizational Climate (The perception of how it feels to work in a particular environment. It is the "atmosphere of the workplace" and your perception of the "way we do things around here.")

Due to the diversity of the library system and the unique library environments, priorities varied among the respondents at each campus. Table 2 reports the comparative Indicator rankings by campus.

Table 2. Rankings by Campus

Academic Quality Excellence Indicators	UL (N=49)	Camden (N=18)	New (N=11)	NB (N=20)
	Rank	Rank	Rank	Rank
Organizational Climate	1	1	3	1
Institutional Support	2	5	1	2
Access To Appropriate Computing Equipment	3	2	4	4
Recognition	4	8	6	5
Access to Learning & Development Activities	5	3	7 (tie)	3
Personal Safety	6	6	2	7
Systems Availability	7	4	7 (tie)	6
Physical Plant Security	8	7	5	8
Scale: 1=most important    8=least important

The responses from individual questions asked in the focus group follows. The first focus group was held in Camden. The focus group questions were evaluated and revised. Responses are presented here first with the questions that were asked on all three campuses. Responses are synthesized for some questions for all respondents. Depending on the question, some responses are presented by individual campus. The unique questions asked at Camden complete the report.

1. What makes the libraries a good place to work?

Employees identified these factors as contributing to a good work place:

• Challenging Work
• Collegiality and Cooperation
• IT Support
• Ready access to resources
• Academic Environment
• Learning & Growth Opportunities
• Effective Leadership
• Library's Public Services Mission
• Diverse Employee Base
• Freedom
• Flexible Opportunities
• Making Positive Contributions
• Desire to improve their work
• Compensation and Benefits
• Job security
• Intellectual Stimulation
• Library lectures and programs
• Pride of place

2. Are you recognized/rewarded for your work? How would you like to be recognized/rewarded for the quality of work you do?

Are you recognized/rewarded for your work?

Most participants believe they are respected and recognized for the jobs they do. One employee said:" Best job in my entire life. Supported, respected and appreciates the freedom it allows" Another individual praised the administration in their library for the emotional support and compassion they received when dealing with an individual personal family crises.

Employees take pride in recognition for doing a good job. They are particularly pleased with recognition from faculty and students. Library faculty and staff are aware that library services receive high satisfaction ratings in campus exit interviews of graduating students.

However one employee expressed the opinion that they "felt appreciated by faculty who use our services but do not feel appreciated by the library." Another indicated they were "seldom recognized". Another said: "Recognition? This seems to get lost in translation or when filtered down/up the pecking order."

One person said: "When people do the work there is often no one there to recognize that they are doing a good job. "

How would you like to be recognized/rewarded for the quality of work you do?

As to be expected, there was a fair share of individuals who wanted to be financially rewarded for their work and indicated: "more money would be nice".

Library faculty and staff want to be recognized for the work they do by both their supervisors and their peers. They also want to receive both verbal and written praise. One staff person said: It might be nice to have a written evaluation of documentation of a job well done, so it could be used as evidence of self worth. Another echoed the same refrain with this comment: "It might be nice to have someone say and write that you do a great job".

Participants identified the following types of rewards:

• Compensation & Pay for Performance
• Tenure
• Job Promotion/Transfer
• Psychological and Emotional rewards from serving the public
• Positive Recognition by the public
• Positive Recognition by supervisors/administrators
• Positive Recognition from peers

Suggestions for Improvement of the Rewards System

Participants cited the following:

• Supervisors only tell you when you have done something bad -- not good
• There are ways to recognize people without stretching the library's budget
• If people are doing good work - tell them
• We need to learn how to recognize people and how to celebrate that recognition
• One individual stated: I don't recognize people's work often enough or even well enough
• We need instruction on rewarding people

3. Do you feel personally safe working in the libraries? Can you describe any safety concerns you have working for the libraries?

Safety concerns varied by geographic location and will be described in that way. Faculty and staff in the urban area libraries expressed the greatest concerns. New Brunswick librarians and staff had few comments on safety.

Camden - Paul Robeson Library

In Camden, as to be expected in the "most dangerous city in America" both faculty and staff have serious safety concerns. Although one individual relayed she did not feel threatened at all - "its Camden you are supposed to keep your eyes open". This was a minority opinion.

Faculty and staff voiced these concerns:

• Security in the building is "unconscionable"
• There is a crime waiting to happen on evenings and weekends
• Weekends are a problem with the general public using the library
• The library seems like a place that there are accidents waiting to happen
• Concerns about study lounge safety and downstairs bathrooms
• Librarians are worried about the student workers getting attacked
• One individual described being followed out of the building by a user
• The structure of the building has too many nooks and crannies
• "I, myself, feel relatively safe though I wonder and worry about the safety of those who are here after dark or on the weekend."
• Security suggestions never seem to be followed up

Criticism was expressed about the security guard's behaviors. Concerns included the fact that the security guards do not always check ids and some security guards leave their station and watch the front door while using nearby computer workstations.

Suggestions for improved safety in the building as related to security guards included:

• The need for standards for all guards
• The desire to have a consistent guard who will understand and act on their responsibilities such as turning on the lights and unlocking the doors.
• One person said: "I strongly feel that Campus Police needs to take a more active role in promoting campus safety by making themselves more visible. You don't see these guys much at all. We can't blame the security guards for all the safety issues."

Other safety suggestions included:

• We should not ever open the library unless there are three full time employees working - this does not include a security guard in the three people
• With the availability of high tech security equipment we ought to have cameras in certain areas of the library.

Newark - Dana Library

Individuals indicated that working with the public can sometimes be challenging. One individual said: "There are crazy people - students and public alike". Another said: "Patrons are a concern."

Safety Concerns were expressed for people who worked nights and weekends, and specifically those who work in Tech Services.

Although one person indicated that they never feel unsafe and always feels personally comfortable, many individuals would like more security presence. Many indicated they would like and need a security guard. Others indicated that: Police don't come in often enough and [we] "need increased and regular campus police presence in the building over the day."

Individuals indicated they were "concerned for student safety in the stacks" and there needed to be an evaluation of stack safety.

Safety suggestions included:

• Would like a panic button
• Would like a pistol
• Staff need to take initiative to patrol their own areas and take immediate action if there is a problem - people should call for police themselves and not ask access services to do it for them
• It might be good to have mirrors placed where people could see around corners

New Brunswick Libraries

Safety was not a hot issue for the New Brunswick faculty and staff as evidenced by the lack of comments when compared to the other campuses.

Individuals identified specific locations where they had safety concerns.

• Unsafe area near Hill Sciences Center path from parking lot to building - pergola lighting not good and plants overgrown in that area.
• Work alone on Friday Pm in TSB building - it is not ideal to be working alone at night.

Other issues

• The New Brunswick Access Services team described a security and maintenance survey they conducted.
• Staff advocated accurate record keeping for banning letters. One staff member said: "Looking to codify the procedures to get people banned is an ongoing concern - I want to make sure the record keeping is accurate."

4. Are you satisfied with your physical work environment? Can you describe any concerns you have about your physical work environment?

Again this is a question that needs described by library or campus when that information is provided.

Camden - Paul Robeson Library

• Poor lighting - in Reference area, front entrance,
• Temperature controls (too hot; too cold); Provide individual heating units during the winter
• Some offices have water problems and mold
• The ceiling leaks in some places
• Things get abandoned - repairmen will come into the building and leave unused materials and tools laying around
• I have always been concerned with air quality but then I have severe allergies. The place is hardly ever swept or moped and the funky odors that occasionally come out of these air vents is enough to gag you but the people who complain are not taken seriously. This is a particularly sensitive issue. Just because it isn't happening to you doesn't necessarily mean is not important enough to report and/or address. Too often people are pushed aside and not take seriously because of who they are not what the problems are.

Newark - Dana Library

Temperature varies from one part of the building to another

• Lighting
  • Stack and serials areas need better lighting
  • Need new lighting for art work
• Would like all the clocks to have the same time displayed
• Building needs better maintenance
• Would like tech services to look more aesthetically pleasing

New Brunswick Libraries

• The quality of custodial services varies from building to building.
• Individuals indicated there were problems with lighting, leaks, dust, mold, and air circulation at Alex.
• Concern was expressed for the impact of condensation on books because of the variability of temperatures in Alex.
• There was also a plea to have duct cleaning and an exterminator visit Alex.
• Need more ventilation in the bathrooms at TSB
• Workspaces are not seen as ergonomically correct.

ADA Issues

• Not all areas of all libraries seem ADA compliant. [Code variations over the years is a contributing factor.]
• Aisles in some building are too narrow for wheelchairs

5. Can you identify any barriers within the libraries which impact your work?

Change

• People need to change

Communication

Equipment

• Copy machines are barriers
• There are often problems with copy machines on Sundays
• Need a procedures manual for copying and microfilming equipment
• Public computing equipment is often better than staff equipment
• Our computers should all be up to date
• Need better printers and copiers
• One individual wants a scanner at her desk for serials inventory - she doesn't even have a wand

Faculty/Staff Barriers

There is a barrier between library faculty and staff in the libraries

Financial

• Lack of money both in terms of personal and in regards to work environment
• Not enough money for computer support
• No travel money for untenured persons or not enough travel money

Geography

• System wide geography
• Conflict because of geography

Personnel

• Even though we are a people centered organization, there is never a time when 100% of the people are available and we are never up to 100% of capability
• Newark- there is a lack of people in terms of library faculty the number of people is so small and there always has to be a Newark Representative on each system wide committee, there are too many classes to do for the current staff to do and we need to take on the responsibilities /work of two or three people
• Want a head of Technical Services in Newark

Political

Policies

• Different campuses have different policies about how things work and policies should be applied consistently across all three campus [media circulation an example between Newark and NB]
• Policies should be consistently applied across campuses

Parking

• Can't attend workshops because of parking when moving from one campus to another
• Parking - just to come to work

Psychological Stress

• People are expected to know everything and you just can't know everything and keep up with everything (people seemed overwhelmed by their work)

Remote Access [resolved]

• We need to have a different mechanism to allow for remote access, people have difficulty explaining the remote access procedures
• Barrier to getting our job done is the whole remote access issue
• Want us to log in with the net id

Training in Adaptive Technology

• Need retraining in Adaptive technology (Kurtzwiler machines etc.) and also trying to keep track of who is responsible and how we can best help the needs of people with disabilities
• We need just in time solutions for helping these people
• Barriers between student affairs and us in dealing with these issues

Trust, respect and autonomy among colleagues

• The supervisors would like to be respected and trusted by administrators to create their own meeting agendas
• Supervisor's meeting agenda is set by someone else

6. What kind of learning and development activities would help you perform your current and future work responsibilities?

Individuals identified the need for the following types of learning activities:

Positive Feedback and Recognition Workshops

• Program on how to provide positive feedback to employees
• How to provide non financial rewards to employees

Email Training

• There were several requests for the standardization of the use of the same email package across the library system.
• Camden staff requested that they receive training on the capabilities of email on site. (Not via videoconferencing from NB)
• Effective use of email- how to reply to lists

Operating System Training

• I don't need much to make my computer work environment better except a better knowledge of operating systems in general. There are things about my PC that I don't always know how to do so need to rely on our IT. Some of this stuff should be basic knowledge to all of us. Some of us have this knowledge because they have been exposed to it while others do not due to lack of exposure

Content Management Software Training

• It would be nice to have a content management system and have a regular suite of software training packages such as dream weaver or macro media projects offered in Camden, not just NB with necessarily updates as needed.

Writing Workshops

• Writing Workshops that would focus on how to take minutes
• How to write a reports and proposals

Presentation Workshops

• How to give effective presentations (as opposed to Presentation software)

Videoconferencing etiquette

Individuals Identified these issues as Barriers to Learning

Funding

• We should not have to pay for it
• Not easy to get funding for educational opportunities once you are tenured

Equal Access to Education Opportunities

• We should have access to a [software] certification program in Camden
• It would be nice to have a content management system and have a regular suite of software training packages such as dream weaver or macro media projects offered in Camden, not just NB with necessarily updates as needed.

Geography and Transportation

• Can't attend workshops because of parking when moving from one campus to another within New Brunswick
• Transportation difficulties and time issues if go to New Brunswick

Need for Privacy, confidentiality, respect & discretion at training sessions

• When supervisors do training it would be better to do it individually or separately from colleagues - rather than in a group with colleagues because you always know who people are talking about

Need Practice and Thinking time after training

• The problem with training is that it is here for the taking but there isn't any time to practice and actually digest it all so it can be utilized effectively. We have the best of intentions but then are drowning in work or backlog or other projects.

Timing

• It would be nice if we could have training on databases set up for a standard time and be able to attend sessions on our own time schedules
• Generating opportunities to participate in training - [being able to attend training]

Videoconferencing

• Get training by teleconference - ok but would like more onsite training
• The current videoconference training sessions have been good and I can take things back to my job
• Not easy to do video conferencing
• People can use the videoconferencing equipment to attend workshops
• Would like to be able to teleconference MLS program so they would not have to go to New Brunswick

Suggestions for New Opportunities:

• Intercampus short term job exchanges would be nice
• Would like the opportunity to shadow different reference librarians both at the desk and in a classroom situations to learn different styles and handling questions differently

Other Concerns

7. What kind of computing & systems (hardware/software/systems) needs do you have that are not currently being met?

Hardware

• Concerns about computing needs differed from one library to another.
• Camden employees were pleased with their computing capabilities in general due to the routine upgrading of equipment at all staff levels. The only concern in Camden was for the upgrading of the instructional lynx system.
• In New Brunswick, staff was very concerned about the need to upgrade their hardware including printers. One person said: "I need to take things home to do things on my home computer because my work computer does not have the functionality I need to do to work on web pages." Another staff member expressed this opinion: "Need new equipment for staff? It seems there is new money for new furniture for the public - but what about the staff equipment needs?"
• Suggestion: It would be helpful for all campuses to have the same instructional equipment for the sake of people moving from one campus to another and needing equipment at each location.

Software

• Claims function does not work in SIRSI (this was a unique need and was being addressed).
• Need institutional support for open source
• Wants SiRSI Director's station distributed widely cited potential problems with site licensing costs
• One faculty member values the freedom to choose the software program they want to use - does not want to be dictated to by the system

Systems

• Need More Technical/Systems Support Staff
• There are brilliant [systems] people, not just enough to go around
• Systems would invite the opportunity to hire more people to be able to support more things
• Does systems really have to support all the software used by library faculty and staff?
• One individual expressed frustration with the systems support policy saying: "Although the library supports many software packages, if people want to use specialized packages they cannot because systems will not support that software and the individual would just like to have the ability to get the software without systems support."

Skill Development & Training Needs

• I don't need much to make my computer work environment better except a better knowledge of operating systems in general. There are things about my PC that I don't always know how to do so need to rely on our IT. Some of this stuff should be basic knowledge to all of us. Some of us have this knowledge because they have been exposed to it while others do not due to lack of exposure

Need to Automate Routine Staff Activities

• Need to release staff from routine activities by automating them- an example is that the database management team with its lists of things withdrawn it is now done automatically

Public Access Machines

• The desire to have word processing software available on Public Access Machines was expressed in several libraries. This is clearly a need in libraries where there are not circulating collections such as the Art Library.
• Need non Latin character sets on computers [this has been achieved]

Personal Needs

• I would like to be set up to work from home more easily. By that I mean access to Workflows and the T drive and the U drive.

8. After looking over the Academic Excellence Quality Indicator's for the libraries, do you think there is anything missing? Would you like to add anything?

• Under adequate Institutional support there is a need for adequate lines to support the work that is necessary - adequate lines is an indicator of how they value that unit and the work that is done in that unit.
• These quality indicators are fairly complete but do any of these cover how staffers and faculty feel about having to take on more responsibility and workload because of attrition in the university job force and unfilled vacancies due to budget limitations? This has had an impact on all of us. We all have to do more for various reasons and this action has caused some unhappiness within the ranks but understandably so. No one likes to do more and get paid the same or not be recognized in some manner. It has been a tough economy over the last few years and having a job or job security is a good reason to stick around but there also has to be more from the university. The higher ups always take care of themselves first and then it trickles down.
• We are victims of our own propaganda - we don't always understand where we fit into the big picture of the university.
• There should be a category for usage of the Library under library faculty and staff --Usage of the library is important for library faculty and staff
• Public Perception of the library

Added Value

• How do we measure the value we add to products? Such as the value we add to the design of our web pages, and subject guides
• Value added aspect of what catalogers do or the value added aspect of what librarians do
• What do we provide to the public? - Beyond funding
• Easy access to RUL Collections
• There is no reference to subject guides here
• Cataloging is not represented here.

9. What would you look for if you were interviewing for a perfect job in an excellent library? What qualities would indicate that this library is doing an excellent job and therefore you would want to work for this library?

• Salary & Benefits including tuition remission
• Job security
• A job that doesn't have a high turnover rate
• Tenure
• Positive organizational climate - how people work together
• If People are enthusiastic and there was an excitement about what people talk about what they do
• Opportunities to work with a diverse group of individuals
• Surrounded by supportive people
• Commitment to diversity
• Money for collections
• Availability of technology
• I would look for equity - the same compensation for the same job across all three campuses. As the work load is increasing people at Dana don't feel they are getting the same compensation as the people who do the same jobs in NB
• Want to know about the people who you would work for & with in a future environment
• I want to work in a place where I can think and use brain cells and be appreciated
• Resources I have
• Recognition - both economic and social
• We can dress the way we want
• Want to make a difference

After the first Brown Bag Lunch in Camden, the questions were evaluated and revised. This section represents the unique questions and responses asked during the Focus Groups at Camden.

10. What does the library do that most benefits the university?

• Act as a Gatekeeper to university functions
• We are an information repository, yet we don't really market ourselves well to the community and let them know what we offer.
• Facilitate access to information
• Information clearing house
• Provide fundamental research materials and technology
• We serve the students with all kinds of information
• Provide phenomenal customer service in providing students with materials
• Warm place to sit
• Good place to meet

11. How can we make the libraries a better place for you to work?

• We need to be consistent as to how we apply policies, one person will do one thing and another will do something else, people should adhere to policies and apply them consistently (example - changing a $20 bill - it says on the change box to NOT change any 20.00 bills yet some people will do that and then there is no change for the next person to give out)
• Some people would like more flexible hours
• Better supervisors are appreciated
• People are not always consulted when decisions affect them or have an impact on them. Systems upgrades and reconstruction of the circ area were cited as examples.
• Staff and administrators ought to be able to work from home (said by a librarian)
• Some people believed that staff should be allowed to work from home
• One person bemoaned the fact that they could not do everything from home because it was not technologically possible for them to do so - wanted to use Workflows from home and have access to the T drive materials

12. What is important to you as an employee?

• I care about everything that happens here, I care too much
• We need more water cooler discussions
• People don't share ideas well with each other - we need a better mechanism to share ideas
• It might be helpful to initiate an ALA type discussion group to share ideas and issues

13. Does Rutgers support its libraries adequately? What additional support is needed? Let's assume that the number one thing is more money---what else?

• NO - can't buy things for 6 months
• NO! The University does not support the libraries adequately nor proportionately. Just take a look at the renovations of the past 10 years. It has all be done piece meal and why? Because the money is almost always reserved for the NB libraries. This library was described in the Communications Survey as "homey but homely". The homey is because we are small and the staff is relatively friendly and accommodating. We are "homely" because none of the decor or the carpets from section to section matches. We look like we were decorated with "garage sale" specials.

14. If you were creating measures for evaluating the impact of the libraries on you, what measures do you think would be important?

• I don't know that this can be done. How do you measure if a person is happy with their job or is trained well enough to be performing beyond expectations? How do you measure if a person is approachable or accessible?

15. Of the measures you identified which is the most important?

• Finding a mechanism to measure a person's approachability or accessibility to me would be most helpful. People want to have access to their superiors AND feel like they are being taken seriously. One of the fallacies of being a supervisor or department coordinator or head is that you can fix it all. Some staffers don't accept that we can't always snap our fingers and give them what they want.