v>EPA
United States Environmental Office of Environmental EPA 260-R-05-002
Protection Agency Information (2843T) June 2005
Optional Approaches
to U.S. EPA
Regional Library Support
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Prepared by
The E PA National Library Network
U.S. EPA Office of Environmental Information
Office of Information Analysis and Access
Information Access Division
Information Services Branch, Mail code 2843T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Project Lead: Richard Huffine
(202) 566-0703
Huffine.richard@epa.gov
(202) 566-0669 fax
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
2. Methodology 5
2.1 Business Case 5
2.2 Self-Assessment 5
2.3 Library User Surveys 5
2.4 Consultations 6
2.5 Evaluation of Results 6
3. Legal Mandates 6
3.1 Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources 6
3.2 Freedom of Information Act and Amendments 7
3.3 Paperwork Reduction Act 7
4. Service Options 7
4.1 Current Status 7
4.2 Network Node Approach 8
4.3 Liaison Approach 8
4.4 Virtual Services Approach 8
4.5 Deferral of Responsibility 8
5. Cost of Services 9
5.1 Minimum Standards for Library Services 9
5.2 Role of Federal Site Managers 9
6. Impacts to Consider 10
6.1 Reducing the Footprint 10
6.2 Impact on Services for the Public 11
6.3 Additional Issues to Consider 11
7. Network Recommendations 11
7.1 Leveraged Buys 12
7.2 Network Capacity 12
7.3 Managing Information Requests 13
7.4 Virtual Service Provision 13
7.5 National Contract Utilization 13
8. Making Your Decision 14
8.1 Reading the Spreadsheets 14
9. Conclusion 14
Appendix 1: FY06 Workload Estimates by Region 16
Appendix 2: Spreadsheet of Approaches for Average Regional Scenario 28
Appendix 3: Assumptions Used in Spreadsheet of Approaches 31
Appendix 4: Model for the Distribution of Services 33
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Executive Summary
The EPA National Library Network has produced the following document to
inform EPA's Assistant Regional Administrators about their options for supporting library
services in each of the 10 Regions beyond FY2006. The senior leadership in the
Regions has asked questions about how the Regional Libraries and the National Library
Network can position themselves to meet the information needs of EPA staff and the
general public in the future. Due to a number of factors, EPA's libraries are under
pressure to transform the way they support these diverse customers. Technological
changes and budget uncertainties contribute to an increasingly challenging business
environment. The options presented run the gamut from maintaining current levels of
effort on-site to making tough choices about leveraging support through the other
participants in the EPA National Library Network. These choices involve decisions about
how critical library services are to providing support for Regional operations.
The documentation demonstrates a large diversity in focus and function for each
of the EPA Regional Libraries and there is no "one size fits all" recommendation. The
bottom line here will be who takes the initiative for providing a capacity for information
services and who is at risk of not having information services when they are critically
needed. This document provides EPA's Assistant Regional Administrators with
information to evaluate the costs and value of managing and/or accessing information
services. The reality of future requests for services cannot be predicted. The unit costs
of services can only be estimated based on a number of factors.
Five service options are being presented:
1. Current status: The Region chooses to make no changes to the current library
operation.
2. Network node approach: The Regional library continues to provide its core
services on-site, but purchases and/or sells some services from/to the National
Library Network.
3. Liaison approach: The Regional library greatly reduces or eliminates its physical
collection and the labor needed to maintain it. Many services are purchased from
the National Library Network, with a staff person acting as a broker for these
services.
4. Virtual Services Approach: The Region maintains no library presence on-site, but
there is a mechanism through which Regional staff can purchase services and
resources directly from the National Library Network.
5. Deferral of Responsibility: The Region ceases all affiliation with the National
Library Network, forcing staff to procure information services on their own. This
approach is not recommended as it will potentially yield higher costs to the
Region overall.
Additionally, the National Library Network is recommending that the Agency fully exploit
the advantages of the national contract by:
• Switching from a "just in case" model, through which many separate libraries are
duplicating effort by focusing on capacity, to a "just in time" model, through which
all resources across the network are available to be leveraged in response to a
given need.
• Shifting the responsibility for how a service is provided to the contractor, so that
resources can be allocated and reallocated across the network contract
according to need.
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Each Region will need to consider the risks and impacts of changing its model of
providing library and information services. Some impacts that must be considered are:
• Physical collections: Reducing or eliminating the physical collections at a give
Region will need to be approached intelligently to ensure continued access to the
legacy of the Agency's literature. Transferring collections to a consolidated
location will require an upfront investment but will yield cost savings in the future.
• Services to the public: Regional libraries play an important role in the Region's
duty to provide information to the citizens of the Region. If a Region is choosing
the Liaison or Virtual Services approach, inquiries from the public must be
redirected to the Region's hotline or another public access unit.
• Several transitional activities will need to be supported by Regions that choose to
change their approach to library services, such as consulting the Regional
unions, establishing new operational procedures, and establishing service
agreements with the National Library Network.
If every region chooses either the liaison or virtual service approach, the Network
management and the library contractor may need to position resources in Center or
laboratory library locations or in off-site facilities. Too many regions choosing to reduce
services and collection support will also require planning to transition each site to a more
virtual service within the first six to nine months of the contract year. The National
Library Network believes that the optimal structure for supporting the EPA Regions in
2006 would include:
• A minimum of 3 Network Node locations, geographically distributed with each
participating in at least 2 "Centers of Excellence" for research (e.g. business,
legal, program and/or scientific) or services (e.g. document delivery/interlibrary
loan, cataloging, Web site maintenance).
• A minimum of 3 Liaison locations in order to test the ability to "broker" services
for staff.
• A minimum of 2 Virtual Services locations in order to test the capability of serving
staff without a functional library on-site.
• Participation by at least one of the EPA's Environmental Centers (RTP,
Cincinnati, and Headquarters) in order to include other functioning libraries in the
mix of service providers and users.
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1. Introduction
Since late 2003, the EPA National Library Network has been engaged in a
dialogue with the Assistant Regional Administrators to determine the appropriate future
of EPA's Regional Libraries. The senior leadership in the Regions has asked questions
about how the Regional Libraries and the National Library Network can position
themselves to meet the information needs of EPA staff and the general public in the
future. Due to a number of factors, EPA's libraries are under pressure to transform the
way they support these diverse customers. Technological changes and budget
uncertainties contribute to an increasingly challenging business environment. The
impact of how the Agency, its staff, and the public use the Internet cannot be overstated.
Every year EPA libraries must re-estimate the value of their services and the costs of
providing those services and make choices that best fit their mission priorities and patron
preferences. At the same time, budgets have been unpredictable, but generally tight.
These factors have resulted in growing disparities in the resources available to EPA staff
based on their physical location and organizational commitment to information access.
The EPA Library Network has reviewed the library assessment results, survey
responses, workload estimates, and statistics for the services and resources provided by
the Regional libraries. We have developed the following presentation to focus a decision
on how the Regional management wants to contribute and/or utilize a network capacity
for information services in the future. These recommendations are based on data and
conversations with the regional leadership, the library contract management, the other
libraries participating in the EPA National Library Network, and EPA staff.
This report is intended to inform the senior and mid-level management about the
issues involved with changing the current approach to information services. The body of
the document is divided into sections that provide first the context (Methodology, Legal
Mandates) then a collection of options (Service Options, Cost of Services) and finally,
information that will inform the final decision (Cost of Services, Impacts to Consider,
Network Recommendations, Making Your Decision, and Conclusion). Appendix 1 then
gives an average view of current library services and a separate spreadsheet for each
Regional library. These individual reports will allow a Regional office to compare their
operations to the average and to other Regional libraries. Appendix 2 provides a view of
each of the proposed approaches using the workload and number of requests presented
for the average region. Regional management can compare their performance to the
average for each approach and determine the impact that a given approach would have
on services to Regional staff. Finally, Appendix 3 documents all the assumptions the
National Library Network used in presenting Appendix 2. The assumptions are
documented here to inform the management regarding how the spreadsheet reflects
what may be considered a conservative approach to the costs and savings of a more
consolidated information services approach.
The National Library Network recommends that each Region choose the
appropriate approach to meet the needs of EPA staff and to ensure that the Region can
continue to assist the general public in understanding the mission of the EPA. Each
Region should consider how their selection affects the ability of the Region to support a
collection of print resources and determine the appropriate disposition of collections, as
necessary, in order to maximize their availability to the Agency and the public while
minimizing the costs of transfer and processing. The National Library Network will be
working with each Region to establish processes for provision of information services
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electronically, which will enhance the provision of information to EPA staff while
minimizing transaction time.
2. Methodology
Several activities have been conducted over the last two years that have led the
National Library Network to provide you with these recommendations. Throughout this
process, staff, management, and users have been consulted. Several of the activities
and their role in establishing these approaches are described below. Results of special
note for each activity are also highlighted:
2.1 Business Case
In January, 2004 the Office of Environmental Information published the "Business
Case for Information Services: EPA's Regional Libraries and Centers" (see
http://www.epa.qov/natlibra/epa260rp4001.pdf). This report was the result of a process
to document the costs and benefits of library services provided in the EPA's 10 Regional
Libraries and three Centers (Cincinnati, OH, Research Triangle Park, NC, and
Washington, DC). The Business Case established the 32 separate service activities that
are listed on the attached spreadsheets (see Appendices 1 and 2). The document also
used the same basis for looking at the number of requests at the various centers. That
report, however, aggregated the results and did not differentiate the approach to service
taken at the various locations.
• The Business Case document suggested a model for the distribution of
services among the Regional libraries (see Exhibit 3 of that document)
similar to the approaches detailed here.
2.2 Self-Assessment
In October, 2004, all 26 participants of the EPA National Library Network were
provided with materials and documentation for conducting a "self assessment" of their
current activities, workload, and capacity. This exercise was intended to extend the
knowledge gained in the business case to the Network as a whole and to give individual
locations information that they could use to determine their own interest in participating
in a new approach to library services.
• The self-assessment materials were collected in January, 2005 and are
the basis for the Regional "current status approach" numbers presented
in Appendix 1 of this document.
2.3 Library User Surveys
During this same time frame, the National Library Network provided a Library
User Survey for each of the 26 locations. Not all locations chose to distribute the
surveys but those that did were provided with summary reports in order to gauge the
interest and commitment of their patrons to on-site and/or virtual services. The surveys
also collected data about how often users come to the physical library and what types of
information they need to do their work.
• 60% of those surveyed had used a service of the library within the last
month
• 67% of respondents would accept electronic copies of EPA documents
while 80% believe it is important to maintain print copies on-site.
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2.4 Consultations
In order to facilitate the process of reviewing library functions, the Office of
Environmental Information offered consultations to the ten EPA Regional Offices
between November, 2004 and February, 2005. Six Regions requested the visits and
participated in a two to three day program that included interviews, focus groups, and a
series of conversations with library staff and managers. The consultations focused on
the state of the library, what their library staffs skills were, and what the users of their
service need from the library. The visiting consultant also addressed how to use the
assessment materials and spent some time in the physical space to get a feeling for how
the collection is managed and its strengths and weaknesses. Written reports were
provided to the participating regions as another tool in determining the approach they
would want to take to library services in the future.
• The consultations revealed that each library approaches the provision of
many services differently. For example, all Regional libraries process
document delivery/interlibrary loan requests but there is no consistent
process to manage these requests electronically.
»
2.5 Evaluation of Results
The results of the self-assessments, user surveys and consultations were
compiled in the FY2004 Library Network Annual Report
(http://intran^ Summaries of each particular
portion were also provided to the Federal Manager for each EPA Library as the materials
were completed or compiled. The results were also presented as the basis for
conversations at the 2005 National Library Network Meeting, held in Seattle, Washington
in April, 2005. Discussions at the Network Meeting focused on how to implement
Network services as well as approaches to consolidating collections, leveraging the
purchase of journals, and improving the way libraries use the Internet to communicate
with users.
• The evaluation of results identified a number of locations that could
provide services. The meeting also documented issues and ideas to be
addressed as "Centers of Excellence" are developed.
3. Legal Mandates
While there is not an explicit requirement that a Federal agency develop and
maintain libraries, there are a number of requirements and mandates that library
services address.
3.1 Circular A-130. Management of Federal Information Resources
This OMB Circular states "Because the public disclosure of government
information is essential to the operation of a democracy, the management of Federal
information resources should protect the public's right of access to government
information." The Circular also states that Agencies must, at a minimum, "establish and
maintain inventories of all agency information dissemination products." The EPA's
Online Library System provides an inventory of Agency documents and reports that are
available in EPA libraries. The Circular also states that Agencies must "provide
adequate notice when initiating, substantially modifying, or terminating significant
information dissemination products." Therefore, if the Agency does reduce access to
library collections, the appropriate steps would need to be taken to notify the public.
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3.2 Freedom of Information Act and Amendments
These federal laws require that Agencies make available for public inspection,
Agency records and documentation. Specifically, the Act as amended states that "each
agency shall also maintain and make available for public inspection and copying current
indexes providing identifying information for the public as to any matter issued, adopted,
or promulgated after July 4,1967, and required by this paragraph to be made available
or published." Without a physical library or reading room, this provision of the law would
not be possible. Much of what the Agency produced between its' inception in 1971 until
the early 1990's is only available in printed form and held in an EPA library.
3.3 Paperwork Reduction Act
This Act states that "with respect to information dissemination, each agency shall
(1) ensure that the public has timely and equitable access to the agency's public
information, including ensuring such access through (A) encouraging a diversity of public
and private sources for information based on government public information; (B) in
cases in which the agency provides public information maintained in electronic format,
providing timely and equitable access to the underlying data (in whole or in part); and (C)
agency dissemination of public information in an efficient, effective, and economical
manner." While the effective and economical manner of managing libraries can be
questioned, regional libraries provide a distributed point of access to government
information that cannot be replaced or replicated without significant investment.
4. Service Options
The National Library Network has developed a series of approaches for Regional
libraries. The approaches are based on data provided during the assessment process
and through the regular statistical reporting schedule for Library Network participants.
Each approach progresses from the current level of effort provided in the Region to a
reduction in capability that would support only services deemed critical by the Regional
management.
4.1 Current Status
This approach simply reflects the level of effort and number of requests reported
during the assessment process and statistical reporting completed in January, 2005. A
location that chooses this approach would not purchase any support from the Network
but would maintain the current level of effort to continue supporting the requests in that
location. The current status reflects actual levels of effort and may reflect staff
allocations based more on availability than on appropriate usage. For example,
interlibrary loan processing should be primarily a technician responsibility with oversight
by a librarian. Some locations do not maintain enough technicians to allocate the
workload appropriately.
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4.2 Network Node Approach
Network Node locations manage a collection, provide interaction with users and
maintain the appropriate skill sets on-site to provide services to their users and the
Agency as necessary. These locations purchase support from the Network where they
either do not want to maintain a capability on-site or where the Network may reduce the
overall costs through leveraging requests. Network Node libraries continue to grow their
library collections to meet their users needs. These libraries may also maintain specific
skills and resources that can be used to meet Agency requests (as reflected in ordered
services from those libraries). Network Node locations would be the coordinating sites
for the "Centers of Excellence," defined in section 7.2, Network Capacity.
4.3 Liaison Approach
Liaison locations may retain a physical presence but may no longer grow their
collection. A liaison location would purchase most specialized services from the
Network and maintain a contractor staff that acts as "brokers" for the users. A liaison
location may still contribute to the Network by providing off-site services from that
location, as the contractor deems appropriate. Under this approach, it is anticipated that
requests for some services will increase because of the lack of new collections and
dependence on off-site skills to handle most requests for research. There is a risk that
these locations may maintain large and stagnating collections in poor condition. It is
recommended that libraries taking this approach initiate activities to downsize their
physical collections. Maintenance of a physical collection requires some labor, even if it
is no longer growing (e.g. shelving, repair, shelf reading, periodic inventory).
4.4 Virtual Services Approach
The Virtual service approach reflects the reality that some locations may not
have the resources to consider other options. The selection of services using this option
may vary from location to location. The basic principle is that, for some services, the site
can be served virtually through other locations in the network. The National Library
Network considers support for research and access to other library collections (e.g.
document delivery/interlibrary loan) to be the most critical functions. These services will
not be provided from the National Library Network without support and funding from a
Region.
When considering this approach, Regions may wish to consider purchasing
services from other institutions (Universities, public libraries, other federal Agencies) if
arrangements can be made. Managing these relationships may require as much if not
more support than utilization of the National Library Network. Reducing the utilization of
the EPA National Library Network would also limit the potential savings of leveraged
buys and coordinated services.
4.5 Deferral of Responsibility
This approach is not detailed in the spreadsheets provided but it must be noted
that a Region may choose to close its library and not provide any services to staff or the
public. This approach would force individuals and organizations within the Region to
seek their own arrangements for services. The National Library Network does not
recommend such an approach as it will broadly distribute the requests for services and
further reduce the opportunity to save through leveraging.
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5. Cost of Services
The estimates provided here are based on assumptions that the National Library
Network has made regarding the level of effort and the effect of a transition on requests
in the Region. The actual performance of services by the contractor would be
negotiated at the beginning of the new contract year, scheduled for October, 2005.
Each approach targets what services and what "level of effort" are recommended on-site
and what services could be performed "off-site." The contractor providing support for the
Region may actually choose to provide such services at the location. The point of this
separation is to establish what can be performed wherever the contractor has the
capacity and skills needed.
5.1 Minimum Standards for Library Services
The approaches detailed in this report provide options for a Regional Office to
determine what they feel will meet their needs in the future. The Approaches
spreadsheet (Appendix 2) is accompanied by a set of assumptions (Appendix 3) that
explains how workload and requests are allocated for each approach. The assumptions
also detail which library functions are considered minimum standards for each approach.
The National Library Network has tried to establish a base set of requirements for a
location once they choose to retain or eliminate a collection of resources and provide or
eliminate on-site services.
It must be stated clearly that the choice to eliminate an on-site collection or
service may have unconsidered consequences. For example, a Region eliminating their
collection could face increased demand for document delivery/interlibrary loan. The
individual decisions of Regions will also impact the other Regions and locations within
the Agency. If every Region selects a virtual services approach, the remaining locations
(Centers, laboratories, and program libraries) may find themselves providing
substantially more services than they currently provide. Therefore, the contractor and
the remaining active library locations will work to address the workload and services
requested within whatever structure is adopted by the Regions as a whole.
5.2 Role of Federal Site Managers
With each of the approaches offered here, the role of the federal site manager
will need to be adjusted. For Network Nodes, the federal site manager will need to
coordinate the library services available in that region as well as potentially oversee
contract staff providing services from that facility that serve other regional users. These
managers will need to work with other Network Node managers to ensure that
performance levels are consistent and that innovations and efficiencies are pursued to
reduce the costs of services. Liaison locations will need a site manager who can track
the number of requests placed by their region and work with the contractor to adjust their
capacity as shifts occur. Liaison site managers will also have to determine the impacts
of no longer collecting materials and decide if and how a consolidation of their collection
would occur. For virtual services, the primary responsibility of federal site managers will
be the oversight and coordination of requests.
Every Federal site manager will play a critical role in the success of the EPA
National Library Network in the coming year. No matter which option is selected, federal
site managers will need to plan for and implement transition strategies that clearly
communicate what is available to staff and how requests will be handled in the future.
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5.3 Law Libraries and Legal Research Support
While these approaches do not directly address the function of Law Libraries
within Regional locations, data and information was collected during this effort to
address the considerations for these functions. Support for legal research could be
purchased as a service, much like business or scientific research. Regions could also
use the leveraged buy process (addressed in section 7.1) to reduce the overall cost of
legal collections. Regions that currently maintain and support a Law Library function
could leverage the skills they have on-site by providing the service to other Regions via
the National Contract.
6. Impacts to Consider
Whatever approach is selected, there will be impacts to the operations and
methods we apply to serving both EPA staff and the general public. This section details
some of the impacts you will need to consider and some options for addressing issues
as they arise.
6.1 Reducing the Footprint
One issue that may be critical for some locations is the need to reduce the physical
footprint of the library within the Regional Office. The Agency has an opportunity
through this process to consolidate collections and create a service out of managing
physical collections and migrating older EPA documents to electronic formats. While
this report primarily addresses the migration from managing capacity to managing
demand, the legacy of our physical collections still needs to be addressed. If the
reduction of a physical collection is a primary consideration for your region, the following
are some issues to consider:
• Regions selecting either the Liaison or Virtual Service approaches should
consider an additional investment in FY06 to reduce their physical collections.
Such a strategic investment would reduce their on-site maintenance in the
future and improve the efficiency of both library staff and space at the
location. Maintenance of a physical collection requires some labor, even if it
is no longer growing (e.g. shelving, repair, shelf reading, periodic inventory).
• Regions selecting either the Liaison or Virtual Service approaches should
also investigate approaches to managing access to materials produced in
their Region. Currently there is no repository of Regional documents outside
each Region and that function is sometimes critical to supporting both EPA
staff and the public.
• The National Library Network is pursuing a relationship with the Office of
Administration and Resources Management to establish the National
Environmental Publications Information System (NEPIS) as a repository for
electronic copies of EPA documents. It is hoped that NEPIS will provide
some capacity to scan and maintain electronic versions of the most
requested print documents for wide access to EPA staff and the general
public.
• Regions that reduce their capability to participate in document
delivery/interlibrary loan may find themselves unable to borrow from other
institutions. If those locations choose to purchase the service, then other
EPA libraries would borrow those materials on their behalf.
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• Several Regions have significant collections of uncataloged materials. These
collections may be supported by local databases but are not currently
accessible to the public or Agency at large. To migrate these materials,
additional costs will be incurred but only if there is value in their availability.
6.2 Impact on Services for the Public
Each Regional Office should also consider the impact of that changing their
approach to library services will have on their interaction with the public. It is estimated
that between 20 and 40 percent of the reference requests received by regional libraries
are public inquiries. If the virtual services approach is selected, the public will need to be
directed to a Regional hotline; and that hotline will need to be able to handle the
increased volume and complexity of those requests.
6.3 Additional Issues to Consider
In order to transition from the current status to any of the other approaches, a Region
may need to conduct several activities. The National Library Network will work with both
individual regions and the Network at large to address these impacts as identified. They
include:
• Consult internal organizations about their ability or interest in purchasing services
above those funded centrally. For example, a Regional enforcement office could
work with the Federal site manager to fund supporting research based on their
projected case load of enforcement actions.
• Establish the necessary mechanisms for requesting and tracking usage of
services.
• Establish performance levels for vetting and review of information.
• Service agreements may be needed for virtual services to address acceptable
service delivery
• Consider whether this is the appropriate time to fund the evaluation and transfer
of some or all of the local collection. The National Library Network contract can
provide the Region with these services and should be able to give specific
estimates upon request.
• Engage the Unions representing Regional staff to determine what services are
considered vital to their members and to assure them that Network provision of
services will be able to support them in doing their daily work.
• Maintain a central point of contact in the Region for library services in order to
monitor usage of services and at times approve/disapprove requests.
• Address variances in the workload estimates as they occur.
7. Network Recommendations
The selection of an approach for your particular Regional library is really only the
first step in a series of reforms to the way EPA Libraries operate. Once Regional
libraries have selected a role for the future, the individual workload assumptions will
need to be reviewed, aggregated, and assessed in order to implement a process for
serving Agency staff with a more coordinated library service. The National Library
Network is recommending the following changes to the way Network libraries do
business. It is in these implementations that cost savings can be found both in this initial
transition and ongoing in the future.
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7.1 Leveraged Buys
Several EPA Libraries still have a significant investment in the acquisition of
information for the EPA staff they support. Scientific research depends on the timely
availability of information from a variety of sources. Several Regions also still consider
at least a core set of journals, books, and reports to be essential to serving the needs of
their users. For these organizations, the National Library Network is pursuing an
approach to purchasing access to journals and databases that would cut costs and
extend access to the enterprise. At this time, we expect that the costs will be borne by
organizations that previously bought paper journals and individual access to databases.
This process will extend access thus reducing the number of document requests
received. There will, however, need to be a governance process to determine what gets
purchased, who shares the costs, and what will be cancelled in budgets are cut in the
future. The leveraged buys of journals complements the small suite of services currently
purchased through the Desktop Subscriptions fee in the Working Capital Fund.
7.2 Network Capacity
One of the primary goals of this effort is to allow individual libraries to reduce
their investment in library services while the Agency maintains the capability to respond
to the information needs of EPA staff and the general public. Through its current
network of libraries, the EPA maintains a highly skilled set of librarians and technicians
capable of meeting the requests of the users in their particular location. EPA libraries
contain a large collection of print and electronic resources in the environmental sciences,
business and legal information, and the more complex medical and biological sciences.
For some of our locations however, the cost of maintaining their own collection and
skilled staff has become too expensive. Some locations have become very dependent
on specific contract staff instead of leveraging the many skills and resources that would
be available by utilizing a contractor and services that is based on supporting the
Agency as a whole.
Shifting our resources to maintaining a "Network Capacity" would allow some
locations to step forward and provide services to other locations. Some examples of
such services include acquisitions, cataloging, e-mail referral, Web site maintenance,
etc. There are issues to consider when agreeing to provide portions of the network
capacity. Sites hosting these services will incur some workforce costs (space,
connectivity, equipment, etc.). These sites will, however, also be able to leverage on-
site and network demand. The Network as a whole will also need to consider the
individual decisions that are made in the context of the Agency as a whole. If all
Regions choose virtual services, then the cost of providing those services would most
likely change dramatically. Therefore, a mix of service approaches is recommended in
the conclusion of this document. That mix is based on the analysis of individual
workload and requests presented in Appendix 1. It is possible that in successive years,
the Agency can continue to migrate to more virtual capabilities but at this time a certain
amount of capacity will be needed in on-site services in at least some Regions.
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7.3 Managing Information Requests
The number of requests for information reflects the amount and complexity of
demand that is anticipated. Not every request will take the same amount of
time/resources to fulfill. Therefore, each Region will need to decide how they wish to
manage requests for services from their location. For some locations, they will purchase
support that addresses a realistic demand for a service and, as necessary, work with the
contractor to adjust support as requests shift. Other locations will need to control their
requests by vetting them and/or cutting services off when the anticipated number of
requests has been reached.
In the past, this issue has been addressed by maintaining a capacity in each
location. That capacity could shift staff and resources from one service to another. It
could also deal with "peaks and valleys" in requests for specific services. The decision
to choose an alternate approach will move the requirement for capacity from a specific
location to the contractor that supports the Network as a whole.
7.4 Virtual Service Provision
Virtual services and selecting a virtual services approach are complementary but
not the same thing. Many of the services that are currently being provided in each
physical location within the EPA Library Network can be done from either a central
location or at whatever location has the skills and capacity to address the request. By
moving to a virtual service model, the Agency will allow its contractor to allocate
resources as they see fit. For some services, cost could be substantially reduced by
cutting redundant services, connecting users directly to resources, or implementing
technologies across the enterprise that save staff time. Virtual services may be provided
at any site that maintains an on-site presence. For example, a liaison location may have
additional staff on-site providing virtual services, enabling that locations liaison staff to
have backup when necessary. Participating locations may also be outside the Regional
libraries, as long as the skills and capacity are available and the location is compensated
for their contributions. This concept has been discussed previously as "Centers of
Excellence" and relies on both a contractor capability to work in a specific discipline and
the particular locations' support for appropriate collections to support the function.
7.5 National Contract Utilization
One of the important pieces of this recommendation is that all the Regional
libraries will be able to purchase both on-site and off-site services through a central
contract. That contract can then leverage skills, capacity, and resources from one or
more locations to meet the needs of each Regional library as requests are made. The
Office of Environmental Information is currently pursuing such a vehicle that will be in
place by October 2005. Utilization of the national contract to provide Network services
will not preclude the use of other contract vehicles for some or all of the services
provided at a specific location. Some locations may have one contract provide local
services and then contract for additional services from the Network Contract. Other
locations may want to include support for Network workload and requests into their
contract and allow their contract to support other locations.
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 13
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8. Making Your Decision
The information presented in this report is intended to provide context to the
summary spreadsheets and assumptions presented in the Appendices. The Office of
Information Analysis and Access has provided this information in order for all ten EPA
Regions to make some critical decisions within the coming months. This effort
represents a fundamental shift in the way EPA considers library services from paying for
capacity to managing workloads. This section should give the management information
to consider as they review the spreadsheets, prepare to make their decision and
communicate that decision to the Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA).
8.1 Reading the Spreadsheets
The spreadsheets provide each Region with a series of approaches to consider.
For the current status, the workload reflects levels of effort reported during the
assessment process completed in January, 2005. The number of requests reported
reflects statistics that were reported to the National Library Network through a regular
statistical reporting schedule. The funds associated with labor reflect an average for
both librarians ($37/hour) and technicians ($31/hour). These rates are loaded rates
reflecting actual and fringe costs associated with labor hours. The number of requests is
a reflection of units (e.g. number of requests; number of books/articles; number of
sessions; number of Web pages modified).
The "cost per item" identified in the spreadsheet is the average of the current
costs of services within the EPA Library Network. In some cases, these costs could be
substantially reduced if consolidated services work. In other cases however, the loss of
local expertise and the cost of providing services (including labor rates and cost to
access content) could cause a service cost to increase substantially. The EPA Library
Network will need to work diligently with the users of services and the contractor to
ensure that costs are managed properly and that impacts of these changes are
communicated as quickly as possible. For each of the approaches provided in Appendix
2, the costs and number of information requests remain constant. The total estimated
cost reflects decisions about the maintenance of collections and services on-site.
9. Conclusion
The intent of this report is to offer Regional management a logical and fact-based
set of approaches to address the information needs of the staff and public they serve.
Naturally, the Office of Environmental Information would prefer the current approach of
fully operational "branch libraries" that can both contribute and benefit from the
aggregate capability of the Agency as a whole. The National Library Network believes it
should be possible to preserve a "national capacity" without maintaining duplicative and
inconsistent services in every EPA Region.
If every region chooses either the liaison or virtual service approach, the Network
management and the library contractor may need to position resources in Center or
laboratory library locations or in off-site facilities. Too many regions choosing to reduce
services and collection support will also require planning to transition each site to a more
virtual service within the first six to nine months of the contract year. The National
Library Network believes that the optimal structure for supporting the EPA Regions in
2006 would include:
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 14
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• A minimum of 3 Network Node locations, geographically distributed with each
participating in at least 2 "Centers of Excellence" for research (e.g. business,
legal, program and/or scientific) or services (e.g. document delivery/interlibrary
loan, cataloging, Web site maintenance).
• A minimum of 3 Liaison locations in order to test the ability to "broker" services
for staff.
• A minimum of 2 Virtual Services locations in order to test the capability of serving
staff without a functional library on-site.
• Participation by at least one of the EPA's Environmental Centers (RTP,
Cincinnati, and Headquarters) in order to include other functioning libraries in the
mix of service providers and users.
The material presented here will take some time and attention to evaluate. A
decision regarding the approach may require the library managers, management within
the media offices, and the Office of Public Affairs. The Regional leadership should also
consider conversations with Union representatives in order to prepare their members for
how access to information resources may change in the near future. A decision is
requested by the end of July, 2005 in order to plan for workload distribution in the new
contract year. In addition to the selection of an approach for your Region, the National
Library Network will need initial estimates of the number of requests by the end of July,
2005. The contract year is scheduled to begin in mid-October, 2005.
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 15
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Appendix 1: FY06 Workload Estimates by Region
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 16
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Average
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Management of physical facilities/equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management*
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
Lib Hrs Tech Hrs
1122
255
249
217
262
93
182
153
88
39
54
340
87
73
50
61
31
203
2
143
117
125
139
17
65
58
62
82
180
8
19
853
270
56
471
26
48
3
16
36
22
14
32
142
199
158
30
59
5
514
8
12
18
82
29
47
20
22
4
12
303
Curreni
Access
Costs
$4,000
$50
$104
$2,000
$1,016
$27,680
$7,391
$19,807
$4,000
$525
$200
$120
$652
$8,750
Estimated Total
Status
Total
$49,884
$11,171
$23,814
$12,835
$11,232
$3,638
$9,230
$6,777
$3,938
$1,877
$2,990
$17,998
$9,388
$7,599
$30,460
$11,477
$21,109
$27,445
$74
$5,539
$4,701
$5,183
$7,685
$1,528
$4,387
$2,766
$3,176
$3,278
$6,660
$296
$1,727
$49,704
$359,566
Requests
7023
337
1338
223
434
355
2122
1200
269
Cost Per
Item
$12.08
$38.09
$8.39
$16.31
$21 .27
$19.09
$8.48
$22.87
$20.59
* - Anomoly removed to provide valid average
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support
Page 17
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EPA Region 1
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/Inventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
•h
Workload
Lib Mrs Tech Hrs
600
360
60
240
120
120
60
12
6
48
6
6
6
12
6
48
24
60
12
6
12
24
120
12
60
12
12
180
36
144
132
120
12
12
Curren
Access
Costs
$1,500
$0
$50,000
$17,000
$25,000
$500
$2,000
Estimated Total
t Status
Total
$24,060
$13,692
$2,220
$9,252
$4,440
$4,440
$2,220
$444
$222
$8,856
$1,338
$4,686
$50,222
$17,444
$25,222
$6,368
$888
$2,220
$4,164
$594
$2,816
$888
$4,440
$444
$191,580
Requests
5760
864
1512
732
156
312
912
1692
60
924
12
960
120
Cost Per
Item
$6.94
$10.71
$2.94
$6.07
$14.23
$0.00
$9.71
$2.77
$290.73
$6.89
$4.34
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Page 18
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EPA Region 2
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
Lib Mrs Tech Hrs
1224
552
12
48
24
48
168
12
12
288
192
96
24
60
6
540
72
36
36
36
72
12
24
60
120
480
Curren
Access
Costs
$1,200
$6,000
$1,800
$31,000
$6,000
$1,200
$6,300
$200
$700
$1,000
Estimated Total
[ Status
Total
$45,288
$20,424
$444
$1,776
$888
$2,976
$6,216
$444
$444
$16,656
$8,904
$3,552
$31,888
$8,220
$1,422
$26,280
$2,664
$1,332
$1,332
$1,532
$3,364
$444
$1,888
$2,220
$4,440
$17,760
$212,798
Requests
6096
60
408
60
1620
2016
3480
1560
420
2400
2592
60
12
Cost Per
Item
$10.78
$7.40
$4.35
$14.80
$1.84
$4.79
$2.28
$75.92
$3.43
$10.14
$44.40
$111.00
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Page 19
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EPA Region 3
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases- Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
Lib Hrs Tech Hrs
1260
84
48
420
456
108
144
252
60
36
60
240
24
612
120
360
204
132
144
180
30
72
300
30
6
246
96
96
24
36
420
312
300
180
120
24
60
60
36
72
60
144
36
60
60
300
Curren
Access
Costs
$42,000
$1,200
$52,000
$10,000
$15,000
$400
$14,000
$2,500
$70,000
Estimated Total
t Status
Total
$59,640
$12,780
$11,076
$21,120
$20,592
$3,996
$6,072
$11,184
$2,220
$43,332
$2,220
$10,080
$888
$52,000
$10,000
$15,000
$23,044
$4,440
$13,320
$9,408
$6,000
$7,560
$8,520
$1,110
$2,664
$11,100
$1,110
$222
$13,566
$1,116
$19,412
$7,912
$70,000
$888
$10,632
$494,224
Requests
2076
468
180
204
60
1164
1188
1800
828
168
12
108
Cost Per
item
$40.22
$45.13
$114.40
$19.59
$101.20
$9.61
$8.48
$27.83
$79.29
$0.00
$55.56
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Page 20
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EPA Region 4
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases- Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
LibHrs Tech Mrs
480
840
576
84
12
156
84
48
48
144
48
156
72
60
24
24
48
84
24
12
384
120
60
24
96
12
36
240
120
120
180
24
744
120
240
180
Curren
Access
Costs
$10,029
$4,800
$19,270
$700
Estimated Total
t Status
Total
$21,480
$31,080
$21,312
$4,968
$1,188
$8,748
$3,108
$1,776
$372
$2,892
$5,328
$9,216
$3,720
$19,521
$13,044
$22,234
$23,064
$888
$888
$1,776
$3,720
$7,440
$9,388
$888
$444
$14,208
$232,691
Requests
8364
684
16342
24
3936
Cost Per
ttem
$10.99
$7.79
•-
$1.41
$37.00
$1
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Page 21
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EPA Region 5
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities/equipment
Support Functions
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Publications Coordination
Special Projects
Ready Reference
Mail Processing
Microfiche Acquisitions
Workload
Lib Hrs Tech Hrs
1440
102
348
547.2
63.6
216
182.4
12
24
259.8
6
36
3
20.4
636
24
60
282
246
318
54
120
54
184.8
40.8
5280
6
6
96
144
360
168
60
6
24
6
240
3
24
6
48
120
30
189
1536
Curren
Access
Costs
$40,000
$8,800
$600
$4,300
$10,000
$1,000
$1,000
Estimated Total
(Status
Total
$53,280
$3,774
$52,876
$20,432
$2,353
$7,992
$6,935
$3,420
$5,352
$20,773
$5,430
$3,192
$9,097
$2,099
$4,486
$40,972
$888
$2,220
$10,527
$9,102
$11,766
$1,744
$1,998
$4,440
$2,184
$8,326
$5,230
$1,930
$5,859
$308,676
Requests
2976
264
1116
240
72
1716
1200
3180
192
Cost Per
Item
$49.61
$78.68
$2.86
$37.90
$62.31
$23.88
$1.85
$4
$11.38
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Page 22
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EPA Region 6
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
LibHrs Tech Hrs
1992
96
96
108
120
156
276
84
36
12
12
240
48
48
24
24
96
60
24
120
12
24
72
24
132
96
36
96
Curren
Access
Costs
$94,000
Estimated Total
Status
Total
$73,704
$3,552
$3,552
$3,996
$4,440
$5,772
$10,212
$3,108
$1,332
$444
$444
$8,880
$1,776
$1,776
$888
$888
$94,000
$3,552
$2,220
$888
$4,440
$444
$888
$2,664
$888
$4,884
$3,552
$1,332
$3,552
$248,068
Requests
1536
276
300
564
396
720
48
Cost Per
Kern
$52.61
$14.48
$19.24
$18.11
$7.85
$4.93
$46.25
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Page 23
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EPA Region 7
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
Lib Mrs Tech Hrs
648
30
792
42
36
48
72
48
552
24
516
54
48
24
24
240
60
12
330
18
48
30
528
960
48
1584
48
24
12
12
120
84
12
168
12
12
24
48
Curren
Access
Costs
$7,057
$29,000
$26,510
$33,256
$5,500
Estimated Total
Status
Total
$53,736
$2,598
$78,408
$3,042
$1,332
$2,520
$3,036
$2,148
$27,481
$4,608
$21,696
$30,998
$28,658
$34,144
$11,596
$8,880
$2,592
$444
$12,210
$666
$2,148
$1,110
$19,536
$744
$1,488
$355,819
Requests
15168
360
552
252
48
4524
2916
60
300
9.6
624
60
36
2076
Cost Per
Item
$8.88
$8.45
$2.41
$52.50
$6.07
$7.44
$516.63
$95.53
$3,556.67
$18.58
$148.00
$72.00
$5.88
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Page 24
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EPA Region 8
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/Inventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases- Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Workload
LibHrs TechHrs
1440
300
60
240
240
240
360
240
120
120
1140
60
120
180
180
480
180
300
480
60
180
48
240
1920
120
600
60
240
240
480
480
480
120
120
1920
60
120
360
120
48
120
144
Current
Access
Costs
$1,200
$960
$695
$65,000
$4,000
$6,048
$3,424
$500
$1,880
$1,200
$6,520
Estimated Total
Status
Total
$71,880
$12,960
$2,220
$16,320
$8,880
$8,880
$20,760
$10,080
$4,440
$4,440
$58,020
$17,100
$15,575
$73,160
$14,380
$12,708
$62,944
$17,760
$8,520
$14,820
$28,920
$2,720
$12,260
$3,264
$10,080
$71,040
$14,680
$4,464
$603,275
Requests
14880
120
1200
240
1200
240
3150
2028
1140
1140
24
14760
720
72
2400
Cost Per
Item
$5.70
$18.50
$13.60
$37.00
$7.40
$86.50
$18.42
$7.68
$64.18
$12.61
$529.50
$4.26
$24.67
$118.33
$1.13
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support
Page 25
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EPA Region 9
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases- Online, CD, etc
Interlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Library Network Conference
Ready Reference database
Update Procedures Manual
Update Emergency Contacts & Ref Binder
Mail Processing
Region 9 Annual Report
Administrative Tasks
Network Consolidation
Workload
Lib Mrs TechHrs
264
12
180
816
12
528
432
102
12
27
36
108
48
24
48
6
78
42
432
168
72
48
72
144
120
96
54
816
15
108
120
24
456
240
24
24
12
96
72
216
144
240
12
720
12
48
24
24
12
120
48
72
Current
Access
Costs
$500
$10,400
$19,325
$2,200
$100
$30,000
$3,000
$2,700
$1,652
$60
$1,500
Estimated Total
Status
Total
$10,512
$444
$6,660
$31,436
$10,844
$38,861
$15,984
$4,146
$3,420
$3,231
$10,228
$8,560
$9,216
$30,888
$5,148
$222
$27,906
$1,554
$16,356
$6,216
$2,664
$3,264
$5,060
$6,132
$4,812
$3,552
$3,498
$30,192
$555
$3,996
$8,160
$888
$18,360
$11,112
$344,077
Requests
13380
240
6600
4200
480
600
900
120
36
912
48
6
120
48
Cost Per
Item
$0.82
$27.75
$4.76
$9.25
$33.30
$17.05
$34.32
$42.90
$6.17
$30.60
$32.38
$2,726.00
$22.20
$68.00
•
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support
Page 26
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EPA Region 10
Library Services
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accession/deaccession)
Shelving/lnventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Manage physical facilities and equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Reg'l. repts. added to electronic archive
Workload
LibHrs TechHrs
1872
168
192
156
192
156
96
132
132
456
360
72
84
168
24
96
144
60
360
216
72
36
36
60
72
24
528
132
24
36
36
36
36
96
48
180
804
360
60
240
24
1224
84
36
0
180
36
48
120
24
12
12
48
Current
Access
Costs
Estimated Total
Status
Total
$85,632
$10,308
'
$7,848
$6,888
$8,220
$6,888
$4,668
$7,860
$6,372
$22,452
$38,244
$13,824
$4,968
$13,656
$1,632
$37,944
$6,156
$6,444
$2,220
$5,580
$1,116
$14,808
$11,712
$3,408
$1,704
$1,332
$2,220
$3,036
$1,488
$888
$339,516
Requests
3120
312
252
252
96
204
1560
3036
180
288
24
1140
348
12
1332
48
Cost Per
ttem
$30.75
$25.15
$27.33
$32.62
$71.75
$22.88
$14.39
$4.55
$27.60
$47.42
$68.00
$33.28
$17.69
$537.00
$4.19
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support
Page 27
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Appendix 2: Spreadsheet of Approaches for Average Regional Scenario
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 28
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Library Service
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accessbn/deaccession)
Shelving/Inventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lntertibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Website maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publications Distribution
Management of physical facilities/equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Developmentn"raining
Library Network Support
Task Order Management'
OCA Reading Room Support
Publications Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Aver
Workload
LJb Mrs Tech Mrs
1122
255
249
217
262
93
182
153
88
39
54
340
87
73
50
61
31
203
2
143
117
125
139
17
65
58
62
82
180
8
19
853
270
56
471
26
48
3
16
36
22
14
32
142
199
158
30
59
5
514
8
12
18
82
29
47
20
22
4
12
303
age Curren
Access
Costs
$4,000
$50
$104
$2,000
$1,016
$27,680
$7,391
$19,807
$4,000
$525
$200
$120
$652
$8,750
t Status (A
Total
Cost
$49,884
$11,171
$23,814
$12,835
$11,232
$3,638
$9,230
$6,777
$3,938
$1,877
$2,990
$17,998
$9,388
$7,599
$30,460
$11,477
$21,109
$27,445
$74
$5,539
$4,701
$5,183
$7,685
$1,528
$4,387
$2,766
$3,176
$3,278
$6,660
$296
$1,727
$49,704
nnual)
Requests
7023
337
1338
223
434
355
2122
1200
269
Cost Per
Item
$12.08
$38.09
$8.39
$16.31
$21.27
$19.09
$8.48
$22.87
$20.59
Estimated Total $359,566
Lib Mrs
1122
255
249
65
91
30
74
55
88
39
54
170
87
73
50
61
31
26
117
125
139
17
65
58
62
82
180
8
19
On-SfteV
Tech Mrs
270
56
471
22
14
32
71
199
158
30
59
5
120
12
18
82
29
47
20
22
4
12
Workload
Access
Costs
$508
$27,680
$7,391
$19,807
$800
$525
$200
$120
$652
Subtotal
Network N
Total
Cost
$49,884
$11J71
$23,814
$2,405
$3,367
$1,110
$2,738
$2,035
$3,938
$1,877
$2,990
$8,999
$9,388
$7,599
$30,460
$11,477
$21,109
$5,482
$4,701
$5,183
$7,685
$1,528
$4,387
$2,766
$3,176
$3,278
$6,660
$296
$1,727
$241,230
ode Appro
On-site
Requests
7023
101
401
67
130
106
1061
240
acji (Annu
Cost Per
Item
$12.08
$23.81
$8.40
$16.57
$21.06
$19.20
$8.48
$22.84
X)
Off-site Workload
Cost Per
Item Requests
$12.08
$38.09
$8.39
$16.31
$21.27
$19.09
$8.48
$22.87
20.59
236
936
156
303
248
1061
960
269
Subtotal
Total
Cost
$8,989
$7.853
$2,544
$6.445
$4.734
$8,997
$21 ,955
$5.539
$67,057
Estimated Total $308,286.96
* - Anomoly removed to provide valid average
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support
Page 29
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Library Service
Reference
Desk Time
E-mail Referral
Hotline Support
Research Support
Business Information Research
Program Support Research
Legal Research
Scientific Research
Other Research Activities
Collection Development
General Collection
Legal Resources
Other Special Collections
Collection Maintenance
Cataloging (accesston/deaccession)
Shelving/Inventory/Repair/Maintenance
Serials Check-ln/Management
Acquisitions
Journals
Books
Databases - Online, CD, etc
Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan
Outreach Activities
Program Web site maintenance
Library Web site maintenance
Training & Educating Customers
Outreach Activities
Current Awareness (SDI, alerts, etc.)
Publicatbns Distribution
Management of physical facilities/equipment
Support Functions
Contract Management
Staff Professional Development/Training
Library Network Support
Task Order Management*
OCA Reading Room Support
Publicatbns Coordination
Special Projects (Please Specify)
Libttrs
1122
255
249
35
30
10
25
18
61
65
180
19
On-Site*
Yeefitfre
270
56
471
139
55
47
12
tfotWoad
Access
Costs
$1,000
$525
$652
Subtotal
Uateon Approach {Aafttoft
total On-site Cost Per ;
Cost . foquests Item :
$49,884
$11,171
$23,814
1295
1110
370
925
666
$6,566
$2,705
$4,387
$6,660
$1,727
$111,280
7023
34
133
22
43
35
120
$12.08
$38.09
$8.35
$16.82
$21.51
$19.03
$22.54
Off-site WotHoa
-------
Appendix 3: Assumptions Used in Hypothetical Approaches
At this time, the National Library Network does not have adequate information to determine the
extent of cost savings from coordinated services. We have therefore, used the same cost per
item projection for on-site and off-site services. For example, if you add the on- and off-site
requests for research requests in a given approach, they will equal the same as the requests
stated in the aggregate example. You may wish to evaluate the reasons for significant cost
differences if your locations costs are substantially different from other Regions.
It should also be noted that the number of requests was not changed in this model either. The
National Library Network is confident that, without adequate investments in collections, the
number of requests for document delivery will increase. The demand for research services may
actually decrease if staff do not know or understand how to request support. There is, however,
no way for the National Library Network to estimate or project these changes in demand.
Desk Time
• Network Node and Liaison - A minimum requirement of 1020 hrs/yr is needed to facilitate
access to the collection and services available. Coverage does not require a librarian;
can be partially addressed by a technician.
• Virtual Services - There is no requirement to facilitate access to the collection. Staff will
request services via on-line forms or telephone only. The library would be closed.
E-mail Referral
• All Approaches - It is a minimum requirement is to support e-mail access through the
Network.
Hotline Support
• All Approaches - Hotline support for the general public should be provided on-site but is
not a required function of a Regional Library.
Research Support
• All Approaches - Research Support is a virtual service of Regional Libraries. It can be
done on- or off-site but should be coordinated to ensure the user is served appropriately
without wasting resources.
• Network Node - It is assumed that 30% of demand should be handled on-site in order to
accommodate requests that can be handled quickly and efficiently by on-site staff.
• Liaison - It is assumed that liaison staff will not have the time and/or resources to
address anything but quick questions. Therefore 90% of the demand is transferred off-
site.
Collection Development/
• Network Node - It is assumed that Network Node libraries will continue to grow and
manage collections. The demand/support for this effort is maintained at current levels.
• Liaison - It is assumed that these libraries will maintain but not grow collections. The
demand/support for this effort is therefore eliminated.
• Virtual Services - It is assumed that these libraries will neither maintain nor grow
collections. The demand/support for this effort is therefore eliminated.
• Regions selecting either the Liaison or Virtual Service approaches would need to
determine how materials produced in their Region will be handled. Currently there is no
repository of Regional documents outside each Region.
Collection Maintenance
• Network Node - It is assumed that Network Node libraries will continue to grow and
manage collections. The demand/support for this effort is maintained at current levels
with 50% of cataloging being moved off-site. On-site cataloging would probably be
limited to additions/deletions of materials already cataloged in other libraries. Original
cataloging would be done centrally as needed.
• Liaison - It is assumed that these libraries will maintain but not grow collections. The
demand/support for this effort is therefore reduced to 30% for cataloging, 70% for
shelving, and eliminated for serials management.
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 31
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• Virtual Services - It is assumed that these libraries will neither maintain nor grow
collections. The demand/support for this effort is therefore eliminated. However, the
Region will need to make an upfront investment to transfer the existing collection to
another site.
Acquisitions
• Network Node - It is assumed that Network Node libraries will continue to acquire
materials for collections. The demand/support for this effort is maintained at current
levels.
• Liaison and Virtual Services- It is assumed that these libraries will maintain but not
continue to acquire materials for collections. The demand/support for this effort is
therefore eliminated. These Regions will need to consider what should happen to the
materials produced in that Region.
Document Deliverv/lnterlibrarv Loan
• All Approaches - Access to Document Delivery/lnterlibrary Loan is a critical service of
Regional Libraries. It can be done on- or off-site but should be coordinated to ensure the
user is served appropriately without wasting resources.
• Network Node - It is assumed that 20% of demand should be handled on-site in that
requests will need to be coordinated and/or transmitted to servicing libraries.
• Liaison - It is assumed that liaison staff will not have the time and/or resources to assist
in this service. Users will be instructed in submitting their own requests electronically.
Therefore 10% of the demand is handled on-site.
• Virtual Services - It is assumed that without on-site support, 100% of this service will be
handled off-site.
Outreach Activities
• All approaches - It is assumed that maintaining an Internet Web site with basic
information about library services is a virtual service. Other outreach activities are not
considered critical, cannot effectively be handled off-site, and are therefore at the
discretion of each Regional office. Provision of Web site support as well as some
outreach activities (e-mailed alerts, online training) can be purchased and supported off-
site by a Network Node location.
Publications Distribution
• This activity is not considered critical, cannot effectively be handled off-site, and is
therefore at the discretion of each Regional office.
Management of physical facilities/equipment
• Any approach that maintains a physical location will require some management of the
physical facilities and equipment. The extent to which this issue is addressed however
is at the discretion of each Regional office.
Support Functions
• All approaches - It is assumed that support functions are necessary and should be
negotiated between the Region, the Network, and the contractor.
Special Projects (Please Specify)
• This activity is not considered critical and is therefore at the discretion of each Regional
office. Where such special projects can be handled off-site, the Network and the
contractor can coordinate cost estimates appropriately.
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support Page 32
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Appendix 4: Model for the Distribution of Services
The following was originally produced in the "Business Case for Information Services" as Exhibit
3, Hypothetical Distribution of Service and Activity Among Units of a Multi-Library System.
Exhibits. Hypothetical Distribution of Service and Activity Among
Units of a Multi-Library System
Unitl
Unit 2
Units
Unit 4
Repository
TO
Business Area Research
legal Sdentiflo "**£?
i^—
=
r—
=
1 .
1
r™
=
|
i^—
=
|
rJ=
—
1
Site
Support
t
t
t
t
Service
Center
A
A
/v
A
A
A
A.
t A
II j^^ = High level of activity
A
*A
f% = Moderate level of activity
9fp t A = Limited activity
Optional Approaches to U.S. EPA Regional Library Support
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