Supporting Library, Computing and AV from a Single Desk

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Supporting Library, Computing and AV from a
Single Desk

• Matthew Brzeski, Student Computing Coordinator
  Information Desk Supervisor
• Michael Love, Head of Media Services
• Dennis Unterholzner, Head of Public Services
• Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Description of Carthage

• Liberal arts, 4 year, residential Lutheran
  college affiliated with the ELCA
• Located midway between Milwaukee and Chicago on
  Lake Michigan
• 2063 full-time students 115 faculty

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The Information Desk is a culmination of ten
years work

• The AIS mission
• A short history of AIS
• The road to the Hedberg Library

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Academic Information Services (AIS)

• Merged library and Academic Computing, 1993
• Carthage still has separate academic and
  administrative IT structures
• Media services, 1994
• Goal to have one combined unit, not three
  separate ones

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Academic Information Services (AIS)

• All services and information resources that can
  be networked, will be
• Network is available everywhere
• All faculty offices networked
• All residence halls network accessible
• All lab computers networked
• Growing wireless presence
• One stop shopping/Holistic computing
• library catalog, periodical databases
• e-mail administration and support
• word processing, spreadsheets, presentation
  software
• campus network resources
• Internet browsing

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Library and Media Services

• Library Reference
• Provided at the library reference desk
• Ran largest campus computer lab
• New Roles for Circulation Desk
• Handled Media equipment check-out
• Circulation of wireless laptops began in 1999
• Media Support
• User Support provided directly by media staff

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The Genesis of the Technology Helpdesk

• Created in 1997
• give users a single point of contact,
• better track help requests, and discourage calls
  to individual staff members
• Initial staffing
• IT staff and student help
• in the Fall, two people worked at the desk during
  daytime hours
• Manual problem tracking
• Paper and pencil, Excel

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The Creation of ITAs

• Student Reference Computer Lab Assistants
  Information Technology Assistants (ITAs)
• Cross training
• Computing and library information
• Expanded service coverage
• Backup/support for professional staff
• Required shifts at both desks
• Ongoing training and mentoring

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The Move to Hedberg Library

• New building - moved December 2001
• 2 levels
• 60,000 sq feet
• More than 1400 data jacks
• Wireless accessible
• 3 electronic classrooms
• Media theater
• 2 labs 36 networked computers
• 30 laptops available for checkout
• Library, media services, and computer services
  now in a single building
• Public Services staff located near public service
  areas

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The new Information Desk

• One stop shopping for Library, Computing and
  Media support
• Multiple telephone linesand walk-up traffic
• Well-known and catchyphone number x-HELP (4357)
• By E-mail
• helpdesk_at_carthage.edu
• Expanded service hours

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Resource Migration

• 3-ring binders
• Desktop folders
• eBinder
• Internal web site

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Training

• AIS Staff Cross-training
• Reference interview
• Troubleshooting
• Media Equipment use
• Students
• Mandatory, ongoing, weekly meetings
• CBT via Blackboard
• Mentoring with staff

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Computer Based Training
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Operations

• Trouble Tickets
• 75 calls answered on the spot
• Unanswered questions assigned to a technician
• Periodic follow-up on open tickets
• Life of a ticket
• Recorded and assigned by Info desk worker
• Response by technician within several hours
• Prioritization

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Benefits for Users

• Centralization - Single, dependable service point
• Immediate personal response
• Student interacting with student
• Issue captured during first contact
• Manage expectations
• Better follow-up on trouble tickets
• HelpTrac
• More consistent quality of service
• Knowledgeable service staff

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Challenges for the User

• No favorite person
• Knowledge of Staff
• Knowledge of ITAs
• Manage expectations
• e.g. AIS staff will make all computer repairs

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AIS Staff Benefits

• Better relations with faculty and staff
• builds ongoing relationship
• more respect due to consistency follow-up
• Esprit de corps
• Encourages scheduled attention to user crises
• Better sense of faculty/student technology
  competency levels
• Increased awareness of common user problems,
  needs, and activities
• More up-to-date notice of equipment status
• Better idea of what new point-of-use and Help
  yourself aids are needed
• Different staff specialties enrich program
• Calls/requests routed more accurately

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Challenges for AIS Staff

• Staff cross-training
• Need to share departmental expertise
• Recruiting and training of student help is an
  ongoing issue
• Staff absent
• Need subs
• Spikes in needs
• Virus outbreaks
• End of semester papers/presentations
• Ubiquitous communication issues

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Carthage - Where we are in the process

• Staff desk duty shared
• HelpTrac working
• Phone interruptions minimized

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Carthage - Where we are (continued)

• Procedures established for routine help topics
  (e.g. password change, inter-library loan
  requests, requests for help with AV equipment)
• Media check-out at library circulation desk
• Computer people report that answering library
  reference questions isnt as hard as it sounds
• On-going training for students and staff
• Expectation management!

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Future plans

• Instant Messenger support
• Virtual Reference interviews
• Voice recording
• Campus-wide problems
• Enabling new technologies
• PDAs, iPod thingys

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Questions?

• Contact info
• Matthew Brzeski
• mbrzeski_at_carthage.edu
• Michael Love
• mlove_at_carthage.edu
• Dennis Unterholzner
• dun_at_carthage.edu
• http//www2.carthage.edu/ais