UCLA University Librarian

All Library staff are required to attend one of the information sessions concerning the implementation of the furlough/salary reduction program.  These sessions will cover the implementation within the UCLA Library.

In order to manage the one-year furlough/salary reduction plan, the Library Human Resources is coordinating the implementation of new timesheets for all library employees beginning this month – August 2009 – and making some changes to how time reporting will be handled. 

The Management Council met on August 26 and heard an overview of the new process and a presentation on the UC Systemwide furlough plan and new timesheets.  LHR has developed and two new standardized monthly timesheets for library staff – one for exempt employees and one for non-exempt employees.  The new timesheets are available on a new time reporting website on the Library Staff Intranet which is accessible at: http://staff.library.ucla.edu/hr/timereporting.asp  Beginning with the August timesheet, ALL library employees will be required to use these timesheets.   

To learn how to report time worked and leave (including use of furlough time), ALL library employees, whether or not they will be subject to the furlough program, are required to attend one of the one-hour information sessions on the Furlough Plan & New Timesheets. 

In addition to the 4 previously announced dates and times, two sessions have been added in late September.  The dates, times and locations for these sessions are:

• Friday, August 28               1:30 – 2:30 p.m.                              Biomedical Library Classroom        
•  Tuesday, September 1        1:30 – 2:30 p.m.                               West Electronic Classroom        
• Thursday, September 10          9:30 – 10:30 a.m.                  Biomedical Library Classroom        
• Monday, September 14               9:30 – 10:30      a.m.             Kinross South 194        
• Wednesday, September 23      3 – 4 p.m.                                        West Electronic Classroom        
• Monday, September 28            9:30 – 10:30 a.m.                             West Electronic Classroom 

This is mandatory for all library staff because new timesheets are being introduced, please RSVP to Pat Hawthorne (path@library.ucla.edu) and indicate which session you plan to attend.  Additional sessions will be scheduled as needed. 

Employees who have questions about the furlough program should contact Pat Hawthorne via email (path@library.ucla.edu) or via phone (310-825-4562).

This new reading room is a beehive of activity this morning as furniture and shelving begin to appear in this wonderful new space.

Unpacking began early this morning. Workmen begin to assemble all of the pieces, parts, and surfaces.  Let’s hope there aren’t left over parts!

Installation of shelving for unbound periodicals begins.  We will soon be able to move these materials to this level.

Many pieces to assemble.  Study chairs along the windows and stacks of chairs along with parts for the tables.  Note the hanging lamp fixtures.

Corner space is in place with round table under the hanging light fixture.  All study tables contain the electrical wiring within the pedestal away from prying hands.  The view out should be pretty nice when the plastic is removed from the windows.

The mixture of lounge chairs, round tables under hanging lamps, and rectangular study tables provides a variety of options for study and use.

The service desk at the back of the staircase will provide a center point of contact for assistance.

Please continue to respect that this is still a construction area and has not yet been turned over to the Library.  We expect to have that happen in the next couple of weeks and then come visit and enjoy.  We should be in place for students when the fall term opens.

As you are aware, the University of California Board of Regents approved a one-year furlough/salary reduction plan in July for UC employees to achieve savings systemwide.  The UCLA Library is expected to save $1,129,000 from the furlough/salary reduction plan which will run from September 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010. The savings from the furlough program is only one aspect of the library’s cuts.  The UCLA Library must also cut $1,011,051 from its budget to pay for energy costs, deferred maintenance, and to cover benefits costs and employer contributions to the retirement program which are slated to begin in April 2010.  In addition, the Library must make a 5 percent cut which represents $1,830,201.  These three amounts together represent a total budgetary reduction of $3,970,252 from the UCLA Library budget. 

Library Human Resources and Library Business Services staff are working collaboratively to facilitate the implementation of the furlough program and to track the savings the UCLA Library will realize from the program.  It is important to note that the program is subject to collective bargaining for library employees who are represented by AFT, AFSCME, CUE, and UPTE. 

The UC System and UCLA’s Campus Human Resources have been providing additional information on the specifics of the program to Library Administration and Library Human Resources (LHR).  LHR is developing an internal implementation plan to facilitate management of the program and to communicate policies and procedures to employees and to answer questions and address concerns of employees.  Some aspects of the program will be managed at the system and campus levels.  Other aspects of the program such as tracking of usage of furlough days by employees will be done locally by LHR. 

In order to manage this program, LHR will be making changes to some internal procedures and will communicate additional details over the next few weeks.  In addition, information sessions for Management Council and for library employees will be offered beginning in August. 

In terms of internal procedural changes, here are some specifics: 

• LHR has developed and will introduce two new standardized monthly timesheets for library staff – one for exempt employees and one for non-exempt employees.  All library employees in all units reporting to the University Librarian will be expected to use these new timesheets beginning this month (August 2009).  These new standardized timesheets will be available on the LHR Staff Intranet site.  The new timesheets will include a place to record furlough days taken – this will allow LHR to track and report usage by each employee on a monthly basis and ensure the furlough days are taken during the course of the program.  LHR staff will provide updates on usage of furlough days to employees and managers during the year that the program is in place. (I want to note that the Law Library, an affiliated unit, will also be using the new timesheets since LHR processes timesheets and leave accruals for Law Library staff; however, it is important to note that Law Library staff will be required to follow directives regarding the furlough program as issued by the Dean of the School of Law.)
• LHR staff and departmental administrative staff will no longer provide vacation or sick leave balances on timesheets.  Vacation and sick leave balances are provided to each employee on the paycheck stub.  More information and training on understanding and tracking leave balances will be provided to employees.
• Administrative staff who collect timesheets and provide LHR with Summary Leave Usage Reports each month will now be expected to submit all timesheets along with the summary leave usage reports to LHR on a monthly basis beginning with the August timesheets.

As we prepare to implement this program, we are aware that many staff members have questions and concerns and that there are multiple issues that will emerge during the next year.  This is an evolving program and we will address questions, issues, and concerns as they are brought to our attention. 

LHR will offer a series of one-hour informational sessions on the furlough program beginning in late August. 

The first information session will be offered to the Management Council at the August Management Council Meeting on Wednesday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to Noon in the Library Conference Center—Presentation Room.   

The same presentation will then be offered to all staff in a series of information sessions that will be offered during August and September. The dates, times and locations for these sessions are:·        

• Friday, August 28    1:30 – 2:30 pm       Biomedical Library Classroom·        
• Tuesday, September 1         1:30 – 2:30 p.m.          West Electronic Classroom·        
• Thursday, September 10       9:30 – 10:30 a.m.        Biomedical Library Classroom·        
• Monday, September 14          9:30 – 10:30 a.m.        Kinross South 194

If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please RSVP to Pat Hawthorne (path@library.ucla.edu) and indicate which session you plan to attend.  Additional sessions will be scheduled as needed. 

Pat Hawthorne, Director of Library Human Resources, and the Deputy University Librarian (Susan Parker) or Supervisory Associate University Librarians (Judy Consales, Sharon Farb, Kevin Mulroy, and Sarah Watstein) are also available to do this presentation at departmental meetings and to answer questions related to the furlough program.  If you would like to have this presentation made at a departmental staff meeting, please contact Pat to make arrangements. 

Employees who have questions about the furlough program should contact Pat Hawthorne via email (path@library.ucla.edu) or via phone (310-825-4562).

Work progresses as one can see as you now can use the stairway to go to the A level.  We seem to be on the “home stretch” and still hope to be able to be ready when students return in the fall.

Ceiling tiles aer almost in place, lights are connected, and the carpet is almost finished.  I can’t wait to see what it looks like with the covering off the windows and the change of light as the day progresses.

All of the wall areas are being painted.

Base boards are glued into place.  Even with the covering over the cork floor, one gets the idea of how it will look.

A view toward the stairway and elevators with the newly painted ceiling.  The service desk will be installed in front of the stairway and the media wall is seen in the background.

The entry to Special Collections has been closed and the doors removed making way for a new entry to be constructed.

As I have mentioned in previous postings, the UCLA Library must reduce its operating budget by $1,830,021 in addition to the other reductions required for various other campus charges.  These reductions are in addition to the planned furlough/salary savings. 

Building on the foundation of our strategic plan, our primary commitment is to sustain the excellence of the Library, its staff, collections, and services.  This commitment will be challenged during these next months and perhaps years as the resources made available to us will continue to shrink.  It is important to remember that this will be a permanent reduction in our resource base.  So we will be smaller. 

As you all know, we have not filled vacancies for some time and have limited recruitments to a very few critical positions.  That focus will continue into this budget year.  We are recruiting for a Director of Special Collections as that position is critical to our plans to bring all of our special collections together in order to retain their strength and value to UCLA and the broader community. 

Further budget reductions fall into the following categories: 

Reduction in Acquisition of New Materials for the Collection:  I have directed a hold-back of twenty-five percent of the Library’s acquisitions budget (from State Funds).  This will impact all units and all aspects of our collection.  We will attempt to sustain all of the joint purchase we are committed to through the California Digital Library.  While this is a significant cut (the first such reduction in the Library’s history), we will make every effort to respond to high priority needs of faculty and programs for resources necessary to sustain UCLA’s research, teaching, and public service.  Liaisons are encouraged to work with faculty to ensure that critical items are acquired in support of degree programs and critical research. 

Reduction in Service Hours:  The Library has resisted reducing library hours during all previous budget reductions, but now must face this reality.  With the desire to provide an equity of access to all of our users, effective Fall quarter, the Biomedical Library, College Library, Science and Engineering Library in Boelter Hall, and the Research Library will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 11:00 pm, Friday from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm; closed on Saturday and open Sunday 1:00 to 6:00 pm.  Most other library units under the University Librarian will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.  The Library will sustain 24/7 access to licensed and electronic resources and a full suite of web services and continue to strengthen and enhance this access.  In addition to our licensed resources, faculty and students will have access to electronic reserves and reference provided through our consortial agreements. 

Reduction in the Number of Service Outlets (branches) on the Campus:  With the current reductions and potential reduction in funding in future years, we must now begin to examine how the Library can meet its campus commitments with fewer physical locations on the UCLA campus.  Study teams will be appointed to examine the service and collection issues associated with closing the Arts and Chemistry libraries.   

Exploration of a Fee for Interlibrary Loan:  With the Library’s shrinking acquisitions budgets, it has less material to lend to other libraries, from which we derive lending fees.  Our budget to borrow material on behalf of faculty and students is no longer covered by these lending fees. With the reduced acquisitions budget, we expect an increase in borrowing requests.  If we do not address this challenge, savings from acquisitions reductions will be lost by our having to support more borrowing requests.  During the fall term we will examine the implications of this situation. 

Reduction in operating expense, travel, and other general expense:  All units saw reductions in these amounts during the 2008-09 budget year; these will continue into this year and will likely be permanent going forward. 

As planning progresses in each of these areas of reduction, I will keep you informed.  Your questions, comments, and suggestions are most welcome. 

As we enter this next period of the Library’s history, we are facing tremendous challenge.  It will take us all to make sure that the Library that will emerge in the future is strong, relevant, and sustainable at UCLA.  We are in this together and I know I can count on each of you to do your part.

During a recent meeting with the LAUC Executive Board, I was asked how librarians and staff can have more input to the decision making process in the library.  I was able to share with the Executive Board that there are numerous opportunities for involvement–most specifically in the development of unit level work plans.  These derive directly in support of the Library’s strategic plan and inform all managers and myself about the desired directions for each unit in the Library.  As a large organization, we are challenged with communication and involvement.  In building these mechanisms, we were concerned that all staff have the opportunity to provide their views and input.  This starts at the unit and departmental level.  I very much appreciate the work that goes into these efforts. 

It was clear in our discussion that librarians and staff do not know where to gain access to the various work plans.  In order to provide such access we are creating a site for you to do just that.  The 2009-10 work plans are posted and there are links to campus-level planning documents and recommendations as well. Annual reports from the units will posted here as they are received.

To access the site from the library domain please use http://libteams/uclalibrary/default.aspx, you will not have to authenticate yourself to access the site. 

To access the site from outside the library domain please use http://libteams.library.ucla.edu/uclalibrary/default.aspx you will have to authenticate yourself using your library domain/network login and password (login sample e.g. ad\lesliem). 

If you have any problems, please contact Leslie McMichael at lesliem@library.ucla.edu – 310.206.9774. 

I will continue to post updates and information on the University Librarian’s blog and inform you when these updates are posted. 

As always, I very much appreciate your input and suggestions.�