How collectionHQ’s Recommended Actions tool makes proactive collection management easier than ever
Neil Kyle is Director of Product Management at collectionHQ. He has been with collectionHQ since 2007, working first as a software developer, then Product Owner and Product Manager.
Neil is the mastermind behind one of collectionHQ’s latest innovations: the Recommended Actions feature!
In this blog, Neil shares the origins of the Recommended Actions tool, how it was designed, and how it helps librarians optimize their collection management.
As Director of Product Management, my role is simple: I talk to our customers to figure out what collectionHQ should and shouldn’t do and then make changes in response!
collectionHQ will always be a user-led tool. We constantly want to improve our collection management software, and every update we make is done with input from librarians.
Librarians no longer have the time to create lists across collections and branches every week or month – never mind action them. But the need to refine collections to make them as valuable as possible for patrons is always present.
That’s why our software goes further than building lists; it does much of the manual collection analysis work for you by automatically prioritizing items that need to be actioned, so you can make necessary adjustments in less time.
The Recommended Actions tool is one of the latest examples of that ethos. But it didn’t come from a customer feedback call or workshop…
It came from a chance encounter in a buffet queue!
I was at an annual meeting with a client in London a few years ago.
While waiting for lunch, I spoke to a librarian who mentioned that, while she loved the reports, she was struggling to find the time to analyze them in detail.
She was facing the same problem that so many libraries were experiencing; a lot of experienced staff did not return after the pandemic and were never replaced, which meant the workload for those who remained was continuously growing.
As we were chatting, she said something that planted the seed of an idea in my mind…
“I wish collectionHQ could tell me what to do.”
I started to think: what if it could?
I then visited a branch in Essex, England, and another issue was raised.
Often, collection management doesn’t begin with reports of what is on the shelves.
Instead, a book is returned by a patron, at which point the librarian will run reports on it to see if any action is needed.
At this stage, decision-making can be challenging. If a book hits several of the metrics in collectionHQ, but librarians are only reviewing one report, they won’t pick up on all the necessary detail to make an informed choice of what to do with the item.
So, I started thinking again: what if instead of going from a report to the book, we could manage the collection from the book?
That’s when we decided to take all the data stored within collectionHQ and make it accessible from one central location.
And so, the Recommended Actions feature was born!
How does the Recommended Actions tool work?
Released in April 2024, the Recommended Actions feature in collectionHQ analyzes data across the library management system to deliver a clear, evidence-based recommendation for every item in the collection, based on the history and performance of the item itself and the needs of the wider collection.
As with the rest of the collectionHQ suite, the Recommended Actions tool has been created using collection development practices created by librarians, for librarians, to make it as useful as possible in a real-world context. We had weekly feedback calls with qualified librarians to ensure the feature was fit for purpose and then shadowed librarians using the tool to perfect it!
Recommended Actions supports every aspect of collection management to ensure collections are balanced and inclusive, including:
- Items to promote
- Items to keep
- Deselection
- Outdated items
- Core items
- Overused items
- DEI materials
The recommendations are delivered in plain English to make sure they are easy to digest and quick to action.
You can sort and filter the Recommended Action report as you do with all other collectionHQ reports.
For example, if a book has the action “Check before considering removal” it might be because it is marked as a Dead Item, but it is also the last copy of a title in an understocked collection.
Having the full picture of each item helps you to make the best decision on what step to take next.
The recommended actions are exactly that – recommendations. The ultimate decision always needs to be contextual, so it must stay in the hands of the librarian.
How does the Recommended Actions tool help librarians?
One of the biggest challenges faced by modern libraries is a shortage of trained librarians.
With high staff turnover rates and experienced librarians leaving the industry, how can modern libraries adapt and upskill the new workforce?
The Recommended Actions tool was designed in partnership with real collectionHQ customers to streamline collection management, assisted by our dedicated librarian team. For example, it can help new staff across branches learn the considerations for weeding and keeping materials.
Once less experienced librarians are trained on using the reports within collectionHQ, the Recommended Actions feature helps them quickly understand the best course of action for an item, rather than spending hours agonizing over decisions.
The Recommended Actions tool has been designed to help you work smarter, not harder.
Recommended Actions builds reports that target individual titles, so you understand next steps based on your own data and criteria.
This reduction in manual analysis work helps streamline decision-making so you can make the best use of your collection AND your time – and make confident decisions for your collections and patrons.
Ultimately, the goal is to help collection management become more methodical – and less overwhelming and time-consuming – for librarians with ALL levels of experience.
Top tips for using Recommended Actions
1.Use the filters within the reports.
If you pull a Recommended Actions report for an entire collection, chances are the number of results generated will feel overwhelming.
We always recommend making collection management a bit more bite-sized than that. You have plenty of other things to do!
For example: if you pull a report of over 15,000 items, filter it down to the Recommended Action of “Consider Removal”, and the number will become much smaller. You can then continue to filter the report until you have a manageable number of specific items that require a particular action.
2.The actions aren’t set in stone, so use your best judgement for next steps!
For example – if an item is categorized as “grubby” due to the number of circulations but you know it is in good condition, you can set a rule within the Recommended Actions tab to flag it for inspection again after a certain number of circulations.
3.Encourage your librarians to scan items as they are checked back in.
This way, any recommended actions are being proactively evaluated, and you future-proof your collection as it is being regularly checked to ensure it’s useful and relevant for your patrons.
What librarians say about the Recommended Actions tool
The Recommended Actions tool launched less than a year ago, and the positive feedback has been incredible!
The Recommended Actions feature makes it easier to use the entire collectionHQ toolbox, as it shines a light on all the reports. This is particularly helpful for staff with less experience using the full breadth of collectionHQ.
One of our clients even said:
“This is going to teach our staff collection development.”
Time and time again, the most important feedback we hear is that we go further than simply listening to what librarians need. We action it too!
The more user-friendly we make it to use collectionHQ to its full potential, the more easy, efficient, and enjoyable collection development and management becomes for librarians, and the richer collections become for library patrons.
We have more exciting new features coming soon. Keep your eyes peeled for updates!
And if you would like to learn more about how collectionHQ can assist in your collection management and performance, get in touch to book a free demonstration.