Great responses, Mandi! So concise and succinct. I am just beginning to examine how to address the amount of time that trouble-shooting takes - and that I am the only staff member with in-depth knowledge. Trouble-shooting involves a good number of intangibles, in my opinion - and it's more about approach then specific steps. I'm finding that the hardest thing to document.

 

Jennifer

 

 

 

Hi Elizabeth, and others,

 

·         What types of procedures do you currently have documented?  (serials check-in, e-resource troubleshooting, big-picture info that explains how the systems used by the library interact with one another, etc.)

For the most part, I try to focus on the micro level – the step-by-step processes for completing a task. I include a little bit of mid or macro level information, but my position requires a library technician diploma or equivalent combined with 3 years or experience so it is expected that future incumbents will have a rough idea of how an ILS works, what EZProxy is for, etc.

Documenting how I troubleshoot e-resources is something I have struggled with – I have a brief guide with workflows and solutions for common or simple problems, but I am still encountering ‘new’ problems that are difficult to document effectively. My solution is to log problems and their solutions in my e-resource problems form via Google Drive – not the most elegant solution but it’s the best fit for me so far.

 

·         Do you rely on any vendor documentation for products/tools you use? 

Yup! For anything that is standard software/product use, I suggest checking the vendor documentation. For example, I have a flowchart for EBSCO e-journal cancellations, but I’m not including information on how to use EBSCOnet or Serials Solutions.

 

·         What ways do you make your documentation available for people to use?  (file share, wiki, intranet, etc.)

Ours is hosted on our department’s shared drive – we have three people in our subdepartment, and all of the manuals are in one folder so we can cover for each other if need be. I also have a printed copy at my desk for quick reference (with a note that the most recent copy is on our shared drive).

 

·         What are some things you’d wished were documented when you first started your position?

Basics of e-resource troubleshooting; workflows for e-resource setup and cancellation; information sources (such as listservs, helpful websites, etc); and recurring tasks that occur throughout the year.

 

Hope this helps! I am always happy to share what I can J

 

Best,

Mandi

 

 

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