Single points of failure, preservation of institutional knowledge, effective training materials that accommodate different work and learning styles, succession planning, and efficiency improvements—these are universal challenges for libraries. Workflow documentation is one strategy to address these challenges. It is easy to say that having standard workflows are important, but it is a whole different story to dedicate the time to create and improve them. Successful workflows need to be understood, followed, and supported by staff members.

Learn from the experiences of librarians from different library types and functional areas who play different roles in their institution’s workflow documentation process—a law firm library director for research services, a government law library middle-manager for collection management, and a non-supervisory academic law library staff member for technical services—who each found their own way to effective workflows for streamlining operations and retaining institutional knowledge.

Discussion topics include:
• Determining if standardized workflows are needed for a small staff-sized library.
• Creating workflows after an ILS migration.
• Updating inherited or existing process documentation related to collections.
• Helping staff understand the importance of their role to successfully complete team projects and getting staff buy-in.
• How to store or present the workflows.
• Monitoring workflows (e.g., determining review or updating schedules or responsibility).
• Designing and documenting workflows with succession planning in mind.
• Tips on finding the time to create documentation.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

This program will benefit those interested in workflow creation, documentation, and/or management. Neither familiarity with these topics nor a workflow documentation mandate are required as this program will benefit anyone interested in task management, capturing institutional knowledge, and increasing efficiency.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. Participants will be able to articulate the benefits of creating and documenting workflows/processes and creating a standardized plan to draft, review, organize, and access documentation to encourage staff buy-in.
2. Participants will be able to identify three criteria when evaluating existing workflows and recognize key considerations for developing their institution’s workflow documentation.
3. Participants will be able to describe multiple delivery methods for workflow documentation to accommodate different learning and work styles.

SPEAKERS:

• Sara Billard, Miles & Stockbridge PC
• Jessica Mundy, Maryland Thurgood Marshall State Law Library
• Hiroko Hashitani, University of Utah

COORDINATOR:

• Chi H. Song, Thurgood Marshall Law Library

AALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS: Information Management, Management + Business Acumen

CANCELLATION AND OTHER POLICIES:

No refunds will be given for any purchased AALL conference recording. This applies to non-AALL members only as the recordings are free for AALL members.

The opinions shared during this program represent the views of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). Recording, capturing, or using AI tools to duplicate, transcribe, or otherwise reproduce an AALL program in any form is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from AALL. This includes, but is not limited to audio, video, or any other content shared. By accessing an AALL recording, you agree to adhere to this policy.