We’ve also taken to walking “important people” (like the Dean of the Libraries) through the newly renovated spaces to see just how busy we are.

I fully agree with Bryan’s suggestions concerning your dilemma. In addition to these, perhaps some further documentation (visual, statistical, anecdotal) from staff and patrons would provide an added element of “evidence.” There’s nothing like that image – video or still – to show your staff in action, especially in relation to the old environment. And having testimonials from appreciative faculty and patrons who are also concerned about the future of their library can’t hurt the cause. Or perhaps a survey of patron needs or expectations now or in the future might point out areas of weakness that might not be self-evident to staff, which could then be used to detail needs to administration.

Our museum library has recently introduced a series of workshops that are devoted to research in the library for docents. These have been overwhelmingly oversubscribed. We’re having to distribute the “teaching” load to not only reference staff, but to catalogers and paraprofessionals as a way to cope. Thus far this has proven successful for our patrons as well as our staff who have enjoyed the opportunity to stretch their skills and comfort zones. We’re adding additional sessions to meet demand and trying not to overburden any single person or department.

Obviously there needs to be a balance between greater efficiencies (i.e. working smarter) and having enough staff to deliver world-class service. The best thing one can do is to track usage patterns and create outcomes-based reports. That way one can demonstrate the need for staff (even after creative scheduling) and the return on investment (ROI) that your services provide.