ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries July/August 1989 / 587 lication date; fo rm a t, in clu d in g any p a rtic u la r needs regarding illustrations or typography; a r­ rangem ent of bibliographical references, i.e., foot­ notes or endnotes; pap er stock; binding; m axim um sale price; m inim um period during w hich th e vol­ um e will rem ain in p rint; advertising (num ber of ads w hich will coincide w ith the d a te of publica­ tion); num ber of review copies to be provided by th e publisher; date by w hich the unit will deliver th e final m anuscript to the publisher; size of p rin t run; num ber of offprints for authors and a copy of th e book for th e e d ito r. T h e c o n tra c t m u st be signed by an ALA dep artm en t head. Any volume issued by a com m ercial publisher m ust clearly state on its title page and in th e preface or introduction th a t the w ork was undertaken by an ACRL unit. ■ ■ Stress analysis: A case study By Larry J. Ostler A U L fo r Personnel and General Services Brigham Young University and Jin Teilt Oon Personnel Assistant Brigham Young University The sources of stress and satisfaction in one academic library. T here’s a dirty little secret in th e Age of the O f­ fice: stress. O u r jobs are killing us.” 1 Stress on the job affects th e m orale of w orkers a n d bosses in every setting. T he lib ra ry is no exception. Stress, an ad ap tatio n to change, is inevitable and constant because the w orld is constantly changing. H ow can w e cope w ith stress? Encouraged by an article in Library Journal en­ titled “Stress in the L ib rary ”2 w e decided to study stress in th e H a ro ld B. Lee L ib ra ry (HBLL) at Brigham Young University. W e used th e categories already developed by the a u th o r Charles Bunge: 1) patrons; 2) w orkload; 3) supervisors and m an ­ agem ent; 4) schedule and w orkday; 5) lack of posi- 1 nneta M iller, “Stress on th e Jo b ,” N ew sw eek 111 (April 1988): 40. 2Charles Bunge, “Stress in th e L ib ra ry ,” Library Journal 112 (Septem ber 1987): 47. tive feedback; 6) other staff m em bers; 7) lack of in­ fo rm a tio n a n d tra in in g ; 8) feelin g p u lle d a n d tugged; 9) technology and equipm ent; 10) physical facilities; 11) bureaucracy and red tape; 12) un­ challenging work; 13) failure and uncertainty; 14) change; 15) lack of budget and resources; and 16) miscellaneous. W e divided the L ee L ibrary employees into two groups, faculty and support staff, to test their re­ sponses to each of these items. After obtaining the results and feedback from these tw o sub-groups, w e com bined an d analyzed th e overall results. O ur goals in this study, in sequential order, w ere as fol­ lows: 1. To understand stress and satisfaction. 2. To identify sources and causes of stress and satisfaction in th e organization. 3. To analyze sources and causes of stress and sat­ isfaction. 588 / C&RL News 4. To recom mend methods and measures to deal w ith stress. Methodology W e initiated the study by p reparing two ques­ tionnaires for collecting data. W e organized and conducted an in-house stress workshop for each of the two groups (faculty and support staff) of all three library divisions: G eneral Services, Technical Services, and Collection D evelopm ent. This w ork­ shop discussed general aspects of job stress: w hat stress is, how it affects people, a n d how to deal w ith it. The workshop also addressed positive aspects of working in the library: w h at employees liked about th e ir job, w h a t m ad e th e lib ra ry th e ir career choice, and w h at th eir sources of satisfaction were in all areas of work. All participants com pleted the two questionnaires after a brief explanation. Upon completion of the stress workshops, we compiled and calculated the d a ta gathered from the questionnaires. W e dealt w ith each of the two groups and each of th e three divisions separately. After adding up the num ber of votes for each category of both sources of stress and sources of sat­ isfaction, we assigned weights to each category as follows: 1) sources of stress, ran k 1-10, w eight 10-1; 2) sources of satisfaction, rank 1-8, weight 8-1. W e evaluated the percentage for every cate­ gory, and totaled the average percentage of the combined results of the staff and faculty. In analyzing and com paring th e results, w e took the total average percentage of each of the three a r­ eas and com pared th eir sim ilarities and differ­ ences. The next step was to com pare results be­ tw een the total average percentage of the HBLL and th a t of Bunge’s study. A fter exam ining the results, w e proposed and recom m ended the best methods and measures of dealing w ith stress. Data analysis and interpretation Although we compiled and com pleted the report w ith considerable accuracy, several areas of possi­ ble im provem ent exist. G enerally, a m uch more detailed plan, particularly in th e area of data com ­ pilation and calculation, should have been estab­ lished prior to the start of the project. Because of th e variety of the individual feedback, m any re­ sponses w ere inconsistent w ith the general guide­ lines established at the start of th e project. As a result, we had to m odify some aspects of the expec­ tations and be flexible w ith the anticipation of the general outcome of th e report. T h e o rig in a l questio n n aires show ed several flaws th a t contributed to the inconsistencies: the audience was not identified, the instructions were unclear and contained several errors, and th e ex­ amples contained in each category w ere not suffi­ ciently defined. Since the questionnaire asked all participants to rank their top ten sources of stress and top eight sources of satisfaction on the job, we discarded sur­ veys th a t w ere less th an half complete and those th a t did not follow the guidelines (for example: one p articip an t ranked all sources of stress as 1 or 2). Some participants used th e “others” section to list areas of stress or satisfaction th a t w ere already clas­ sified under one of th e given categories. Therefore, some surveys required us to reassign ranking. If a p a r tic ip a n t id e n tifie d m o re th a n te n or e ig h t s o u rc e s, w e to o k th e m ax im u m n u m b e r a n d dropped the rem ainder. O n th e other hand, if a p a rtic ip a n t d id n o t fully u tiliz e th e m axim um num ber of votes, these omissions w ere added in the “N um ber of Unused Votes” colum n. This proce­ dure ensured th a t the total num ber of unused votes and the total num ber of votes identified by the p a r­ ticipants for every category w ould give a sum total th a t corresponds w ith the theoretical total num ber of votes. After we assigned weights to the respective rank­ ings, w e then totalled up weights for “each” cate­ gory (A), and “every ” category (B). The percent­ age w eight for “each” category is as follows: % w eight = (A/B) x 100 T he percentage w eight for “every” category must sum up to 100 %. This calculation procedure is applicable to both the faculty and support staff groups. A total aver­ age percentage weight for “each” category is deter­ m ined by th e equation in Figure 1. Again, the total average percentage w eight for “every” category m ust add up to 100 %. Finally, w e obtained the results of the HBLL sources of stress and satisfaction by averaging the total average percentage w eight of th e three divi­ sions (this is based on the assum ption th a t all three divisions carry equal weight in determ ining the overall results). Comparison between the three divisions Sources o f Stress. O u r results indicate a correla­ tion w ith our initial assumption th a t the sources of stress w ould coincide w ith th e area in which the person works. For example, th e technical services people have the lowest level of stress w ith patrons perhaps because of their lim ited contact w ith p a ­ trons; stress due to routine w ork is not obvious in the collection developm ent possibly because the n atu re of the w ork is generally m ore varied; the general services people do not experience m any changes in policies, project responsibilities, and procedures, possibly explaining w hy their stress in this category is lowest of all three groups. Sources o f Satisfaction. Several levels of satisfac­ tion stand out: the areas of “Being Around Books” w ith th e Collection D evelopm ent, “V ariety” w ith Technical Services, and “Positive Feedback” w ith G eneral Services. Once again, the nature of their work reflects th e d a ta collected. July/August 1989 / 589 Comparison between HBLL and Bunge’s study Sources o f Stress. The random study by Bunge, w hen com pared w ith BYU’s study shows a higher level of stress w hen dealing w ith patrons and super- visor/managem ent. On the other hand, the aver­ age results of th e random study reveal a m uch lower stress level in th e areas of “Feeling Pulled and Tugged,” “Lack of Budget and Resources,” “Bu­ reaucracy and Red T ape,” and “Technology and E quipm ent” w hen com pared w ith th a t of BYU’s. Sources o f Satisfaction. T he results of BYU’s study disclose fo u r areas of positive feedback: “Problem Solving,” “Flexibility and A utonom y,” “L earning,” and “Being of Service.” The lower level of satisfaction in the area of “Patrons” for BYU stands out in comparison w ith the random study by Bunge. Discussion and recommendations “It’s not just the frequency of stress th a t’s in­ creasing; it’s th e d u ratio n .” The effects of stress lead to a “decline in productivity, increased absen­ teeism, and escalating m edical costs.” W e felt th at the study of stress and satisfaction in the HBLL should help to evaluate its causes and extent. As stated by Bunge, “One of the most im portant general stress-management strategies is the contin­ ual developm ent of one’s aw areness reg a rd in g these tw o aspects of one’s self, because controlling and avoiding painful stress is largely a m atter of m aintaining a balance betw een the challenges and demands we are under and th e resources w e have to cope and th riv e.” Stress m anagem ent is the responsibility of both workers and m anagers. The roles of the supervisors in stress m anagem ent are m any and varied. Super­ visors should m onitor the sources of stress and satis­ faction regularly w ithin their respective depart­ ments and then follow up w ith appropriate actions to try to reduce the areas of stress. A routine “walk- around” to m eet, talk, and socialize w ith employ­ ees usually enables frank exchanges of thoughts and ideas. This will enhance the m orale of the workers and benefit the m anagem ent and function of the li­ brary. The workers should also be responsible for con­ trolling and coping w ith stress. Generally, advice for dealing w ith stress focuses on relaxation; some advice even suggests fig h tin g back or w alking away. The National Institute on Workers Com- pensation/A m erican Institute of Stress listed the following w arning signs and ways to cope with stress. 590 / C&RL News Warning signs •Intestinal distress •R a p id pulse •F re q u en t illness •Insom nia •Persistent fatigue •Irritab ility •N ail-biting •L a c k of concentration •Increased use of alcohol or drugs •H unger for sweets Ways to cope •M aintain a sense of hum or •M editate • G e t a massage •Exercise regularly • E a t more sensibly •L im it intake of alcohol and caffeine •T a k e refuge in family and friends •D elegate responsibility •S ta n d up to the boss •Q u it Summary Stress is n o t in h e r ite d , r a th e r th e w o rk environm ent—or how people interpret their work environm ent—is a major contributor of stress. Im ­ p ro v in g m ost stress situ a tio n s req u ires tim e, money, and sincere effort; however, the elimina­ tion or m anipulation of stress can be accomplished. Although the study could have been improved by establishing a better plan prior to the start of the project, it provided us w ith valuable data. The results in Figure 2 (see previous page) show the highest and lowest categories of stress and satisfac­ tion from the general comparison of the three divi­ sions. W hen compared with our results, the study by Bunge showed a higher level of stress when dealing w ith patrons and supervisor/m anagem ent. The lower level of satisfaction in th e area of “patrons” in the HBLL also stood out in comparison w ith the study by Bunge. This correlates w ith Bunge’s ob­ servation th at m any or most aspects of library jobs are not inherently stressful; rather, w hether or not they produce stress depends on the situation or other factors. ■ ■ News from the Field Acquisitions • The Auburn University Archives, Alabama, recently acquired the photographs and measured drawings of the Alabam a collection of the Historic American Building Survey (HABS). Nicholas H. Holmes III, Mobile architect, was instrum ental in obtaining the HABS for Auburn University. The Historic American Building Survey originated in 1933 under federal relief program s and became perm anent in 1934 through an agreement between the Library of Congress and th e American Institute of Architects. Included in the collection are h un­ dreds of black and white photographs taken be­ tween 1930 and 1960 representing structures in 27 Alabama counties. Some of the structures repre­ sented in the holdings have since been demolished, making this collection an im portant docum enta­ tion of the outstanding historic buildings of Ala­ bam a. • Boston University has received a gift of papers representing over a quarter of a century of Con­ gressional banking history from Fernand St. G er­ m ain of Rhode Island, form er chairm an of the House of Representatives Banking Com m ittee. The collection contains a large store of materials from St. G erm ain’s 28 years in Congress including legislative histories of bills he sponsored as chair of th e H ouse C o m m itte e on B a n k in g A ffairs (1980-1988) and as chair of the House Subcommit­ tee on Financial Institutions (from 1972) and 28 years of congressional correspondence, constituent m ail, and casework. I t contains a w ealth of infor­ m ation related to the history and development of government regulation and oversight of financial institutions. • C a lifo rn ia S ta te P o ly te c h n ic U n iv ersity ’s W .K . Kellogg A rabian Horse L ibrary, Pomona, has acquired the research library of noted Arabian horse authority Gladys Brown Edw ards. The ap­ proxim ately 2,500-volum e collection was p re ­ sented by an anonymous donor after the death of Edw ards. The m aterial includes m any rare edi­ tions, such as an 1881 printing of Gleanings fro m the Desert of Arabia. Receipt of the gift was made possible by the donation of $ 1,100 for relocation ex­ penses by Mrs. Joseph Paul of Clarem ont, Califor­ nia. • Indiana State University, Terre H aute, has re­