Are You Ready For An Audit? What you Need to Know

1. ULA Conference Layton , Utah May 11 -13, 2011 Are You Ready For An Audit?What you Need to Know Presented by: Lorie Womack Branch Manger, Roosevelt Branch Library

2. It’s time for an audit:Now what? • Relax and keep perspective • Maintain professionalism and confident demeanor • Take notes • Be prepared to show your financial records and library stats • Thank the auditor

3. Why do we need audits? • Adherence to policies and guidelines • Check of record keeping • Check record accuracy • Review of employee work • Meeting user needs • Review of established methods • Recommendations for improvements • Measure progress • Webster Dictionary defines an audit as: • “A methodical examination and review”

4. Benefits of Audits • Planning and Evaluation Tools • Policies and procedure changes • Better understanding of issues • Evaluation of customer service needs • Evaluation of performance

5. Who Conducts Audits • County or City Auditor • Granting Agencies • State Library • Courts • Regulatory Agencies

6. 6 Steps to Preparingfor an Audit Step #1-- Understand all the requirements Step#2 – Appropriate records management practices Step #3 – Management support Step #4 -- Audit management practices Step #5 – Document the results Step #6 -- Audit systems, technologies, facilities, and practices

7. Types of Audits • Financial • Statistical • Facilities • Human Resources • Internal

8. Get in the habit of conducting internal audits Why we should perform internal audits? “internal records audits are essential to ensuring your organization is following its internal standards and practices – and can prove it, if required, to external auditors, regulatory agencies, and courts.” (Simons, 2009) Areas of concern for internal audits: Financial Records Statistical Records Collection Development Shelf Order and Appearance Physical Facilities Policy and procedure reviews Personnel Issues

9. Internal Audit Goals “If our goal is to be the best at what we do, it is crucial to take little steps to improve every single day” (Van Campen / Hertzberger 2009)

10. What financial records should be kept? • Invoices • Packing Slips • Deposit Records • Expenditure Records • Book and Supply Orders • Grant Applications / Contracts • Grant Correspondence

11. Statistical Annual Report of Public Library Services Operating Expenditures: Salaries / Wages Collection Expenditures Digital Licensing Fees / Serials Subscriptions Expenditures Operations and Maintenance Expenditures Programming: Number of children’s programs Number of Teen Programs Number of Adult Programs Attendance Numbers Services: Circulation Patron Visits Number of Registered Patrons Number of Reference Transactions Internet Use

12. Management Tools • Keep a log of maintenance / supply needs • Hold regular staff meetings • Conduct regular policy reviews as staff members • Meet regularly with individual staff members • Balance money taken in daily • Make regular deposits • Develop and follow strategic plan • Document anything you may need to refer back to later • Set up spreadsheets to track statistical / financial statistics • Regular shelf maintenance (straightening / weeding)

13. Book OrderTemplate Book Order ( date ordered) Order number / Information • Title • Author • ISBN Number • Person Requesting the Title • Comments

14. Monthly StatisticReports Circulation Patron Visits Computer Uses Money Collection Number of Overdue / Fine Notices Number of Items Checked Out Vs. Items Unreturned Number of Items in Collection Number of Items Weeded System / Library Specific Statistics

15. Monthly ExpenditureTracking Invoice Date Line Item Number Vendor Invoice Number Amount of Invoice Line Item Total Comments Notes Section Invoice Date Line Item Number Vendor Comments

16. What is anInformation Audit • Assessment of end user needs • Assessment of management Practices • Tied to knowledge based initiatives • Tied to organizational learning • Assessment issue(s)

17. Van Campen and Hertzberger’s3 Phase Approach 1) Diagnose and pinpoint customer problems 2) Design and redesigning (focus on correcting problem(s) ) 3) Implementation Phase

18. Methods of Conductingan Information Audit • Surveys • Focus Groups • Committees • Interviews

19. Henczel’s Methodology Henczel’s 7 Steps Planning Data Collection Data Analysis Data Evaluation Communicating Recommendations Implementing Recommendations Information Audit as a continuum

20. Using Statistics “[Statistics] are like a slightly out-of-focus snapshot of what you do, taken through glass that’s distorted and not quite clean” (Schuyler, 2001 )

21. Statistic Use Role Play Example: Statistics to justify a tax increase Tasks 1) Create a scenario 2) Determine what statistics will you need 3) Determine how and who will collect any additional information you may need 4) Select a target audience /setting for the conversation 5) Make your pitch

22. Questions / Discussion

23. Contact Information Lorie Womack Branch Manager Duchesne County Library – Roosevelt Branch 70 W. Lagoon (44-4) Roosevelt, UT 84066 (435)722-4441 lwomack@co.duchesne.ut.us

24. References • Audits (2011). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 29, 2011. • Simons, Neil (2009). Surviving a records audit: 6 steps to prepare your organization. Information Management, July/August 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2011 using Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts database. • Jones, Rebecca; Burwell, Bonnie(2004). Information audits: building a critical process. Searcher (2)1. Searcher, January 2004, pgs. 5-55. Retrieved February 19, 2011 using Library and Information Services Abstract database. • Van Campen, Johan, Hertzberger (2009). Improving little by little: The Road to Operational Excellence. Learned 22(2). April, 2009; Pgs. 102-106. Retrieved February 19, 2011 using Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts database. • Raliphada, Lufuno (2006). Testing the viability of Henczel’s information audit methodology in practice. South African Journal of Library and Information Sciences . Retrieved March 23, 2011 using Ebsco Host database. • Schulyer, Micheal (2001). Cutting Edge Statistics. Computers in Libraries , 21(3), Pg. 51. Retrieved April 23, 2011 using Ebsco Host database.