Connie,
I would respectfully submit that it really doesn't matter what other
Archives do. In any decision about operating hours, an institution that
is customer-service oriented has to consider the trade-off between service
to the patrons and costs (including staff costs). Another trade-off may be
between different types of patrons/customers: for example, if you serve
public agencies whose records you store (and who provide your funding!), their
needs may not be the same as the general public who may use your archives for
personal research (your sponsors may want you open during their daytime working
hours, but the public may prefer evenings and weekends).
I would suggest gathering data:
What are your hours of peak usage?
What hours best serve the sponsors who fund your budget?
What hours best serve the general public on whom you may depend for
community support, and who indirectly pay the bills through
taxes?
What hours best serve staff personal needs?
The next step will be a management analysis of institutional priorities,
customer expectations and staff needs versus available resources. The
result will be a compromise, but should optimize the allocation of staff (and
other) assets to best serve the patrons/sponsors/clients.
David E. Paterson |