***Apologies for cross-posting***
Please join the Role of Professional Librarians in Technical Services Interest Group (RPLTSIG) during ALA Annual on Sunday, June 25, 2:30 -3:30 PM CT at McCormick Place, W196b.
The roundtable moderators will discuss the multi-faceted roles that professional academic librarians play in technical services. We hope you will join one of the face-to-face round table discussions to share your thoughts, opinions, and ideas.
Topic 1: Documentation in Technical Services
Discussion Facilitator: Greg Ferguson, Head of Resource Management, New York University Libraries
Topic Summary: With many technical services departments still being asked to do more with less, documentation can present a conundrum. In theory, documentation should simplify life -- but creating and maintaining it can feel like a monumental task of its own. Additionally, many libraries rely increasingly on cloud apps (Alma, Google Workspace, and others) whose functionality changes frequently, making it even more challenging to keep documentation up to date. Potential discussion topics include: what benefits (or not?) from documentation, how to prioritize documentation, dealing with gaps in documentation, models or best practices for documentation, etc.
Possible Discussion Questions:
- Does your organization consistently produce documentation?
- What types of things do you document (workflows, policies)?
- If you don't or can't document everything, do you have strategies to deal with the gaps?
- Have you had any experiences that made you change your approach to documentation?
Topic 2: How are we developing future Electronic Resource Librarians?
Discussion Facilitator: Cara Calabrese, Acquisitions & Access Librarian, Miami University
Topic Summary: Technical Services has had a long standing place in the education of new librarians. Cataloging is one of the core classes for many MLIS programs, but Technical Services encompasses a wide range of skills and areas of expertise. Unfortunately many outside of Technical Services are not as familiar with what we do and Acquisitions and Electronic Resources (ER) do not always seem very well represented in current course offerings. I spent much of my current time as a librarian, but also my time as a student explaining what Technical Services does with colleagues and fellow students. When I graduated in 2015, every ER related posting seemed to require 3-5 years of experience, but how was I to reach that level when there were no courses in library school focusing on electronic resource management or associated tasks. With electronic resources eating up the majority of our budgets, I'd like to explore how current ER professionals gained their skills and how we are preparing the next generation of ER professionals to succeed.
Possible Discussion Questions:
- Do you feel ER is still an emerging area of technical services?
- What do you expect an ER librarian to be able to come in knowing?
- Does your library offer training or mentoring for new or early career librarians?
- Have you seen library or information services (LIS) students do practicums or intern in TS departments?
Topic 3: Navigating the cutting edge with staff
Discussion Facilitator: Kay Granskog, Associate Dean, Technical Services, Michigan State University
Topic Summary: Technical Services work often benefits from innovation. Libraries with a vision for something more, who are willing to bear the cost of doing something new are special. Often, the benefits of a new product or service are made available to many because a few choose to work at the cutting edge. When the supervisor leads the charge into something new, they must bring others along. This usually means disruption in workflow and in productivity. Is it worth it or is caution advisable?
Possible Discussion Questions:
- Where is your library working on the cutting edge?
- What makes the risks involved in trying something new acceptable?
- How did you convince your administration to finance something new?
- How does one guide reluctant staff members through the uncertainty?
We are looking forward to the in-person conversation.
Marina Morgan and Amy Fry, Co-Chairs
Greg Ferguson and Alayne Mundt, Co Vice-Chairs
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Marina Morgan
Senior Metadata Librarian
Florida Southern College, Roux Library
Phone: +1 (863) 616-6450
Email:
mmorgan@flsouthern.edu------------------------------