Core Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group

Creative Ideas in Technical Services Discussion Group

ALA Annual Conference 2010

                                                                                                 Table 1         

I am Technical Services : Succeeding in a One Woman Shop

The questions listed below are simply suggestions for guiding and structuring your conversation.  You needn’t feel compelled to use the list or to cover all of the questions.  Don’t hesitate to consider other, better questions that may come up during your conversation.  

• What type of library do you work in? Describe it briefly.

• Do you have responsibilities outside of technical services?

• How do you manage your time to ensure all necessary tasks are completed?  How could you improve your time management skills?

• Which of the tasks that you perform could be streamlined or eliminated? (You may want to begin by thinking about things that are done “because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”)

• Do you outsource any technical services tasks?  Which tasks could be outsourced most easily?

• What free or low-cost resources are available to help one-person technical service units be successful?

• What one thing would make your job easier and make you feel more successful? (Don’t forget to be creative!)