New Roles for Technical Services
Roberta Winjum
Vanderbilt Library
May 16, 2013
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Changes in libraries in all areas: PS, CD, IT
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Change in user expectations, user needs
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Change in availability of information; library
is not the only option
Leaders thinking about ROI
Electronic rather than print materials
 Unique and special collections
 Digitization projects
 New forms of scholarship
 Patron driven services
 Big deals/big collections
 Collaboration
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Others?
◦ordering
◦cataloging
◦check-in
◦binding
◦marking
…but the print world is not gone
yet
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Electronic resource management
Managing large collections
Outsourced cataloging/batch loads
Patron driven acquisitions
Digitization
New forms of metadata/RDA
Leaders expect that new technologies
result in decreased workload.
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Budget cuts
Technical Services is a focus because of
decreases in traditional work
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Attrition and Layoffs
May become difficult to perform needed tasks
But that doesn’t
make TS obsolete
- Author Unknown
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Electronic materials
Unique collections
Digitization projects
New forms of scholarship
Patron driven services
Big deals/big collections
Collaboration

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Digitizing
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Metadata for new
forms of scholarly
communication
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Assessment
Discovery layer
mapping
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Technology applications
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Collection management
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Batch record loads
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PDA management
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Licensing and other eresource management
Interlibrary loan
collaboration
Print on demand
projects
Technical Services staff demonstrate
• Organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• Procedural skills
• Problem solving
• Careful thought
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Identify new tasks
Identify staff interested in new tasks
Train
Voila!
Not as easy as it sounds.
Some staff may be left behind…
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Resistance to change
Being overlooked
Physical location
Lack of focus for new assignments
Competition
Personality
Traditional work that remains or expands to
fill time
Others?
1.
The ones you don’t need to worry about
2.
The ones who hate any change
3.
The middle—those who will go along with changes
if they understand why
Group 3 is the group that needs your attention.
SAMPLE TITLES
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AUL for Digital Access,
Resources, and Information
Technologies
SAMPLE DUTIES
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Collections Assessment
Librarian
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Digital Initiatives and Technical
Services Librarian

Acquisitions & Emerging
Technologies Librarian
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Metadata and Cataloging
Team Leader

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“guide the development of
crucial programs to enhance
discovery and access to world
class resources within and
beyond our collections”
“lead our ongoing
transformative efforts to
enhance and streamline
processes and services”
“redesign workflows to take
advantage of new capabilities
and tools, minimize redundant
activities, improve efficiency,
and foster innovation”
*Discovery Services
*Collection Services
*Resource Access Services
*Resource Management Services
*Collection Management
*Content Management
*Knowledge Access Management
…And in your library?
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“Service” vs. “Management”
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A rose by any other name…
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No one outside the library knows
anyway
To change mindset of staff and
managers
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Prioritize
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Identify lower priority tasks
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Develop standards for “good enough”
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Take advantage of technology
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Outsource
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Collaborate
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Seek out the champions and reward them
Expect retirements
Anticipate skepticism and negativity
Have a contingency plan for those who
cannot change
And hope there aren’t too many!
Just listening to concerns is sometimes
enough.
Advocacy in libraries must mention the need for
librarians who can work outside the hierarchy, who
can blend across the organization, who can work on
projects as needed, or work outside the confines of
a job description. This is the future of libraries.
Technical Services librarians are prepared for these
new roles because of our expertise in problem
solving, in turning plans into action and then
routinizing that action, while paying attention to the
details.
Technical Services’ resourcefulness will enable
libraries to continue to fulfill their core mission of
making information available to users.
Elevator speech
From ALCTS TS Advocacy Resources Task Force
- Charles Darwin