Value of library technicians and
technical services in special and
government libraries
EVOLVING
Trish Murphy @tmmurphy10
How are we adapting to our roles and changing
our service models to incorporate our staff
losses
Forensic and Scientific Services
VISION: Excellence in Forensic & Public Health science directly
benefiting Queensland
MISSION: Valued for providing specialist analysis and expert,
independent advice to improve the health and safety of our
community.
•Supporting Police with evidence analysis
•Supporting Queensland Coroners
•Protecting the public health of Queenslanders
•Advanced investigation and risk mitigation
•Statewide clinical forensic medicine
FSS Library
(or Information Research Services)
Special library and information
services
Specifically GOVERNMENT LIBRARIES
 What we do
 clients
 funding
 staffing
 resources
 networking
Situation as at the start of 2010
From QGALR http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/publications/categories/reviews/library-research.aspx
Factors contributing to staff losses




VER
Change of government and VRs
Natural attrition
Competition for funding, staffing
RESULT = staffing cuts which required remaining
government libraries to reconsider the services they
provide, the staffing and roles of individual staff
members and the funding models
See: Qld Government Libraries Review
http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/publications/categories/reviews/library-research.aspx
Situation as at 2015
Survey respondents:
Survey respondents:
Staffing 2012:
Staffing 2015
Technicians – 22
Technicians – 7.3
Librarians - 51
Librarians - 32
Who is
left?
 Anti-discrimination Commission
 Crime and Misconduct Commission
 Dept Communities, Child Safety and Disability
Services
 Dept Housing and public Works
 Govt Research and Information Library
 Dept Transport and Main Roads
 Dept Agriculture and Fisheries
 Dept of Environment and Heritage Protection
 Dept of Justice and Attorney-General Crown Law
 Qld Academy of Sport
 Qld Art Gallery
 Forensic and Scientific Services (Qld Health)
 Qld Museum
 Qld Parliamentary library
 Qld Police Services
 Qld Studies Authority
http://premiers.qld.gov.au.campusguides.com/qgalhome
Staff remaining in the government
libraries
LIBRARY TECHNICIANS
•More responsibility
•Engages in organisational
activities
•More in line with librarian
roles (Snr technicians
•Responded to changing dept
and client needs
•Taken on different roles
LIBRARIANS
•More
technical/routine/procedural
roles (multi-skilling)
Special libraries and library
technicians
 Systems administrators
 Web authors (style guide, marketing, training, html,
metadata, mark-up, liaison with clients, writing for
the web etc)
 Marketing and communications
 Corporate card
 Much more input into the management of the library
 Managers
 Cataloguers
 Manage licenses
 Archives and records
Evolving
 Changes to service provision and business
models
 How we have evolved
 How we CONTINUE to evolve
Best case scenarios for the future
$ staff
“professional.” [various sources] - Worthy of or appropriate to a professional
person ; competent, skilful, or assured ; A person competent or skilled in a
particular activity ; Relating to or belonging to a profession ; relating to a job
that requires special education, training, or skill
We are all library
professionals.