Joyce L. Ogburn

An introduction to outsourcing

Outsourcing as a business strategy is discussed in relation to library practices. While contracting out services is being touted as a solution to many management problems, some government operations are moving to reduce use of contractors. As with other business arrangements, preliminary steps before considering outsourcing, such as defining quality and the expectations of both parties, must be taken. Acquisitions and collection development librarians have extensive experience with managing contracts with vendors but also have to think in new terms and develop new relationships, with vendor services expanding. Acquisitions librarians have many skills to offer in managing outsourcing arrangements, and general management and leadership abilities will still be necessary both for the staff working within the library and the contract services.

The Movement to Change Scholarly Communication Has Come a Long Way – How Far Might It Go?

Librarians envision a future where they are firmly aligned with the health of scholarship and scholarly communications. To reflect the progress that is already being made—and to continue to move toward this future—it is especially appropriate and timely to welcome the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication to our profession’s literature.

From Tech Services to Leadership

ABSTRACT The panel at this strategy session was composed of three distinguished women from technical services who currently hold leadership positions. The session topic was divided into two sections: 1) What is leadership?; and 2) How can technical services help you be a leader? Each panelist spoke to the first topic and then reversed order to explore the second. The panelists all spoke to a definition of leadership based on the personal, social, and professional skills possessed by leaders. The panel concurred that technical services staff are uniquely prepared for leadership for a variety of reasons because the personal, social, and professional skills discussed by the panel in the first half of the session are prevalent in technical services departments.

Theory in acquisitions: Defining the principles behind the practice

Acquisitions has not been identified strongly with a body of knowledge, principles, and theory. Acquisitions processes and procedures have been described fully, but description of the practice is not equivalent to description of the philosophical and theoretical constructs. This article will attempt to elucidate the principles of acquisitions, which have not yet been stated as such. It will be argued that acquisitions would not be practiced as we know it without these principles and that they provide the underpinnings of our organization. The question also arises whether acquisitions has a theoretical base. Identifying principles is also a first step toward developing theory. Determining principles and theory will ultimately lead us to a definition of our knowledge base and our profession, and will more clearly identify and validate the role that acquisitions plays in the information dissemination process. As a first attempt at exploring theory and acquisitions, this paper is necessarily broad and imperfect. I recognize, and indeed hope, that it raises and promotes discussion and questions.

Responsibility for preserving and archiving electronic resources: Whose job is it anyway?

Abstract The workshop addressed where the responsibility should rest for the preserving and archiving of electronic resources. Librarians, publishers, and commercial vendors reflected various points of view. A literature search revealed that there is not yet a definition or a process for the preserving of electronic information. There is general agreement that the information should be “global” and “eternal” and that the ultimate responsibility will be in the form of a consortium arrangement.

Changing relationships in the acquisition and delivery of libray materials : a survey

This paper reports on the results of a survey conducted in the summer of 1993 that was designed to determine the present state of and recent changes in relationships among librarians, vendors, publishers, and systems vendors. It also sought to understand whether the advent of document delivery to libraries was affecting services being offered by vendors.