Rosann Bazirjian

Assessing the Effectiveness of Team-Based Structures in Libraries

In the mid 1990s the technical services division at Pennsylvania State University Libraries was re-organized into the team environment. Teams were created as self-directed work teams, and continued to function without any assessment until 1999 when an administrative change forced an examination of their effectiveness. Concerns regarding the team organization were solicited in the form of individual meetings. Issues raised were documented and presented to the University’s Human Resources Department. A formal teams assessment survey was undertaken. The survey results were used to develop a structured environment in which to respond to the concerns and issues raised by the staff. A Management System for Performance was written as a tool by which the library can re-engineer the teams.

Branch Libraries and Discrete Collections

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The accounting office interface: Syracuse University

This presentation will discuss Syracuse University Library’s invoice interface with our university’s fund accounting system. Interfacing is the way two independent, automated systems meet and communicate with each other. Our Library is on the NOTIS system, and our acquisitions subsystem has been in place since July, 1991. Our accounting office uses a vendored system from Walker Interactive Products, which handles the accounts payable component of that system. Our acronym for the system is CAPPS, which stands for Computerized Accounts Payable Purchasing System. Prior to July, 1991, we had a locally developed system, which did, indeed, interface with the accounting office as well. We therefore had some previous experience in this area that could be applied to the NOTIS environment, but of course much needed to be modified. We interface with our accounting office on a weekly basis in the areas of invoice payment and vendor input and update. Many of the NOTIS reports that we run, are fairly standard, and as a result it is not necessary to discuss many of them in detail. However, many reports are special to Syracuse University in terms of our interface, and it is on those which we intend to concentrate.

After assessment: application of the results of an acquisitions teams survey

This paper will briefly discuss the team structure at the Pennsylvania State University Libraries, and the reasoning behind a recently completed teams assessment survey. It is extremely important to act on information gathered from surveys, and not just file it away. The focus of the paper, therefore, will be on the process we developed to implement and act upon the results of the assessment survey. The work with the University’s Human Resources Development Center to develop a tool to guide the staff through the process will be examined and discussed at length.

Tracking Not Yet Published Material: Using Bibliographic Record the Smart Way

In July 2001, the Pennsylvania State University Libraries stopped placing purchase orders for materials that were deemed not yet published or available. It was important that our carry-over encumbrances not be too high since that would impact the Libraries purchasing power for the following year. In addition, it was felt that the collections budget should be spent on titles that are readily available, rather than tied up in materials that may not be published for one to two or even five more years. In should be noted that Penn States fiscal cycle runs July 1 to June 30, at which time State appropriated funds should be fully expended. Any outstanding orders for library materials are then applied against the new year budget(s). For the first year of implementation of this new policy, manual files that were reviewed at specified intervals, were kept of all titles not yet published. This was a time-consuming and tedious process. In an effort to make this process much more efficient, and to take advantage of our new library management systems capabilities, our Budget Coordinator worked with a group of individuals in Acquisitions Services to develop a procedure that was not only automated, but would allow selectors to gain up to the minute information on not yet published requests via the Web with a WebCat (public catalog) view of their titles.

Cataloging and Classification for Library Technicians. 2nd ed.

This is a very clear and concise book that is designed to be used as a student textbook in cataloging and classification course. The book is also intended to serve as a general reference book for library technicians working in a cataloging department. It is intended for individuals with no cataloging experience. Materials are presented in a logical progression as one moves through the cataloging process. Chapters on descriptive cataloging, subject headings and classification are thorough yet present the material in a clear and easy to understand manner. The first edition of this book was published in 1995. Each chapter has been revised to reflect changes and development of cataloging rules as well as new editions of reference tools. In addition, a new chapter has been added, Cataloging on Computers, with new material on the Dublin Core, outsourcing, and cooperation between libraries in the Issues and Trends chapter. Generally the second edition follows the format and style of the first. The text begins with a general introduction to library terminology and organization. Next, the student is introduced to the various types and functions of library catalogs and is taught about the elements of a bibliographic record. Various cataloging reference tools are then presented in a short and concise manner. As mentioned earlier, the chapters on descriptive cataloging, subject headings and classification are presented in greater detail than the other chapters. Copy cataloging is then introduced with descriptions of CIP, MARC, PCC, OCLC and the Internet. All are presented from the copy cataloging perspective. The new chapter in this edition, Cataloging on Computers, introduces the student to terms such as delimiters, indicators, leaders, MARC 21, sub fields and tags. Samples of MARC format records for books, video recordings, computer files and serials are presented to teach the student about the organization of MARC records. The information provided here would be particularly useful to students to be used as a handy guide. The processing of cataloged materials is then described as these materials move through a typical cataloging department. This chapter goes into some detail on ALA filing rules. Although dated in many ways, at least these rules are documented in the text. The final chapter focuses on issues and trends in cataloging. Issues such as reclassification, recataloging, outsourcing, retrospective conversion and Dublin Core are discussed in brief paragraphs to give the student an introduction to some common issues that librarians are facing in the present time. Pergamon

Automation and Technical Services Organization

There are many factors about automation that prompt reorganization and that must be considered in the process, and I will highlight four of them. The primary goal should be the streamlining of functions, and this might very well be the basis on which any reorganization is planned. It is important to make sure that duplication of effort is eliminated, i.e., that the same person does not have to handle the material twice and that the item moves through technical services in an organized way. Cost-effectiveness also comes into the picture, both in terms of human resource allocation as well as the actual cost of searches, record transfers, and bibliographic utilities. In addition, automation has provided for immediate access to all we do in technical services. The patron is able to track how a book is acquired and cataloged virtually every step of the way. How our orders look and how the database is maintained suddenly take on a more global meaning. Finally, the integrated database binds all of our functions together. One record is used for order, receipt, and cataloging. Therefore, whatever we do in one section automatically affects the work of another. It is that integration which one needs to exploit.

Association for Library Collections & Technical Services Annual Report 2005–2006

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) is committed to shaping and responding to all matters related to the selection, identification, acquisition, organization, management, retrieval, and preservation of recorded knowledge. ALCTS strives to provide this leadership to its members through education, publication, and collaboration. This year, the division focused its efforts and accomplishments in the following areas: education, collaboration through active involvement in policy formulation, publication, and organization. Education Continuing education has been a cornerstone of the services that ALCTS provides to its members. Because of its importance to ALCTS, the Education Committee (Karen Letarte, chair) sponsored an Education Action Summit during the Midwinter Meeting. Members from various division and section committees, the Council of Regional Groups, and other ALCTS leaders attended a half-day summit designed to move the ALCTS continuing education program into a higher gear. Maureen Sullivan facilitated for a thought-provoking afternoon, during which attendees talked about educational needs and the resources required to advance continuing education within ALCTS. We look forward to implementing some of the conclusions that were reached during the meeting. A number of new workshops were developed and delivered in 2005 and 2006. Among them are: * Basic Collection Development and Management * Principles of Controlled Vocabulary and Thesaurus Design, an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop * Metadata Standards and Applications, an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop * Metadata and Digital Library Development, an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop * Digital Project Management for the 21st Century, an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop Continuing workshops include: * Basic Subject Cataloging Using LCSH, an ALCTS/PCC Workshop * Rules and Tools for Cataloging Internet Resources, an ALCTS and Library of Congress Workshop * Web Course: Fundamentals of Acquisitions Collaboration and Policy Formation Collaboration and policy formation are key areas for ALCTS. Focusing on policy issues that affect our members is an important service that ALCTS provides. This year we passed two resolutions that address policy. The board passed the Resolution on the Distribution of Government Information by the Government Printing Office, which encouraged the Government Printing Office to work in close collaboration with the library and information communities to develop efficient and effective mechanisms for the dissemination and preservation of government information in digital form. We also joined the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Association of College and Research Libraries in endorsing the statement Urgent Action Needed to Preserve Scholarly Electronic Resources, thereby acknowledging the importance of the preservation of electronic journal collections. We extended a collaborative partnership with ARL in the area of digital preservation. This culminated in an ALCTS Forum on Digital Preservation at the 2006 Annual Conference in New Orleans. In the spirit of collaboration, the ALCTS board approved a new award, the ALCTS Outstanding Collaboration Citation, to encourage improvements and benefits in providing and managing library collaboration between libraries and individuals, vendors, and organizations that work with libraries. …

Building an Electronic Resource Collection: A Practical Guide

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Empowering Society through the Global Flow of Information

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