(Please excuse duplication.)

ALCTS Role of the Professional Librarian in Technical Services IG at ALA Annual

Saturday, June 28, 2014, 10:30am-11:30am

Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, N109

Add this event to your Annual schedule: http://ala14.ala.org/node/14818

Please join the RPLTS Interest Group for the following two presentations:

Spandex Positions - Librarian Flexibility in Technical Services

Jane Skoric, Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, Santa Clara University

How do we manage expanding positions? What to do when our roles are ambiguous? This presentation will give a realistic overview (with an optimistic spin) of one professional librarian's experiences in the technical services department of a mid-size academic library.

Two years ago I was hired into a "newly redefined position" as Cataloging and Metadata Librarian. The position I replaced was the Head of Technical Services. During the interview, a librarian stated, "But we need someone to manage the electronic resources. Who is going to do that work?"  Thus, although the position announcement did not address several of the immediate needs of the technical services department, I chose to do so. My primary duties became the direct supervision of 6 support staff and the management of e-resources. Many other changes, including to whom I report, and other colleagues’ evolving roles have occurred in the past two years. As 21st century libraries evolve, how and by whom will the roles of professional librarians in technical services be defined?

 

Emerging Leadership roles for Technical Services Librarians and Training for professional and non-professional staff

Stephanie P. Hess, Electronic Resources Librarian, Binghamton University

Leadership roles in Technical Services are shifting as the potential of digital collections continues to open new career paths for Technical Services staff.  Employment opportunities for metadata/ cataloging librarians, digitization experts, and electronic resources librarians now require skill sets that are prompting many of us to become project managers and/ or administrators of electronic resource management systems and next Gen catalogs. These emerging technologies entail extensive re-vamping of workflows and the introduction of more egalitarian training techniques that will reach library staff at all levels. This presentation will cover the nuances of leadership and include tips on “leading from where you are” as well as offer ideas regarding how to approach staff training and re-deploy existing staff when implementing new workflows within an evolving cross-departmental setting.

Betsy Appleton and Stephanie Rodriguez, RPLTS IG Co-Chairs

Christine Dulaney and Harriet Wintermute, RPLTS IG Co-Chairs Elect