Abstract

Declining usage of print materials along with increasing usage of electronic resources makes it necessary for libraries to reallocate personnel from print management to electronic resources management. Electronic resources management should be the primary focus of technical services units in the early twenty-first century. Print should no longer be treated as the default format, and the work of library staff must be reorganized and reintegrated with librarians and other professionals to reflect the growing importance of electronic resources in contemporary information services.

Staff workflows in technical services can be organized to emphasize functional areas of electronic resources management including troubleshooting, collection analysis support, and content management that best fulfill the contemporary library’s mission. More established workflows, such as batch processing and copy cataloging, can also be improved through better coordination with other personnel who manage electronic resources. Fitting the work of a new technical services system into the library’s wider mission requires good communication and coordination with other units, as well. Workflows for technical services functions must be carefully integrated horizontally or vertically into the workflows of other units in a systematic way that fosters cooperation and accountability while avoiding confusion regarding roles and responsibilities.

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Electronic Resource Management: Functional Integration in Technical Services

Declining usage of print materials along with increasing usage of electronic resources makes it necessary for libraries to reallocate personnel from print management to electronic resources management. Electronic resources management should be the primary focus of technical services units in the early twenty-first century. Print should no longer be treated as the default format, and the work of library staff must be reorganized and reintegrated with librarians and other professionals to reflect the growing importance of electronic resources in contemporary information services.

Staff workflows in technical services can be organized to emphasize functional areas of electronic resources management including troubleshooting, collection analysis support, and content management that best fulfill the contemporary library’s mission. More established workflows, such as batch processing and copy cataloging, can also be improved through better coordination with other personnel who manage electronic resources. Fitting the work of a new technical services system into the library’s wider mission requires good communication and coordination with other units, as well. Workflows for technical services functions must be carefully integrated horizontally or vertically into the workflows of other units in a systematic way that fosters cooperation and accountability while avoiding confusion regarding roles and responsibilities.