Working Paper # 6 : Technical Services Division in a Team-Based Learning Organization

Appendix G: Scenario Proposed by the Cataloging Department

Five themes emerged:

1. Cross-training
Staff who learn continuously are better equipped to serve the Libraries. Cross-training improves flexibility, but not productivity: one person with two skills does not equal two people.

2. Reorganization
Reorganization or merging are means to an end. New relationships need time to work. Without institutional support during the transition, staff will either leave or withdraw.

3. LIMS3
Aleph is different from CARL. Even well-planned system migrations have unforeseen problems. Shouldn't reorganization follow implementation?

4. Faster turnaround time
Fewer mistakes and fewer handoffs come from well-trained staff, programs like PromptCat, simpler material, or simpler processes. Some maintenance is already done by PSD staff.

5. Better quality
We need faculty catalogers for new or complex formats, languages, and the type of material a research institution acquires. Cooperative programs allow their work to be shared with peers.

We offer a suggestion that addresses these themes in light of the Libraries Strategic Plan:

Let there be a mini-team consisting of one Serials Specialist with one or more Monographs Specialist(s). In each mini-team, the Serials Specialist is the Monographs Specialist back-up, and the Monographs Specialist is the Serials Specialist back-up. The Serials Specialists and the Monographs Specialists will set individual goals in PRDs regarding how much time the expect to spend doing serial work and monographs work (for example, 80%/20%). Monthly mini-team reports will state the numbers of serials and numbers of monographs the mini-team has processed.

These mini-teams will be responsible for the identical specially-assigned subject areas. A Partnership Production Mini-Team may be established to address the issue of unwieldy production team size. This supports the Strategic Plan, under Initiative 1-2: Expand self-managed teams for adaptable and responsive library operations and services; and Initiative 5: Continue re-design of individual jobs and organizational processes throughout the Libraries for increased flexibility, accountability and performance.

The benefits for this organization:

• Serials cataloging expertise at the CONSER level will be retained, and contributions to PCC should not be greatly affected. National cooperative cataloging programs support the Strategic Plan under Initiative 3: Promote and recognize contributions by Libraries' staff to University service, professional organizations, scholarly disciplines and to society generally, and Initiative 4: Build strong relationships with other research libraries and professional organizations to enhance local and reciprocal services.

• Monographs cataloging expertise at BIBCO level will be retained, and contributions to PCC should not be greatly affected. Supports the Strategic Plan as above.

• The mini-team partners would be involved in cross-training each other. Initially, cross- training would only be as much as needed to support productivity requirements effectively, and increase only when the workload dictated or time for additional cross-training could be found. Supports the Strategic Plan under Initiative 1-2: Expand self-managed teams for adaptable and responsive library operations and services.

• The Department can offer or sponsor additional general and specialized instruction by experts in Serial and Monograph formats at appropriate times and require the mini-teams partners to participate. This supports the Strategic Plan under Initiative 1-2: Begin an ongoing training and educational curriculum (i.e., the Libraries' learning curriculum) for staff at all levels so they can better serve the users' needs and Provide the necessary facilities, equipment, training and technical support for staff to perform their jobs and review such provision regularly.

• Serials Workflow issues could be better addressed. This supports the Strategic Plan under Initiative 1-2: Build better and timely access to information resources (including electronic resources) by streamlining workflow through Technical Services.

• Separate queues for Serial materials and Monograph materials would be maintained. Supports the Strategic Plan as above.

• Reorganization will proceed gradually, gaining time for staff to learn MARC 21 Holdings, create serial publication patterns, and adjust to Windows 2000 workstations as required for Aleph. Supports Strategic Plan under Initiative 1-2: Implement LIMS3 for the College Park campus through active participation in the Implementation Working Group and related functional groups and with the broad involvement of Library and University staff and customers and Initiative 5: Continue re-design of individual jobs and organizational processes throughout the Libraries for increased flexibility, accountability and performance.

• Allows for the workflow of LTAs in the team to be mutually agreed upon by the Monographs Specialists, Serials Specialists, and LTAs themselves, who must have a voice in their own areas of assigned responsibility. Supports Blue Ribbon Committee Organization Values: Shared decision-making - encourage collaborative and creative problem-solving.

• GAs can be shared by mini-teams, both broadening their experience and serving the needs of the Libraries. Supports the Strategic Plan under Initiative 5: Strengthen and expand the Libraries' graduate assistantship program.

Concerns for this organization:

• All Serials Specialists and all Monograph Specialists do not have equal expertise. Some of the mini-partnerships would be unbalanced.

• It takes time to develop and provide appropriate format cross-training for a staff of faculty librarians, LTIIIs , and GAs with diverse skill levels and learning styles. This should not conflict with implementing LIMS3.

• The nature of serials, Aleph work routines, and conditions of participation in the CONSER program dictate careful processing of serials by a Serials Specialist.

• Productivity will suffer temporarily until details, both seen and unforeseen, are worked out.

  For many years we have worked across unit lines to help each other catalog continuing resources, access student information for author headings on dissertations, access information for Canadian authors, create Library of Congress Subject Headings, train GAs, and answer requests from Public Services. We look forward to continuing these partnerships in the future.

Selected Bibliography:

Shaughnessy, Thomas W. "Lessons From Restructuring the Library." Journal of Academic Librarianship, 22 (July 1996): 251-256.

Harmon, Joseph C. "The Death of Quality Cataloging: Does It Make a Difference for Library Users?" Journal of Academic Librarianship, 22 (July 1996), p. 306-7.

Dewey, Barbara I. "Transforming Cataloging: the University of Iowa Experience." Collection Management, 23 (1/2): 57-79.

Wasylenko, Lydia W. "Building Quality That Counts into Your Cataloging Operation." ALA Midwinter Conference 1998, p. 101-104.

Silverman, Scott H. "Is Technical Services Being De-Professionalized? A report of the ALCTS Role of the Professional in Technical Services Discussion Group." ALA Midwinter Conference 1998, p. 107-108. Watson, Mark. "Top Five Reasons Why Library Administrators Should Support Participation in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging." [URL: http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/topfive.html]

Technical Services websites, especially Cataloging, in our peer institutions as defined by the Maryland General Assembly:

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