Current State of Library Organizations in Dealing with E-Resources Impact of E-Resources North Carolina Serials Conference April 16, 2004

Presented by Janet L. Flowers Head of Acquisitions Academic Affairs Library University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Themes  Natural area for serials realm  Focus upon provision of intellectual content  Technical now under better control than public presentation and training

Organization  Requires a cast of thousands!  Very time-consuming  Absorbed by existing staff in their existing but redefined positions mainly

Organization  Worked to death but very effective!!  Some aspects of handling e-resources better done by experts (e.g., acquisitions, cataloging)  Only one with a separate department for e- resources (a public library)  Created a Department of Electronic Resources and Services  In January 2004!

Organization  Approaches  Evolutionary  Improvisational  Muddling  Experimental  Based upon existing staff : skills and interests

Organization  Division of Responsibilities: Pros and Cons of Consolidated vs. Decentralized

Consolidation Pros  Continuity and Consistency

Consolidation Cons  Workload too much for one person  Delays if relying upon one person  So much reliance upon one person problematic for communication  One case where staff member had to access while on medical leave to keep processes going

Decentralization Pros  Use of specialized skills  Spreads workload around  Better understanding among all staff regarding issues  Better decision-making regarding selection and budgetary choices because of greater understanding

Decentralization Cons  Possibility of miscommunication  Need for trust among parties regarding work done and respect for

Factors Affecting Way Organizations Evolved  Retirements!—either happened or waiting for!  New hires—if only!  Maturing of process  Codification of processes  Move cautiously  Much consensus and librarian involvement in decision making

 Unions  Slow down needed changes  Inhibits flexibility  Local staff in place  Their skills  Their interests  Library Directors!!  Their interest in e-resources!!  Their style regarding change Factors Affecting Way Organizations Evolved

Needs  More technical help  Catch up on making free e-resources available  Help with maintenance issues  Renewals  Broken Links  Package Deal

Needs  Trainers to help public  Removal of non e-resource related duties from those who are doing add on work

Future Directions  E-resources themselves  Government documents  Increasing amounts in this format  Less print available and collected

Future Directions  Organizational Responses to e-resources  Older librarians becoming more adept at using technology  Serials Units refocused from print to electronic  Traditional technical services (i.e., print) roles will be outsourced

Future Directions  In house library staff will focus on providing access to digital content  Move from checkin  Maintenance activities (url links, list checking, reconciliation)  Job descriptions will need to be rewritten

Future Directions  More prominent role in outreach to public regarding use of e-resources  Vast changes have outstripped patrons' ability to comprehend and navigate  More BI packages (one place had cut back on reference librarians!)

Future Directions  Serials Librarians more involved in assessment and evaluation of online resources prior to purchase decision  Will replace retiring librarians with those knowing new technologies

Future Directions  Budget Impact  Smaller libraries moving more to consortial  Fewer multi-year contracts  More centralization of state-wide resources  Possibly more cancellation of big deal packages  Less duplication of print and online  Cancellation of print due to space crunches

Conclusion: My Thoughts  Librarians have coped well with the ambiguity and the huge volume.  Until the volume flips towards more digital than print, we still must contend with a hybrid environment.

Conclusion: My Thoughts  Rate of change will vary depending upon a number of factors  Size and nature of library's print collections  Funding  Library Directors -especially new ones  Patron Demands  Staffing (size and abilities)  Changes in the Academy

Crystal Ball  Yet more changes  Continuing high level of work  Need for the expertise and energy of serials librarians to meet the challenges

Sea Change  I n the way we do business  In the way we provide information  In who does what

Presented by Janet L. Flowers Head of Acquisitions Academic Affairs Library University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill