Khyle Hannan

MLIS 7200 Case Study The New User Environment: The End of Technical Services?

Part 1 The Technical Services Dilemma The article I have chosen to review is titled The New User Environment: The End of Technical Services written by Bradford Lee Eden. The issue this article discusses is the decline in the need for technical service department functions, such as cataloging, in modern libraries. The article gives a brief description of a technical service departments purpose and workflow from a typical library in the late 20th century and how these departmental operations consumed the majority of library resources. Edens (2010) article said the following: The processes were complicated, expensive, and time-consuming, and generally served to severely limit direct service to users both by producing records that were difficult to understand and interpret , even by other library staff, and by consuming from 75-80 percent of the librarys financial and personnel resources. In the 21st century libraries are no longer the only source of information and even more problematic is that they are not the first choice for people seeking information. Online electronic collections of information have become ubiquitous and researchers are relying on materials found in library catalogs less and less as time goes on. The primary purpose of technical services is to generate descriptive bibliographical records for items to be viewed in our closed catalog system. We know that information seekers are not utilizing our catalogs anymore relying instead on online search engines. The dilemma this article discusses is; what libraries should do with this knowledge? The failure of the library catalog to meet current information seekers needs is at the heart of this dilemma. If researchers are not utilizing our catalog for information then why would a library continue to invest a large portion of its resources in catalog development? Edens (2010) article said the following: Libraries are investing huge resources in staffing and priorities fiddling with MARC bibliographic records in a time when they are struggling to survive and adapt from a monopoly environment to being just one of many players in the new information marketplace. Budgets are stagnant, staffing is at an all-time low, new information formats continue to appear and require attention, and users are no longer patient nor comfortable working with our clunky OPACS.

Khyle Hannan
MLIS 7200 Case Study The New User Environment: The End of Technical Services?

Possible Solutions Edens article suggests that the core function of technical services, organizing and describing information, is still very much needed but the format for such organization has changed. Organization can no longer be just about the catalog and all of the rules pertaining to that particular format. Eden suggests a technical services transition from a cataloging to a metadata model. Online information in an electronic format requires metadata organization but new standards need to be utilized to replace the old catalog format. Libraries and technical services librarians need to approach this situation as a paradigm shift in the information landscape and respond accordingly. Edens (2010) article made the following comparison:

What catalogers do Operate within boundaries of detailed standards. Describe items one-at-a time. Treat items as if they are intended to fit carefully within a particular application the catalog. Ignore the rest of the world of information

What metadata librarians do Think about descriptive data without preconceptions around descriptive level, granularity, or descriptive vocabularies. Consider the entirety of the discovery and access issues around a set or collection of materials. Consider users and uses beyond an individual service when making design decisions-not necessarily predetermined. Leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Part 2 In my interview with Ms. Nancy P. Johnson Associate Dean for Library and Information Services of the Georgia State University College of Law Library it became clear that her library was experiencing elements of the same dilemma. Resources used by law students and faculty are increasingly available in electronic format and the need for original cataloging of physical law materials had diminished significantly. Ms. Johnson informed me during our interview that they have already begun receiving new physical materials that have been pre-cataloged by their vendor. The technical services department at the Law Library consists of four full-time employees and with their traditional work load diminishing the need to retrain and repurpose their efforts is essential.

Khyle Hannan
MLIS 7200 Case Study The New User Environment: The End of Technical Services?

Part 3 The future of information discovery is uncertain and predicting the best course of action for a library is difficult but the need to retool the concept of technical services remains clear. The Law Librarys technical service structure is outdated. Ms. Johnson is aware of this issue and has already begun to experiment with alternative methods of cataloging materials. The next logical step for the Law Library would be to begin the process of assessing the information needs of their user base to determine which formats legal information will take in the future. Once a detailed assessment has been made a comparison facilitated by the Law Librarys professional association memberships should follow. This comparison will aid in improving accuracy by determining information trends in the profession. Once a course of action for change has been established the library can begin the process of retraining its technical services employees with the purpose of increasing their effectiveness at organizing new legal information and meeting their end-users needs.

Khyle Hannan
MLIS 7200 Case Study The New User Environment: The End of Technical Services?

References Eden, B. (2010). The New User Environment: The End of Technical Services?. Information Technology & Libraries, 29(2), 93-100. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Rogers, M., Elkins, J. S., & Jackson, A. M. (2005). Puttin' Your Foot in It. Library Journal, 130(20), 90-92. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.