2019 Charleston Library Conference

What role, if any, should Tech Services staff play in collection development in academic libraries? We set out to answer this question by surveying colleagues for their thoughts about non-liaison faculty and staff participating in the collection development process.

Some academic libraries have Tech Services staff that help with collection building, whether it be a lot or a little. Others have Tech Services departments that have a strict policy of not getting involved in collection building. During this session, we will present findings from the survey and share any common trends or opinions that exist in academic librarianship.

Attendees will be encouraged to share their own thoughts, and the collection-development models that exist in their institutions. We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches, and identify the factors that contribute to a successful collection development policy. Is good collection development possible with some kind of collaboration with liaisons and tech services? Or is it only possible if there is a clear line between who makes purchase decisions and who processes the selections?

The objective of the session, in addition to presenting data and fostering conversation, is to determine if attendees’ experiences and thoughts are reflected in the survey data. We feel that there are many people who have strong opinions on this subject and we would like to offer a session where those opinions can be voiced. For those who struggle with decisions about this kind of division of labor, we hope to provide ideas that can lead to productive conversations at their respective schools.