Margaret Maurer Assistant Professor, Catalog and Metadata Librarian Kent State University

March 4, 2005 ALAO Technical Services 1

Collaborating to Provide Experienced-based

LearningALAO Technical Services Interest Group

Spring WorkshopMarch 4, 2005, KSU

Margaret MaurerAssistant Professor,

Catalog and Metadata LibrarianKent State University


Collaborating since 1999 Shared responsibilities Need for practical application of what is

taught in the classroom

SLIS and LMS Collaboration


Context for the Collaboration Practical education for librarianship Availability of courses in technical

services and cataloging Forces shaping curriculum development

for library schools Impact of temporary workers in

technical services Changing nature of technical services Other economic factors


Practical education for librarianship A role for training Requiring practical experiences prior to

graduation in other professions Some skills are more easily learned in

the context of the library Practica typically are limited in time


Impact of temporary workers in technical services Time spent orienting and training must

be balanced by real benefits The library must structure the student

experiences to maximize the benefits for both the library and the student.


Other economic factors Financial support for libraries in Ohio is

declining, and must be defended The misguided notion that all cataloging

can be outsourced Impending retirement boom for

technical services librarians Lack of redundancy in cataloging

departments Fewer “junior” cataloging positions (the

2 year gap)


Ohio TS Labor Force Survey – Preliminary Results There will continue to be openings There is a need for the continuing

education of technical services and cataloging librarians

Candidate pools are perceived as smaller and less qualified


More Preliminary Results 6% of the respondents have conducted

a TS search with no qualified candidates Labor Force will be stable over the next

5 years As of yet, few TS librarians have the

word “metadata” in their job title or description


Forces shaping curriculum development for library schools Research orientation Course loads in library schools Teaching information science Increasing complexity in cataloging

itself 2 years experience


Availability of courses in technical services and cataloging Fewer cataloging classes offered Hands-on practice in library school Re-integration of library schools and

libraries


SLIS / LMS CollaborationsCollaboration through Student

WorkersGraduate Student AssistantsPracticum StudentsVolunteers

Curriculum CollaborationsAdditional Collaborations


Graduate Student Assistants The hiring process should be as professional

as possible Assess departmental needs before you hire Don’t just use generic job requirements Interview responsibly


Graduate Student Assistants Provide them with the tools to do the job Provide an orientation At severance, schedule an exit interview


Practicum Students If GSAs are temporary employees, then

practicum students are very-temporary employees

The best practicum experiences happen when a good match is made between the needs and expectations of the student and the needs of the library


Practicum Students Cycle students through the same training

materials, one after another. Maintain a stable of projects Provide necessary resources


Collection Management Practicum Student Checklist Preplanning for program improvement Recruitment tasks Selection processes Equipment, software and workspace needs Orientation materials Expectations and methods of assessment Training needs Supervision, and The student’s professional experience assessment


Practicum Program Students Have … Cataloged Assisted with authority control Written collection development policies Copy-cataloged gift books Reviewed license agreements


Student Reactions to the Program

“When I started I was a raw well-educated, well-meaning rookie .. Now I feel like a

librarian.”


Learning & Assessment Students learn new skills Students create a portfolio of original work Students are evaluated Students evaluate the program


Volunteers (Students and Post-Graduate) Be professional about attracting and retaining volunteers Follow the same work rules for volunteers as

you do for employees.


Curriculum Collaborations Yes they can tour your work area – there are

ways to minimize disruptions. Presentations in SLIS classes Attracting future library professionals Adjunct faculty


Other Collaborations Professional publications Collegial relationships Other adjunct instructors

Practical experience at assessment

LMS Faculty as SLIS adjunct faculty

Presentations by LMS Faculty in SLIS classes

Tours of technical services by SLIS classes

Relationship between SLIS library representative and library liaison

Students develop professional references and form the beginning of their professional network

Research, publications, andconference presentations

Cooperative attitude at upper levels of management

Potential staff recruitment

Graduate student assistants

Student volunteers

Practicum projects

ReceivesGivesReceivesGives

SLISACTIVITY

LMS


ALCTS CETRC Mentoring Program Education, Training, and Recruitment

for Cataloging (CETRC), ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section

http://library.ucsc.edu/mentoring


Forthcoming article:

Maurer, Margaret Beecher and Wicks, Don A. “Collaboration in Collection Management: A Convergence of Education & Practice.” Resource Sharing & Information Networks. 17(1/2). Projected publication date is 2005.


Contact informationMargaret Maurer, MLSAssistant Professor, Catalog & Metadata

LibrarianKent State University Libraries and Media

Services370 Library, P.O. Box 5190Kent, OH 44242-0001330.672.1702http://www.library.kent.edu/[email protected]

Margaret Maurer Assistant Professor, Catalog and Metadata Librarian Kent State University

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