Target Audience: Librarians who are handling technical services for the first time or who would like to learn more about this function of the library
Learning Outcomes:
1) Participants will learn what technical services work entails, and the competencies required to do it.
2) Participants will learn how seasoned technical services librarians manage these functions in a university, law firm, and government agency library, as well as how to implement efficient and successful technical services sections in their own libraries.
This program addresses the questions: What is 'technical services'? What do technical services staff do? What can I expect from them? What will my institution—university, law firm, or government agency—expect from the library's technical services department? How do I create and implement a successful technical services unit in my library when I have never done this type of work before?
A panel of experienced technical services librarians – representing a law firm library, a government agency, and a university library – will describe how they learned technical services, how they developed successful technical services workflows, and how they manage and train technical services staff. Additionally, these pros will discuss how to identify and address the critical issues of their type of institution, including budgeting, providing access to resources, and managing contractors.
