ALCTS e-Forum: Serials, Staffing, and Workflow

ALCTS has announced a free e-forum discussion. Information below.

Serials, Staffing, and Workflow
June 15-16, 2011
Hosted by Jennifer Sippel and Christine Stachowicz
Please join us for an e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone!
Registration information is at the end of the message.
Each day, sessions begin and end at:
Pacific: 6am – 2pm
Mountain: 7am – 3pm
Central: 8am – 4pm
Eastern: 9am – 5pm

Description

While working with serials has always required a tolerance for change and ambiguity, the transition from print to electronic subscriptions has introduced workflow and staffing issues that demand flexibility.  In this e-forum, we will explore how libraries of different sizes and varying Technical Services configurations have adapted their workflows and staffing in response to format changes, budget cuts and other pressures affecting the serials life cycle. 

We will address topics such as:

• Changes in staffing needs as subscriptions shift from print to electronic
• Modifications to print subscription workflows and the development of workflows for electronic subscriptions, including the process by which those workflows are being assessed and documented
• How serials cataloging workflows have been impacted, particularly given the availability of vendor records for e-journals
• Whether off-site storage of journals has impacted binding or other Technical Services workflows
• The challenges of managing electronic subscriptions, including tracking correspondence related to license negotiation and access issues
• Training and realigning staff to new responsibilities across the serials spectrum

Jennifer Sippel has been a faculty Librarian and Instructor at Minneapolis Community & Technical College (MCTC) Library since 2007, and has overseen the library’s serials collection since 2009. In addition to teaching the Information Studies department’s two-credit Information Literacy course (INFS 1000) and the introductory course (LIBT 1100) in the fully online Library Information Technology program, she is currently working in collaboration with her colleagues on implementing an open source Electronic Resources Management system, PALSconnect: http://www.mnpals.org/content/efficient-e-resource-management-0. This summer, she is teaching a course on Serials Management for the recently ALA-accredited MLIS program at the University of St. Catherine (her alma mater), and is presenting a poster session on the topic of “Print Periodicals Processing” at her first NASIG conference in St. Louis.  A graduate of the 2009 MLA Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE: http://mnlibraryassociation.org/mile-2009/), she has been an active member of the MILE 2011 planning committee and regularly presents regionally on topics ranging from Assessment to Zines.

Christine Stachowicz is Head of E-Resources & Serials Management (ESM) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  ESM is one of three departments established in conjunction with the June 2008 reorganization of the Acquisitions Department and the Catalog Department, in which Christine had previously served as Serials Access Librarian and Catalog Management Librarian.  ESM is responsible for acquiring, cataloging and managing access to electronic resources and serials in all formats.  The department continues to evolve in response to subscription cancellations and format shifts, changes in binding policies, and growth in the acquisition of e-resources and vendor MARC records.  Between earning her MSLS degree at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science and returning to work at the University Library, Christine served as Reference Librarian/Head of Collection Access at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA.

*What is an e-forum?*
An ALCTS e-forum provides an opportunity for librarians to discuss matters of interest, led by a moderator, through the e-forum discussion list. The e-forum discussion list works like an email listserv: register your email address with the list, and then you will receive messages and communicate with other participants through an email discussion. Most e-forums last two days. Registration is necessary to participate, but it's free. See a list of upcoming e-forums at: http://bit.ly/upcomingeforum.
*To register:*
Instructions for registration are available at: http://bit.ly/eforuminfo. Once you have registered for one e-forum, you do not need to register again, unless you choose to leave the email list. Participation is free and open to anyone.