ACQNET: Re: Decentralized Selection (reply)

Date: Wed 10 Apr, 2002 18:32
From: Sharon Gower <sgower_at_staff.bond.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Decentralized Selection

	This is quite the opposite of what has been happening
at our University.  We have had a separate Law Library technical
services area for the past 10 years and our new library manager
wishes to bring everyone together as a centralized technical
services unit.
	We have recently been through a review process where we
went out to visit other University libraries in Queensland,
Australia where they have Law Library collections and a
centralized technical services unit. Two of the three universities
which we visited have a contract with Blackwells to supply the
majority of their material.  In these cases the subject librarians
use "Blackwells Collection Manager" to order on line items which
they can find on the system.  Any items which they can not
find still go to the acquisitions department for ordering. The
subject librarians use "Collection Manager" as a selection tool
and order at the same time as they are finding new material.
We spoke to one subject librarian who quite enjoyed doing this
process however it really is an expensive way to order books with the
costs of using the time of high level librarians.  This was not
an option for us as our academics do themajority of selection of
 material they want in the library collection.
	Our subject librarians also have more relevant duties
such as liaising with the academics and students to ensure that
we are fulfilling their information needs.
	We are a small university - One person (.8) ordering
material for the main library of the university - with two cataloguers
(one who also does reference and systems duties) and two persons in
serials.
	I personally believe that your catalogue records should be
as good as they possibly can be.  These days a library catalogue is
available to the world via the web and the standard of cataloguing
should be high.
	Hope this little bit of information helps.

Regards,

Sharon Gower
Senior Library Technician (Acquisitions)
Bond University Library
Australia


*******************************************************************
Lisa German					 phone: 217/244-2071
Acquisitions Librarian                           fax: 217/244-9004
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign      email: lgerman_at_uiuc.edu
1408 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL  61801
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