I think we need to admit that most words we might use can mislead the public, who are not au courant with our jargon.
My division is named Technical Services, and I constantly get calls from people asking for help with their computers, with software, with courseware, with telephones, and anything else that might be considered "technical".
TS Units long ago (50 years or more) started moving away from calling themselves "Processing" because it sounded clerical.
Access Services can sound like issues of physical access to the building, to assistive technologies, etc.
Collections can sound like the place you pay your fines.
Resources can sound like fund-raising.
Bibliographic Services can sound only like books, or else be totally incomprehensible.
Whatever you name your unit, you'll need to define it. Maybe "Ministry of Magic" wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Janet Swan Hill, Professor
Associate Director for Technical Services
University of Colorado Libraries, CB184
Boulder, CO 80309
janet.hill_at_colorado.edu
*****
Tradition is the handing-on of Fire, and not the worship of Ashes.
- Gustav Mahler,
Received on Tue Oct 02 2007 - 13:15:28 EDT