Granted, the California system is an extreme example, but I wouldn't advise complacency in other states. Pretty much all of them are fiscally distressed at one level or another.
I worked in higher ed administration for 30 years, and I've heard more than my share of odd ideas from non-librarian administrators about how to make library services more cost-effective.
Bernie Sloan
--- On Thu, 9/24/09, Voros, David <dvoros_at_LCCC.EDU> wrote:
> From: Voros, David <dvoros_at_LCCC.EDU>
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Y'all will love this
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 10:01 AM
> Well lets look at the source He's an
> admin from a very distressed California
> system of higher ed. I am afraid he would not fit into the
> academic world on
> our side of the country.
>
> On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 9:52 AM, bgsloan2_at_YAHOO.COM
> <NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> > wrote:
>
> > Interesting report about the future of academic
> libraries in "Inside Higher
> > Ed"...
> >
> > Steve Kolowich. Libraries of the Future. Inside Higher
> Ed, September 24,
> > 2009.
> > http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/24/libraries
> >
> > An interesting statement (not a direct quote)
> attributed to Daniel
> > Greenstein, vice provost for academic planning and
> programs at the
> > University of California System:
> >
> > "Greenstein said he expects universities to outsource
> other library duties
> > as well. Cataloging can be contracted out to providers
> such as Google, he
> > said, and research data services are increasingly
> springing up directly out
> > of academic departments."
> >
> > At first I had a good laugh when I read the bit about
> contracting
> > cataloging out to Google, in light of the recent
> uproar about Google's
> > metadata. But then I decided it was kinda scary that a
> higher ed
> > administrator was saying this. We can talk and talk
> among ourselves about
> > the high quality of library metadata, but if the folks
> who control the purse
> > strings don't see its value then we're screwed.
> >
> > Bernie Sloan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
Received on Thu Sep 24 2009 - 10:37:13 EDT