Growing IT Within Technical Services (TS)

Lai-Ying Hsiung University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) [email protected]

ALA 2012 Annual

ALCTS Acquisitions Technology June 23, 2012 Anaheim, CA

Outline

 What is IT?

 What IT Skills for TS?

 Why Within?

 Who?

 Strategies?

 Issues  Conclusion 2020/4/30 2

2020/4/30

Technology Serving TS Needs

3

IT Skills: How Far Should TS Go?

Applications

Excel, Word, ILS, OCLC … Create/Modify Systems, Programming, etc.

Operations

Keep System Working Properly 2020/4/30 4

Never Do Anything that You Can Make the Computer Do for You

2020/4/30 http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2010/02/use-better-tools-to-be-a-better-student-in-2010/ 5

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Transformative Use

Maximize use of system/software  Massive data management:  Batch record manipulation, searching, uploading, downloading  Batch data maintenance, extraction, updating, insertion  Batch data comparison  Data sharing 2020/4/30 6

Why Within?

New Information Environment; Getting Information to Users Faster with Fewer People http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue46/dempsey 2020/4/30

2020/4/30

Best of Two Worlds

Transformational New Tools Existing TS Expertise 8

Who?

 New recruits  Manager visionary, explores / delegates  Team based: Core functions shared  Have-nots:  Help  Borrow  Build on others 2020/4/30 http://caoilandgas-middleeast.blogspot.com/2012/02/10 tips-to-build-loyalty-amongst-staff.html

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Strategies 1: Clear Goals Quantity & Quality

 Reduce inconsistencies; Enforce standards, data integrity  Speed up processes  Share data  Good enough  Reduce steps across functions, simplify 10

Strategies 2: Priorities

 Low-hanging fruits: new projects  Most transformational  Meet strategic goals  Driven by needs 2020/4/30 11

Strategies 3: Training

 On-the-job  Formal:  In-house  Computer-based 2020/4/30  Course work 12

Strategies 4: Wiki/Drupal Documentation “Everyone’s Responsibility”

 Constant training, review, updates  Informal: “under construction”  For training, debugging  Reduce ‘hub’ syndrome 2020/4/30 13

Strategies 5

 Stable & low cost technology  Leadership & commitment  Best fit: value tech & non tech  Hybrid automatic & manual 2020/4/30 14

Strategies 6

 Help staff set performance goals & acknowledge milestones  Find good trainers  Not to grow programmers  Persistent: overcome resistance  Devote FTE to focus on growing IT 2020/4/30 15

Issues

 Flawed processes/Bad workflow  TS & IT departments  Job classifications  Tech-savvy staff leaving TS for IT 2020/4/30 16

2020/4/30

Productivity Review Vertical & Horizontal Cross-Training

Serials vs. Monographs URL Checking Serials Checking/Processing Copy Cataloging MARC 17

2020/4/30

e.g. of Cross-Training

Acq ER

IT

Cat Ser 18

Conclusion

 Transforming Technical Services  Growing IT within could be one solution 2020/4/30 19