Final Report
College of Information Studies and
UM Libraries Joint Task Force
In July 2005 Dean Jennifer Preece of the College of Information Studies (CLIS) and Dean Charles Lowry of the UM Libraries announced the upcoming transfer of services and responsibilities for CLIS' Wasserman Library to the UM Libraries. A task force was created in August 2005 to carry out the following charge:
- Review work practices and resources and establish expectations and guidelines for supporting the ongoing operation of the Wasserman Library during its transition in fall 2005.
- Develop plans to integrate the staff, services and collections of the College of Information Studies' Wasserman Library into the UM Libraries. Review draft plans with the CLIS faculty and the Library Executive Council.
- See that agreed-on plans are properly communicated and implemented.
Members of the task force's coordinating committee were Karen Patterson, Carlen Ruschoff, Susanna Van Sant and Marilyn White, with Jane Williams and Tanner Wray as co-chairs. The group's Web site is at http://www.lib.umd.edu/groups/clisum/index.html.
Services Subcommittee
The members of the Subcommittee on Services (Diane Barlow, Paula Hayes [co-chairs], Tim Hackman, Jennifer Tate, Marilyn White, and Tanner Wray) met on Oct. 4, Oct. 25, and Nov. 15. In response to their charge, the committee developed a chart that provided an inventory of all Wasserman Library services, indicating current responsibilities, target user groups, whether the service should be continued or discontinued, who would be responsible for continued services in the future (including budgetary responsibility), and the proposed date of transfer or discontinuation. In its deliberations, the Services Subcommittee elicited feedback from CLIS faculty and students. The Subcommittee's final report with accompanying chart of recommendations is available on the Joint Task Force's Web page.
Collections Subcommittee
The Subcommittee met frequently beginning in September 2005 and will meet through March 2006. Numerous people devoted large quantities of time to this complex and "rush" project, but the Collections Subcommittee consisted of Marlene Vikor, Cindy Todd, and Carlen Ruschoff, plus Karen Patterson and Susanna Van Sant as co-chairs. The group shared information with CLIS students and faculty, the CTF and library staff throughout the process, and collaborated with the Services and Stacks Subcommittees.
The Subcommittee organized the weeding of the CLIS collection, generated reports to facilitate decisions regarding the transfer (to MOSS, Special Collections, or Nonprint) or withdrawal of CLIS materials. The Subcommittee also arranged for the strategic transfer of materials out of McKeldin (from stacks and periodicals stacks) to make space for materials coming from Wasserman. The Subcommittee worked with Nancy Caldwell to prepare to receive additional materials in microfilm, in the Current Periodicals shelves and the in-house journal use project. Physical spaces in McKeldin shelves were carved out to house Dewey-classed juvenile materials, for example, and the Instructional Materials collection (in McKeldin Reference). The Subcommittee worked with ITD to delete, automatically flip or create locations, notes, and circulation statuses in the OPAC.
Stacks and Moves Subcommittee
Kamal Chopra and Mary Dalto handled the Stacks and Moves Subcommittee, assisted by Arlene Klair, Donna King, Nancy Caldwell and Tanner Wray. Mary Dalto arranged for the phsyical transfer of materials from Wasserman to McKeldin. Kamal Chopra's staff, headed by Kathryn Pickard and Babusinh Thakore, worked with the movers to shift materials, interfile and shelf-read.
Closure
On December 21, 2005, the Paul Wasserman Library closed permanently. Effective at that time, all library services provided by the Wasserman Library were transferred to the appropriate departments in the UM Libraries. Karen Patterson, former head of the Wasserman Library, joined the Social Sciences and Allied Professions Team, to continue as subject specialist for library and information studies. The second CLIS librarian, Tim Hackam, was given a term-limited appointment in the Humanities Team.
As noted above, many people contributed to the success of this project. In a short time span, many complex decisions were made and implemented, especially regarding the collections. A postscript to this report will be from Technical Services on the updates of the database to record how the catalog was updated. This information will be important to answer questions on the current locations of materials and as future task groups decide how to handle projects.
2-13-06
