Services Subcommittee Final Report
November 18, 2005
The Services Subcommittee of the CLIS-UM Libraries Joint Task Force is issuing this report at the completion of its work and in fulfillment of its responsibilities. Members of the subcommittee from CLIS were Diane Barlow, Tim Hackman, Jennifer Tate, and Marilyn White; members from the UM Libraries were Paula Hayes and Tanner Wray. Barlow and Hayes were co-chairs of the subcommittee. The committee met on October 4 and 25 and November 15, 2005.
The charge to the committee was to do these tasks:
- Develop an inventory of PWL services and recommend whether to continue or discontinue each service
- Determine who will be responsible for delivering ongoing services.
- Determine the respective budgetary responsibilities and budgetary sources.
The committee developed a list of all services offered by PWL. The list, titled Paul Wasserman Library Services Master List, includes information about the person or unit having current responsibility for the service; the target user group; a recommendation to continue or discontinue the service; the person or unit to assume responsibility, including budgetary responsibility, for the service (for those services to be continued); and the date on which responsibility for the service will be transferred or the service will be discontinued. The list is attached in Appendix A.[pdf]
We recommend that the Paul Wasserman Library Services Master List be adopted by the Task Force as the guiding document for continuing or discontinuing services after the move of the PWL collection.
The last items on the list to be resolved were the Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web and the so-called Cataloging Collection. These are instructional materials. Each is discussed briefly.
Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web. These two items are electronic resources. The Cataloger’s Desktop includes complete, searchable electronic versions of the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Classification (LCC), and other features. Classification Web incorporates hypertext links among the relevant section of various tools. A more complete description of each of these tools is in Appendix B. CLIS purchases two seats on the UM Libraries license with access through two specified IP addresses in the IRC.
We recommend that CLIS continue to purchase two seats on the Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web.
The location of the IP addresses is still to be decided. The seats could be transferred to two computers in the CLIS IPL, or it is possible that the seats could be transferred to computers located behind the reference desk in McKeldin Library. The computers in McKeldin are used for special purpose software for specific groups of students; CLIS students would have access to these computers. The advantage of using IP addresses at CLIS is convenience. The advantage of using IP addresses at McKeldin is the extended hours of service.
We recommend that the option of using the McKeldin addresses be pursued for the Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web in Spring 2006 because of the possibility that the IPL will close sometime during the semester for renovation.
It is preferable to have a stable arrangement for the spring classes even if the arrangement for spring is later changed.
Cataloging Collection. The Catalog Collection is a set of approximately 200 items, 75% of which are in the McKeldin Reference collection as well as in PWL. Sixty-four items are unique to PWL.
We recommend that 45 of these unique items be transferred to McKeldin Reference if access to these materials can be assured; a list of these items is attached.
The remaining titles are either older editions of titles or are part of the Model Catalog that Dagobert Soergel has established. It is difficult to decide how to handle these remaining items, whether to keep them at CLIS or transfer them to McKeldin.
If the items were kept at CLIS, the problems of access for use, storage when not in use, and maintenance must be addressed. If the items were sent to McKeldin, assuring access when the items are needed for instruction would be the major problem to be addressed.
The issues raised by the Cataloging Collection apply to a wider range of library materials used for instruction. The basic questions are whether or not to retain instructional materials at CLIS; and, if materials are retained, how to manage them. The decision about the Catalog Collection will flow from the decision on retaining instructional materials.
One additional topic must be mentioned. The committee spent a considerable amount of time discussing the idea of establishing a small collection at CLIS. This collection would include duplicate copies of certain high-value materials and instructional materials, as discussed above. It appears certain that duplicate copies of reference materials and serials will be destroyed as part of the merger. These materials could be retained at CLIS in an accessible area for the use of faculty and students. The advantages of retaining materials at CLIS are obvious. The problems of ongoing maintenance and security would have to be addressed.
We recommend that the Task Force consider the question of retaining a small collection at CLIS.
The recommendations stated above are restated here:
- We recommend that the Paul Wasserman Library Services Master List be adopted by the Task Force as the guiding document for 0continuing or discontinuing services after the move of the PWL collection.
- We recommend that CLIS continue to purchase two seats on the Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web.
- We recommend that the McKeldin IP addresses be used for the Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web in Spring 2006 because of the possibility that the IPL will close sometime during the semester for renovation.
- We recommend that 45 of these items be transferred to McKeldin Reference if access to these materials can be assured; a list of these items is attached.
- We recommend that the Task Force consider the question of retaining a small collection at CLIS.
The committee has discharged its responsibilities. We hope that the information and the recommendations that we present to you are useful to the Task Force in discharging its responsibilities.
Appendix A{pdf}
Appendix B{pdf}
