This document discusses the transition of technical services in academic libraries from a focus on print resources to electronic resources. It notes that print usage is declining while electronic usage is increasing, with over half of materials budgets now spent on e-resources. However, technical services departments remain organized for print. The document proposes integrating technical services into a new Electronic Resources Management unit focused on content, user support, licensing, and acquisitions/payment for e-resources. Remaining print staff would join a new Print Resources unit that will phase out over time. It outlines various roles and responsibilities in the new ERM unit and strategies for managing the transition.

1. Functional Integration in Technical Services
George Stachokas
Purdue University

2. 
ARL library statistics*
 Median circulation of print materials in 1991 = 509,673
 Median circulation of print materials in 2009 =




414, 482
Median number of students in 1991 = 18,290
Median number of students in 2009 = 23,303
[Circulation per student in 1991 = 27.9]
[Circulation per student in 2009 = 17.8]
*Kyrillidou, M. & Morris, S. (2011). ARL Statistics, 2008-2009. Washington, DC: Association of Research
Libraries.

3. 
ARL libraries spent around $1.3 billion on
library materials in 2008-2009*.

56.33 percent* of library materials budgets
was spent on electronic resources during this
period.
*Kyrillidou, M. & Morris, S. (2011). ARL Statistics, 2008-2009. Washington, DC: Association of
Research Libraries.

4. 
Print initial circulation
 2007/2008 = 711,833
 2011/2012 = 511,877

Successful full text downloads
 2007/2008 = 5,445,094
 2011/2012 = 6,047,758

User Population



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Teaching faculty in 2007/2008 = 3,728
Teaching faculty in 2011/2012 = 3,841
Graduate students in 2007/2008 = 9,555
Graduate students in 2011/2012 = 11,276
Retrieved from https://www.lib.washington.edu/assessment/stats/default on November 8, 2013.

5. 



Print usage is in continuous decline in most
academic libraries.
Electronic usage continues to increase in
most libraries.
The majority of the materials budget in most
academic libraries is now spent on electronic
resources and continues to increase.
Library technical services is still mostly
organized to manage print resources.

6. 
Cloud based systems and other changes in
technology reduce the overall number of
personnel required for technical services.

Work will increasingly shift to professional and
student staff and away from clerical or support
staff.

The degree of local customization of service is
more important than collection size for
determining the need for local technical services
positions.

7. 
Replace current technical services
organizational structure with integrated
electronic resources management




Content Management
User Support
Licensing
Acquisitions/Payment Processing
 Metadata (included or closely coordinated)

8. 
Combine remaining clerical or support staff
personnel who manage print resources into a
Print Resources Unit.

The Print Resources Unit will be phased out over
time as the overall usage and size of the print
collection continues to decline.

Clerical or support staff could also be reassigned
to regional shared print repositories if positions
are available.

10. 
Acquisitions/Payment Processing
 Processing invoices and financial data entry into
ILS/ERM/LMS
 Preparing standardized reports for collection
analysis, including cost-per-use and overlap analysis

Licensing
 Negotiating license agreements with vendors
 Assistance with collection analysis

Metadata
 Creating, enhancing, and correcting metadata records
for electronic resources
 Batch processing of metadata records

11. 
Content Management
 Activating electronic resources in knowledge base(s) used by the
library
 Managing e-resource management tools including link resolver and
proxy server
 Configuring and branding electronic resource platforms
 Gathering COUNTER compliant usage statistics and managing SUSHI
harvesting client

User Support
 Troubleshooting access problems to electronic resources
 Functionality testing of electronic resource platforms and electronic
devices used to access electronic resources

Print Resources
 Acquiring and receiving print and other physical materials, including
government documents
 All copy cataloging for print and other physical materials.

12. 
Routine work should be completed entirely
within the Electronic Resources Management
(ERM) Unit whenever possible to maintain a
high level of efficient and competent service.

Work that cannot be completed entirely by
ERM should be integrated formally with other
units by plotting out general processes in
advance whenever possible.

14. 
ER User Support
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪

Broken Links
Proxy Server Configuration
Knowledge Base Configuration
Payment Problems
Vendor Support
Metadata
▪ Incorrect or missing metadata

Library IT
▪ Library system applications
▪ Library IT infrastructure (including user account/privileges)

Institutional IT
▪ University IT infrastructure (including user account/privileges)

15. 

Usability testing is increasingly common in
libraries and is usually managed by
specialized librarians or IT professionals
Libraries also need to explore functionality
testing such as the routine testing of
electronic resource platforms and the
accessibility of eBooks, online
journals, databases, and streaming media
using various electronic devices

16. 


Electronic resource platforms are constantly
changing – testing is required to ensure
correct configuration and branding.
Finding major problems before users do, by
no means easy, helps to protect the library’s
reputation as a reliable information service
provider.
Information about malfunctioning platforms
and/or poor technology support provided by
vendors is useful for collection development.

17. 
ER User Support tests functionality
 Routine functionality testing to determine how an electronic
resource platform is actually working
 Routine functionality testing to determine how an electronic
device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) accesses library
eBooks, streaming media, and other online content
 Identify and refer available configuration options to other
library personnel without making any recommendations

Library IT, specialized librarians, or other professional
library personnel test usability
 Advanced testing of how users actually identify and make use of
electronic resources and devices
 Make recommendations for how an electronic resource
platform or electronic device should be set up by the library

19. 
Use attrition, changes in library systems or
management tools, or other reorganization efforts in
the library as excuses to experiment with developing
new ERM positions. Individual positions can later be
reorganized into new units.

Offer retraining opportunities to clerical and support
staff and evaluate their potential for new work.

Be honest with personnel about opportunities in
technical services.

20. 
The exact size, skill sets, and organizational
structure of technical services will continue to
vary greatly among libraries, but electronic
resources management is the appropriate
focus for technical services in contemporary
libraries, not print.

The only constant in managing electronic
resources is change.

21. Thank you!
George Stachokas
Head, Resource Services
Purdue University Libraries
gstachok@purdue.edu