Strengthening the Core: Advocacy and Support for Technical Services

NOTSL is pleased to sponsor the following speakers and presentations:

Tim Keller, Head of Discovery and Metadata Services at Oberlin College, will present “Technical Service IS public service: raising awareness of and visibility for Technical Services.”

This session will focus on advocacy for and awareness of the crucial role Technical Services professionals play in the library ecosystem is an oft-neglected practice among librarians. Demystifying what catalogers and metadata professionals do and building interdepartmental bridges as well as strategic partnerships outside the library, performing acts of outreach and raising visibility to the library community and its patrons, as well as breaking down the social walls to drag these services into the limelight are among a litany of techniques that can be utilized in order to shine light on these hidden or seemingly arcane aspects of what Technical Services professionals do and in doing so, raise awareness to the invaluable contributions we make, from the ground up.

A well-organized collection, quality metadata, and socially conscious catalog records serve as the underpinning to research success at all levels, from library professionals and staff, to the most novice patron, and my presentation intends to provide avenues for Technical Services advocacy and initiatives to gain our area of expertise the appreciation and understanding it deserves.

From part-time copy-catalogers to career catalogers and other metadata specialists, generating awareness around our quotidian tasks, as well as more impactful areas such as ethical and inclusive cataloging, may feel like a second job, but with relatively minimal effort and solid communication of departmental goals and achievements, your Technical Services department can quickly and easily gain visibility and recognition for its contributions internally and then build on that success to bring the hard work and efforts to a broader stage through consortial efforts, publications, and participation in wider initiatives and consequently show the value it brings to your institution.

Tim Keller (MLIS, MS IAKM) is Head of Discovery and Metadata Services at Oberlin College and has worked in a variety of technical and public services roles in academic libraries since 2007. In each of his previous roles, Tim has built and fostered collaborative and successful teams, leading and evolving departments to meet the challenging landscape of technical services and finding avenues to create synchrony between user-centered technical and public services.

Masha Stepanova, Head of Cataloging at The Ohio State University Libraries, will present “Flex your influence to lift up your team.” This session will cover advocating for your staff and ways to foster a positive supportive environment.

This session will discuss how Technical Services departments are often invisible to patrons and even other library departments due to the behind-the-scenes nature of their work. This makes staff advocacy especially important. Motivating staff, recognizing their achievements, and making them feel appreciated is one key aspect. Another is increasing their visibility and recognition outside the department.

However, motivating, appreciating, and empowering staff isn’t solely the responsibility of administrators—anyone can take it on with time and effort. This presentation will focus on activities and advocacy strategies that any Technical Services librarian can implement, regardless of rank or position. It will highlight successful (and unsuccessful) efforts by the Acquisitions Librarian and Coordinator of Cataloging at Miami University and how these approaches can be applied in different library environments.

Masha Stepanova is the Head of Cataloging at The Ohio State University. She has previously spent 18 years supervising cataloging processes and staff at Miami University. Her research interests include improving organizational climate, staff advocacy, and team building.

Masha Stepanova, The Ohio State University Libraries, and Cara Calabrese, Miami University Libraries, will lead an interactive activity they have used to generate a vision statement that aligns with how Technical Services performs and wants to be seen.

At the Business Meeting (open to all attendees!), officer election results will be announced. The candidate statements will be distributed to attendees one week prior to the meeting. The elections will occur electronically on the morning of the meeting.

The registration fee, which includes coffee and snacks, will be $30, or $15 for students and retirees. For all registrations, please be aware Eventbrite charges a non-refundable processing fee that will affect the total purchase price.