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Reference Librarians and TechnicalServices Librarians:Marilyn K. Moody aa Head of Technical Services, Folsom Library, RensselaerPolytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180Published online: 17 Mar 2009.

To cite this article: Marilyn K. Moody (1992) Reference Librarians and Technical ServicesLibrarians:, The Reference Librarian, 17:38, 191-200, DOI: 10.1300/J120v17n38_21

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VI. CONNECTIONS WITH THE REST OF THE LIBRARY

Reference Librarians and Technical Services Librarians:

Who's Accountable?

Marilyn K. Moody

SUMMARY. The relationshio between reference librarians and technical services librarians has' often been strained. In our changing technological and or~anizational environment, it is imperative that referencelibrarians &d technical services librbians share responsi- bility for improving this relationship. One way for this to take place is for individuals to become more "accountable" to their colleagues. This article providcs accountability guidelines for both reference and technical services librarians which, if followed, can result in in- creased communication and a better understanding of the roles, con- cerns. and needs of both reference and technical services librarians.

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between reference librarians and technical services librarians has been historically described as shaky, if not rocky. While

Marilyn K. Moody is Head. Technical Services, Folsom Library, Renssclaer Polytechnic Institute. Troy, NY 12180.

O 1992 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 191

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I92 ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILllY

there may have been some improvement in this relationship in recent years, in many libraries the relationship remains an uncomfortable one. While the use of new technology has often been described as having the effect of flattening the organizational structure, blurring departmental lines, or empowering individual staff members, it has not seemed to make it any easier for reference and technical services librarians to communicate effectively with each other or to support each other in working towards their common goals.

While i t is always dangerous to characterize whole groups of people, my experiences working in both the public and technical services areas in several different libraries has convinced me that lhere often is a difference in how librarians working in one area or the other approach their work. This does not necessarily occur because one sort of personality becomes a reference librarian and another a technical services librarian. Rather this difference seems to stem from the nature of the roles each takes, the dif- ference in the daily work and issues they struggle with, and the difference in priorities and goals. Each librarian, no matter what their position, ex- pects a certain degree of "accountability" from their colleagues in other areas, and are disappointed when they do not receive it in the form and manner in which they expect it. The misunderstanding of the actions needed to achieve this "accountability" can be especially acute between reference librarians and technical services librarians. As a way of illustrat- ing the kind of communication which needs lo take place, the guidelines described later in this article give examples of the areas where reference librarians and technical sewiccs librarians may differ in heir accountabili- ty expectations.

IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES

Why is this issue of accountability so important? Why can't reference librarians and tcchnical services librarians continue to operate in separate departments and spheres, grumbling to themselves when they fail to live up to each other's expectations? Why is it now imporlant to make these issues (and other similar ones) clear to one another?

The environment in which we are working has changed. The first area having a great impact is in the area of automation and the use of new technologies. This use has blurred the boundaries between reference and technical services librarians and requires them to work together to use the new technologies effectively and efficiently. This type of environment may see many librarians taking on multi-functional roles, some of which

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Connections with the Rest of the Library 193

will include a combination of traditionally technical services and reference services functions.' Far more impact is being felt, however, by those li- brarians whose work remains primarily as a technical services librarian or a reference librarian. In order to do their work effectively in the new technological environment, librarians must understand the work of and issues surrounding their counterparts in other areas. While the idea of the renaissance librarian who can comfortably switch from original cataloging to reference expert at the CD-ROM station is appealing, many librarians are struggling mightily to remain experts in just one area. It is not unreal- istic, however to ask for the renaissance librarian in terms of one who understands the needs of the users, the importance of different types of services for the users, a broad understanding of the impacts of new library technologies, and an apprecialion of the bibliographic control slructures used in libraries?

Secondly, many libraries are shifting their organizational structures to ones that can Uuive in a team environment. In order to work effeclively in the team environment, librarians need to understand each other's jobs and roles much more clearly. It is impossible to work at solving problems and implementing new ideas together without a basic understanding of each other's concerns and future plans and goals. The team environment approach demands increased communication and cannot be implemented successfully without it. It also requires librarians who understand the big piclure of what is happening not only in their own library and organiza- tion, but in the profession in general. Only those who take the time to understand one another's viewpoints will be able lo successfully interact and work in this type of team environment.

How is this underslanding to be achieved? What paths might be taken to achieve this accountability? While I am suggesting some personal ac- countability guidelines for reference and technical services librarians to follow, there are also additional ways to promote the broader viewpoint and understanding of each other's roles. One of these areas is in the cross- training of librarians to work in more than one area? This can help to achieve the kind of commu~calion and understanding that is needed. Librarians in dual-assignment roles who work in both areas can also help increase understanding of issues for both areas. Staff development pro- grams may also be uscd to increase understanding of one another's job roles, using both the detailed hands-on approach, as well as programs dealing wiih broader, more philosophical issues.' Other administrators are calling for a more dramatic change in the entire organizational structure of the library as a way of integrating public and technical services staffs.'

Use of these accountability guidelines is one way an individual can

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194 ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

work to improve the reference librariadtechnical services librarian rela- tionship. Using the accountability guidelines requires a change in both an individual's attitude and actions. The guidelines also are best used by the individual with the self-confidence to confront others and clearly commu- nicate concerns when these guidelines are not being followed. These guidelines are not meant to be comprehensive, and some of the items border on the mundane. Yet, it is these type of things that often irritate and exasperate people, and ullimately wear at working relationships. In most respects these accountability issues are issues involving communica- tion. They also involve respect and trust and require sensitivity to the other librarian's role.

ACCOUNTABILITY GUIDELINES: FOR REFERENCE LIBRARIANS

1. Remember that the Reference Department is not the only area of the library which provides user sewice. Providing reference service is one of the most visible functions of the library. And while it is inarguably one of the most important services a library offers, many other areas of the library are involved in making it possible to offer reference service. Tech- nical services librarians also see their role as a major and important one in providing service to library users. Just because it is not as a direct of a one, does not lessen the importance of that role. Management of the acquisition, cataloging, automation, and other processing activities of the lib;ary by technical Grviccs librarians is an integral of what makes basic user services oossible. Technical services librarians and reference librarians are workiig together to provide service.

2. Understand the basic technical sewicesfunctions of your library and how your actions impact them. Technical services librarians expect refer- ence librarians to have a good understanding of basic processiig-how items are added, or withdrawn, or how bibliographic records are added to the online catalog. That expectation is based on two lines of reasoning. Fist, how can a reference librarian fully help users of the library if they don't understand these processes and the points along the way where procedures may affect helping a user? Secondly, an understanding of the technical services functions helps the reference librarian avoid making errors which are timeconsuming to correct and poorly serve the user. For example, consider the impacl when a technical services librarian discovers that a reference librarian decided to physically transfer 10 years of the World Al~nanac from the reference area to storage, but neglected to follow D

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the procedures necessary to change the library's bibliographic records. Certainly this k i d of action doesn't impress technical services librarians as a measure of accountability, but more importantly it impacts on users of the library trying to locate materials.

3. Realize that people and resources cost money, and have some idea of how much they cosl. Many reference librarians do not work extensively with budgets and staffing requirements in the same way that technical services librarians are almost always involved. Suggestions for improving or changing technical services procedures coming from reference librari- ans may not be based in a good understanding of staffiig and resource requirements. In the shrinking budgetary environment which many librar- ies are now placed, realistic assessments of what the library can and can- not do are needed. Reference librarians can help in their relationship with technical services librarians by becoming sensitive to budgetary and staff- ing concerns.

4. Don't discount the value of the work of other librarians and library staE This is a basic concept, but one that is a sensitive matter. Technical services librarians often feel that olher librarians discount the value of their own work and don't appreciate the work that is done by the techni- cal services staff they manage.

5. Develop a broad understanding of the issues technical services li- brarians are concerned with. Most "technical services" issues will affect reference librarians as well at some point. For example, with Ule increas- ing use of automation, decisions regarding the online catalog need careful attention from reference librarians. For those libraries who have mounted more comprehensive information systems which also include databases and local information files, this attention is even more crucial. The dis- tinction between technical services issues and reference issues has become increasingly indistinct, and this trend will continue. Ignoring "technical services" issues will put the reference librarian at an increasing disadvan- tage when it comes to carrying out their own work, and will frustrate technical services librarians who need reference librarians to conlribute their knowledge and experiences in order to design and implement these information systems.

6. When you've thoughr of a good idea, rake ten minutes ro think about what nee& lo happen for it to take place. How is Technical Services involved? Write down lhe steps and procedures you think will need to happen for this idea to take place. Who will need to do them? How many of the steps and procedures involve technical services staff? How long do you think it will take to carry out this idea? What existing procedures will need to be changed? Technical services staff sometimes feel that ideas are

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196 ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILlTY

thought of in other areas of the library, but are left to them to figure out how to implement them. By lhinking though these types of questions ahead of time, reference librarians can assure a better acceptance of their ideas and a greater willingness to talk through and evaluate possibilities.

7. Respect technical services procedures, routines, shelving arrange- ments, etc. While you may not agree on the logic or reasoning, take the time to fiid out why things are done a certain way. If you don't like them, work to change them, but don'l just pretend they don't exist or plead ignorance of your library's established practices. Accountability means taking the lime and effort to talk with your technical services col- leagues about the things you don't like as well as thosc you do, and to work towards a solution lhat will be the best for the library users in- volved.

8. Respect the d~xerent workstyles of your colleagues. An original cataloger may need a large block of uninterrupted time in order to accom- plish his or her work. Your slowest time of the year may be the acquisi- tion librarian's most hectic. These needs should be laken into account.

9. Understand the basic MARC format record structure. The MARC formatted record has become one of the building blocks for creating li- brary bibliographic records. An understanding of that structure is impera- tive to understanding the work lhat goes into building a library system. Reference librarians cannot adequately conlribute to that library process without this basic understanding. It can also be armed that reference librarians shortchange users of the system by not adequately understanding the MARC record and by underutilizing the possibilities which the biblio- graphic records provide?

10. Work within the organizational structure of the technical services department or unit. The organizalional structure of a technical services department may be much more hierarchical or divide tasks much more by function Lhan many reference departments. Even in a small library, there may be one particular person who needs to be consulted regarding a spe- cific area. Take the time to learn who the appropriate person to take prob- lems and concerns to. Find out a way of working with the structure which makes it easy for both you and the staff members involved to communi- cate and get things done.

ACCOUNTABILITY GUIDELINES: FOR TECHNICAL SERVICES LIBRARIANS

1. Remember that you both are sewing the user. The reference librarian and the technical services librarian both have the same major goal of D

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serving the users of the library. The hundreds of details that go into mak- ing a technical services workflow operate can sometimes cloud one's vision. Don't lose sight of your overall goals. Reference librarians are counting on working with colleagues who share the goal of serving users in the best possible way given an individual library's resources and clien- tele. One way to emphasize to reference librarians that this is your goal as well is to explain technical services decisions in terms of enhancing options for the user. This assumes as part of the accounlability factor, that you are thinking hard about the trade-offs that you make everyday be- tween what is possible, practical, and desirable, and that you are thinking about how those trade-offs affect users.

2. Realize that reference librarians have the interest of the users in mind for many ofrhe items rhey quesrion or ask you to change or imple- ment. Take the time to listen carefully to reference librarians when they ask for a change, and ask them to explain thoroughly why they want something to happen. If you understand what they are trying to achieve, you may realize a better or easier way of accomplishing the same objec- tive. Technical services librarians and reference librarians need to listen to one another's ideas and work together to build bibliographic and pro- cessing systems that make sense to the users of your library.

3. Consider training reference librarians to do some aspects of techni- cal services. Don't just assume that it will "take more time to undo the mess they will cause" as was the sentiment expressed more than once on a recent debate on the AUTOCAT (Library Cataloging and Authorities Discussion) ListServ. Technical services librarians often complain that they are expected to do reference work but that reference librarians don't perform technical services tasks. Don't compound Ulat attitude by not providing ways for those who are interested to learn more about technical services in a way which will help them in heir primary roles as reference librarians. This does not mean that reference librarians have to be trained to do original cataloging. More limited roles, or h e use of reference li- brarians to do discrete technical services tasks, can still help them learn about lhe process by which material becomes available, or better under- stand the structure of lhe bibliographic catalogs which they are using.

4. Process materials quickly and eficiently, and be able to locate with- in a reasonable amounr of time any item which has been received by the library. Reference librarians rely on technical services to not only get items to the shelves and in the catalog, but to also organize uncataloged and in-process materials so they are readily available. To the reference librarian who is on the front-line with users, this is one of the most impor- tant roles which technical services provides. Users do want to know right

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198 ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

this minute where the material is and how they can get their hands on it. An understanding of the importance of this issue to reference librarians and the implementation of policies and procedures which support the easy access of uncataloged and in-process materials can provide reference librarians with essential support.

5. Keep technical services business awayjkotn the reference desk. Most reference librarians want to concentrate on the users at the desk, rather than spending their time with other staff members. Make an appointment with the person, or find out when they have non-desk time to talk with you about a problem. Don't assume that if they aren't at the reference desk that they aren't doing anything. (A misperception that is particularly irksome to reference librarians.) If you do talk with a reference librarian at the desk, don't be offended when they stop talking with you in mid- sentence to answer a user's question.

6. Don't remove itemsfrom the reference collection without letting the reference librarians know. This one action can send even the most even- keeled reference librarian into a panic when they can't find the reference book which is nceded by 30 sludents for a business assignment. A small thing, perhaps, but one that can waste a lot of time for the reference li- brarians and users. Setting up procedures for dealing with these situations in advance forestalls this type of problem.

7. Don't autontatically assume that reference librarians understand your job. You may need lo explain your job both in a broad sense and as to the specific tasks you do, in order for reference librarians to understand the implications of what you do and how those actions help provide ser- vice for users. Reference librarians may have had little experience and contact with the types of work which technical services librarians perform. And library school courses only touch on the complexity and diversity of technical services work. Technical services librarians can help close this gap by making sure that explanations of what they are doing and why are a routine part of their work. Don't wait for the reference librarian to ask the question-anticipate areas where clear communication can enhance understanding.

8. Respect the di 'culty of doing reference work. Don't underestimate the patience and energy level needed to deal with users constantly on a daily basis. While every job has its own type of slress, public service stress tends to be immediate and unpredictable. The difficult user seems to strike on the same day that the backup reference librarian is sick and a library class assignment is due. Reference librarians are often asked to deal with a huge array of subject areas in fields of which they have no

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Connections with the Rest of !Ire Library 199

formal training or even interest. Reference librarians often feel torn in several directions, with jobs that are not easily defied and in which prior- ities may not be clear. Reference librarians are also facing vast chahges in how they do reference work as a result of the new technologies they are now using. Technical services librarians have been incorporating new technologies in their work for years, but for reference librarians this is a somewhat new and somelimes threateninr! exoerience. - .

9. Recognize ihai reference deparimenis are ofien organized differently ihan iechnical services &parimenis. Reference deparlments are often organized less hierarchically lhan technical scrvices units. The ratio of librarians to support staff is usually different from that of technical servic- es departments. Librarians in the reference deparlment may have certain job tasks, such as liaison or outreach work, which they do quite indepen- dently. The responsibility for particular areas in the reference department may not be as neatly defined as in technical services, and there may be more shared responsibility for some functions. For example, while one person has overall responsibility for CD-ROM work-stations, whoever is on the desk may be the one who actually troubleshoots when the work- station goes down at 9:00 on a Sunday evening. This difference in organi- zation may be frustrating to technical services librarians who are more used to operating in an environment where roles and decision making responsibility are more clearly defined.

10. Remember that reference librarians ofren work nights and weekends and iheir schedules are not straighrforward. I once fhought I was going to witness an assault in the library when a technical services librarian made a remark to a reference librarian about having "all that time off in Ule afternoons." An afternoon off translates into a night on the desk. Reference librarian schedules are not going to be slraighlforward, but this does not mean the person is not working a full schedule.

CONCLUSION

So who's accountable? ~ 0 t h reference librarians and technical services librarians must take the time to clearly express fheir individual expecta- tions, frame them in realistic terms, and ask their colleagues to meet those expectations. Both must also attempt to understand the special frustrations and needs that each experiences in their work. Librarians who understand how their work and the work of other librarians meshes together to con-

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200 ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTAOILITY

tribute to serving the users of libraries can make greater strides in contrib- uting towards this accountability. Accountability between reference and technical services librarians is no longer a luxury; it is a communication and organizational challenge which musl be met.

REFERENCES

1. Gillian McCombs, "Public and Technical Services: The Hidden Dialectic," RQ 28(Winter 1988):141-145.

2. Gillian McCombs, "Public and Technical Services: Disappearing Barriers," Wilson Library Bullelin 610Jovcmber 1986):25-28.

3. Sheila S. Inlner, "Ten Good Reasons Why Reference Librarians Would Make Good Cataloeers." Teclttticalilies 9fJanuarv 1989k14-16. See also: Pamela Bluh, "Truce or ~oke&ences: The ~elatibnship'Betwe;n Technical Services and Reader Services," Teclrnical Services Quarlerlv. l(Sarin~ 198025-30.

4. Tara ~ ~ k ~ u l t o n , "~eference ~ibrarianship: ~l;ariG our knowledge Wilh Technical Service Colleagues," RQ 27(Winter 1987):210-219.

5. Jennifer Cargill. "Integrating Public and Technical Services Staff to Imple- ment the New Mission of Libraries," Journal of Library Administration 10(1989):21-31.

6. Jon R. Hufford, "Elements of the Bibliographic Record Used by Reference Staff Members at Three ARL Academic Libraries," College & Research Librar- ies, SZ(January 1991):54-64.

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