ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Checklist for the new selector

By Catherine E. Pasterczyk Technical Information Specialist Sandia National Laboratories

Finding out about your department’s collection development needs.

Working with faculty and students in the provision of adequate library materials and reference services for the support of the research and teaching functions of the university is one of the most satisfying aspects of reference and bibliographic work in an academic setting. The more one knows about a department, the research interests of its members, the problems they are working on, and situations they face within the university milieu, the better the librarian is able to make a case for adequate and appropriate support by the library.

Most academic libraries have an established channel of communication via library committees or liaisons. It behooves the librarian to try to get up to speed quickly in knowledge of departmental needs; hence a meeting between whatever formal departmental liaison exists and the new selector is a fairly immediate necessity.

Although the first meeting is likely to be primarily an information gathering mission by the librarian, all meetings are two-way streets and a certain amount of preparation is required. Obviously the librarian’s field of expertise is knowledge of the means and methods available to support departmental information needs. So some knowledge of the tools-of-the-trade is required prior to the meeting as is knowledge of the specific levels of support currently and likely to be available for purchasing library materials.

The checklists below should provide a reasonable starting point and reminder of the types of questions it would be reasonable to ask during a first meeting with a liaison as well as an aid for the preparation that should precede this meeting.

Questions to ask departmental liaisons

The Faculty

Who are the members of your department?

What are their ranks?

What are their research interests?

How many graduate students are under each?

What publications does each member receive?

Are there any visiting professors or lecturers?

Are there any endowed chairs?

Who are the new faculty members?

Are there any vacant positions in the department?

What type of person will fill these positions?

What languages are read by persons within the department?

Are there any editors or members of editorial boards?

Who has funding from grants? What are the amounts? What are the sources?

The staff and students

What is the number of undergraduate majors and minors?

How many graduate students are there in the department?

Research assistants?

Research fellows?

Teaching assistants? Others?

The department

Where do you see the department going?

What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the department?

What is the relationship between this department and other departments and with the university administration?

Are there special facilities, collections, land holdings, etc., that are resources for the department?

Are there any affiliated research institutions?

What concerns, other than those dealing with the library, does the department have?

Is a tour of the department possible?

Communication

Are there department get-togethers?

Are there departmental meetings that it would be appropriate for myself or the head librarian to attend and speak about the library?

Are there mailing lists for seminars, colloquia, or departmental newsletters that I could be added to?

Is the faculty on BITNET or another network?

Is there a bulletin board where announcements of new publications by department members are posted?

Is there a bulletin board with photographs of the department faculty and staff?

The library

What impressions do you have of services and materials currently provided by the library?

What is your current relationship with the library?

How can it better meet your needs?

Is there a departmental library or reading room?

What services exist for it?

How is it staffed and funded?

Is the collection cataloged?

The curriculum

Are there lists of textbooks used for courses?

What new courses and/or programs are planned?

What courses do you recommend I take to become more familiar with the department?

Publications

Are there handouts that are given to new students showing what is available to them or expected of them?

Are there handouts of lists of required courses for various degree programs?

Are there handouts for student recruiting?

Does the department publish a technical report series, a journal, occasional papers, etc.?

Advance preparations

Is there a list of faculty publications?

What kind of support can the library give this area?

Obtain a breakdown of the budget.

Are there library endowments for publications?

What are the current expenditures and encumbrances?

Obtain a list of subscriptions and standing orders.

What special services are currently being provided to the department? Routing journals? Current awareness?

Look at the bulletin boards in the department.

Look through course offerings.

Are there any lectures or courses regularly taught by the selector/bibliographer?

Does a collection development policy exist for the department?

Look through the files kept by the previous incumbent of the position.

Questions for the previous incumbent

Who are the heavy library users?

Who requests a large number of library materials?

What is the best opportunity for informal interactions with members of the department?

What are your impressions of how the liaison relationship is working?

Is there anything about this department I should know that your notes and files won’t tell me?

Will you join me for my first meeting with the liaison?

Questions the department will ask you

What is your subject background?

What are your other professional qualifications?