SPEC Kit 331: Changing Role of Senior Administrators · 41
Collections &External Relations, which incorporates collections management, archives &special collections, and
external relations. The latter is somewhat at arm’s length since the position does not report to the libraries. The primary
differences in the position are the inclusion of digitization and the catalogue systems, which were formerly part of a
technical unit the inclusion of document delivery, off-campus services and circulation, which were formerly part of a
public services portfolio and the inclusion of usability and archives &special collections. While the associate university
librarian does not supervise these areas directly, the librarians reporting to the position do. Change was necessary
because an associate director position was not being filled and some responsibilities needed to be redistributed. The
stronger motivation for change, however, was the need to be future-oriented and to look more holistically at our
systems and how we could organize them in a more integrated, seamless fashion to present to our users the growing
number of options for access and to group activities and initiatives in order to take advantage of synergies and
opportunities for collaboration (e.g., collections management and archives &special collections).
Case 15
Associate University Librarian for Collections and Services
Reports Librarians Other professionals Support staff Other staff
2010 Collection Development—Humanities, Social
Sciences
Collection Development—Global Resources and
Area Studies
Branch libraries (Art, Music, Geology, Chemistry,
Math/Physics, Biology/Botany, Stone Center
for Black Culture and History, City &Regional
Planning, School of Information and Library
Science)
Circulation
Interlibrary Services
Reference
Undergraduate Library
39 42
2012 Interlibrary Services
Research and Instructional Services
Undergraduate Library
Scholarly Communications Officer
38 47
Focus on the two most significant aspects of “public service” [the old term], hence the change in title and broadened
scope of responsibilities: collections and services. Coincided with a change from traditional reference services to a liaison
model.
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