SPEC Kit 324: Collecting Global Resources · 47
material published in the target global region) are similar to trends in the US publishing industry, though not moving
as quickly in the ebook sphere. As current chair of CRL’s German-North American Research Partnership (GNARP), I am
working with German library colleagues to make electronic and POD publishing activities in German academic libraries.
Islamic Studies/Middle Eastern Studies: Not much change. Slavic and East European Studies: Because resources are still
principally print-based, and because each country in the region has its own peculiarities in the areas of publishing and
distribution, it has not reached a point where monitoring both has become difficult. The number of e-publishers remains
relatively small, though new products and services are announced each year. South Asian Studies: More to keep up
with, more possibilities for both acquiring and creating content.
Gift/exchange programs reduced use of social media to interact with constituencies notification of new material from
specialized listservs, blogs, news media working with vendors to promote access to or supply of electronic resources
our local digitization policies are currently under review, but Latin American material is generally the highest priority.
Global resource librarian profiles are not focused primarily on collection building but on a much more holistic approach
to library service. The profile includes collection development, significant liaison work, public programming, outreach,
teaching, and research assistance. Electronic resources are an integral part of the work from identifying collections to
developing outreach services.
Global resources are gaining prominence at our university, yet the role of our global resources librarians is not changing
significantly in some areas, but changing in others. We are requiring our global resources librarians to be current in all
areas of content development, and to collaborate with appropriate units in the library and with colleagues outside of the
library.
Global Resources librarians are as competent and highly trained as all other research librarians, but they are not
confined to the English language or to one discipline. Interdisciplinarity is the basis of area-studies librarianship.
Globally sourced resources add a layer of complexity to library operations at all levels, usually in terms of languages
required, familiarity with a broad array of national book markets, and connection to a broader than average range
of scholarly communities. Electronic publishing affects world markets to different degrees over time, but is almost
everywhere having an impact that will continue to grow.
Impact on strategic and budgetary planning. Presence of area studies librarians on budgetary decisions library-wide (via
a seat on our Collections Development Council). Increasing role in undergraduate public services.
Increase in electronic materials requires keeping up with technology, licensing, and related issues new digitization roles
more multi-tasking (public services and behind-the-scenes technical processing/technology roles blend).
It is no longer enough for librarians to build and maintain international collections by focusing all of their efforts on
traditional collection development and management strategies. They will take on new and expanded roles where they
will develop innovative ways to convey content to the users. They will have to maintain expertise in the development
of electronic and print research and they will have to be conversant with strategies on how to share this research
content with their users through user-centered technology and increasingly individualized liaison activities. They must
be competent collection managers who have strong subject backgrounds in the disciplines and, increasingly, they also
need to be conversant in current technology trends as well as new trends in scholarly communication and in electronic
publishing in their respective world areas.
Less print focused, more electronic, increased understanding of international licensing and copyrights.
Librarians are more often exploring and addressing the interdisciplinary and trans-national aspects of managing
resources by geographic area developing collections collaboratively, both within our institution and with peer
institutions building and maintaining relationships with faculty outside of our assigned liaison responsibilities where
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