The article linked below was published today in the latest issue (Vol. 19 No. 1 ) of Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research.
Title
Organizational Structure Around Web-Scale Discovery Services in Canadian Academic Libraries
Author
Sandra Wong Simon Fraser University
Source
Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research Vol. 19 No. 1
DOI: 10.21083/partnership.v19i1.7336
Abstract
This study analyzed how Canadian post-secondary libraries have managed and administered their web-scale discovery service and how adopting a discovery service has changed the traditional boundaries of standard library functions. Through a combination of survey responses and semi-structured interviews, the author investigated how Canadian academic libraries organized around their web-scale discovery service. Academic libraries can manage their discovery service from a Technical Services unit, a Library Systems, or a Web Services department, or by a committee. However, there is consensus that a discovery service requires collaboration and cooperation among many functional areas. Discovery service leaders often have organizational awareness to break down the silos between traditional library functions to perform the various duties related to managing and administering their web-scale discovery service. Individuals responsible for their discovery service are flexible and work collaboratively with staff in many different areas and often have a strong user-centred focus.
Fig 1. Library Department with Overall Responsibility for the Operations and Maintenance of the Web-scale Discovery Service Source: 10.21083/partnership.v19i1.7336
Gary Price ([email protected]) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
