Buy Buy Books

As this is my first library position, I have never been responsible for collection development. I now have to purchase for six university departments. I am a bit concerned about this, but no one else seems to be. Again, as with the teaching, no guidelines or advice… I guess I will have to devise a method that I am comfortable with to carry out my responsibilities. Others seem to heavily rely on Choice cards but they do not adequately address the sciences.

Academic Excellence Place

Boobie is apparently the head of an Academic Excellence Place on campus – a position for which she gets paid extra. I think that she simply organizes talks that should educate faculty members in some area of interest to them.

I just had my first experience with this place. Gumby was giving a talk on a new tool purchased by Library. I was looking forward to learning something about the tool. I had spent a small bit of time looking at it myself but wanted a more in-depth and comprehensive presentation. Well, no such luck. I was actually embarrassed that I knew more than Gumby appeared to about the tool. Why would you not prepare for such a presentation? It makes Library look bad and with so few faculty members present what are the chances anyone will take the time next time?

Staff II

Sad and withdrawn and angry and annoyed….

It is clear that there is an issue with the faculty/staff relationships in Library. The faculty treat the staff like second class citizens. Specifically, they make decisions without consulting the staff and they are entirely unhelpful when it comes to supporting technical services initiatives.

The technical staff knows there are better way of doing things but there is no one to give them the support to move ahead. Instead the faculty criticize when technical processes are less than stellar like it is just a matter of waving the wand with the right flick of the wrist …