On Wed, 20 Jan 1993, Diane Hillmann wrote:
> Ann:
>
> My problem is not separately designated groups of people checking in
> issue-level materials, but it just seems strange to me that one
> department is called "serials," after a particular format, and other
> departments are described by function, e.g. cataloging and acquisitions.
> This is particularly strange in law libraries, where a large percentage
> of the materials handled by departments called "serials" are not serials
> at all, but loose-leaf services, pocket parts, replacement volumes, etc.
>
> It's been my experience that there's a strong resistance on the part of
> lots of people to looking at the handing of continuations with eyes
> unclouded by "the way we've always done it," and that the curious
> survival of "serials departments" is perfect example. Unfortunately,
> the way technical services is administered (or not) often makes the
> situation difficult to change.
>
> Diane Hillmann
> Cornell Law Library
Size of organization plays a significant role
in what names constitute departments and functions.
In larger settings, it seems to me to be pragmatic
to maintain department names, whatever you decide
to call them, in order to allow supervisors some
degree of balance for performance evaluations of
staff, regardless of what stage of automation of
the institution.
If you have a support staff of 14, all of whom
are checking in mail, you would want your supervisors
to have the opportunity to evaluate performance
based within the checkin functions. -- So, *you*
pick a name: Serials Dept.? Checkin Dept.? Some
person who oversees those operations that comprise
the checkin processes will need to evaluate
staff performance.
Conversely, if your shop holds 6 FTE's in the whole
of processing mail, checkin of continuations and
serials, cataloging, binding, marking & labelling...
whatever else... then you could name your Dept.
something else, depending on who and how many staff
are supervising whom.
Anne's original query was book labelling. If you
have one labelling machine, then that situation
will probably define your questions as to what
"department" you want to have the function rest
under. If you have 5 labelling machines, you may
want to break up them up, one for new "books"
one for "continuations" materials (new, added and
replacement binders or volumes) and the rest
in other areas based on demand and function.
Geeze, I've spent too much time on this reply!
Gotta go.
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Brian D. Striman Head of Technical Services
U. of Nebraska-Lincoln Schmid Law Library
Internet: brians@unllib.unl.edu 402-472-8286
Bitnet: brians%unllib@unlvax1.bitnet fax: 402-472-5185
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