Innovative Redesign and Reorganization of Library Technical Services: Paths for the Future and Case Studies (review)

Reorganizing and redesigning technical services departments is a hot topic in libraries because of pressure brought about through technological innovations in formats and delivery, changing integrated library systems, and constant calls for efficiencies and economies in the face of stringent budgets. This edited collection provides an in-depth examination of these issues and others that are affecting technical services, including retirements and personnel turnover, a disconnect between the needs of libraries and the number of qualified catalogers completing library school, changing roles of support staff, and the outsourcing of cataloging.

Bradford Lee Eden, editor of this compilation, is a recognized authority on technical services innovation and has compiled an admirable collection of 20 papers by 29 knowledgeable, experienced authors. The first six papers (Part 1) address theory through a literature review, an examination of technical services from a library and information science educator and a practitioner, surveys of staffing trends and changing library technical services operations, an examination of options for performing quality cataloging with reduced funding, and an essay that explores the evolution of cataloger responsibilities from 1997 through 2003.

Part 2, "Case Studies," is more practical in approach and consists of reports of innovative redesign and reorganization initiatives in library technical services units. The libraries represented include large, mid-sized, and small academic libraries, an academic law library, a U.S. government agency, and an academic geospatial information repository.

No similar collection of papers has been published in more than 10 years; this collection fills a critical gap in the literature. Readers first are presented with a theoretical context in which to consider the real life experiences recounted in the second half of the book. I found Laurie Lopatin's "Review of the Literature: Technical Services Redesign and Reorganization" and Nadine P. Ellero's "The Name and Role of the Cataloger in the Twenty-First Century" to be particularly interesting. The case studies draw conclusions and implications beyond the immediate context described, letting readers ponder inferences for other libraries.

Most chapters are accompanied by references. Some have tables and figures that illustrate the concepts or descriptions presented. I found the organization charts and position descriptions particularly informative. The index is serviceable. Only two flow charts are provided, and the quality of one (p. 219) in the copy reviewed was blurry. More examples of higher quality would have enriched a book with such a heavy focus on process redesign. These are small quibbles and do not affect the overall quality and value of this collection of papers.

Without collections (local and remote) and physical and intellectual access to them, libraries are not libraries. Technical services units serve a critical role in acquiring and making resources available. Innovative Redesign and Reorganization of Library Technical Services explores this critical role—what is changing and what remains constant. Ellero starts her paper with a quote from Victor Hugo: "Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots." (p. 119) This book looks at values underlying technical services, as well as means and methods.