The Ohio State University

Technical Services Committee (TSC)
REPORT TO THE FACULTY
December 2004
Submitted by Sally Rogers, Chair

The Technical Services Committee met quarterly in 2004.
A list of current members is available at http://library.osu.edu/sites/staff/comlist.php#techserv.
Meeting summaries and other information about the committee can be found at http://library.osu.edu/sites/techservices/tscomm.htm.

1. The INNOPAC Electronic Resources Module (ERM)

   A beta version of the ERM was demonstrated at the March meeting. OSU worked with III and other beta sites to shape development of the module, which is intended to facilitate management of license information and access to electronic resources. The Law and Health Sciences libraries are interested in using the ERM, and their TSC members have joined the group that is working on implementation. The ERM is expected to go live for public access in early 2005. (TSC members who can provide more information about the ERM: Laura Tull and Trisha Davis)

   
   

2. New INNOPAC capabilities

   With members from Health Sciences, Law, and regionals, in addition to University Libraries, TSC serves as a forum for sharing information about new INNOPAC capabilities that impact technical services work. Laura Tull and guest speaker Nancy Helmick presented information about Millennium Statistics, Millennium Silver (the new software release to be installed Dec. 14), and Innovative Users Group Enhancement requests related to technical services.

   
   

3. Other new developments related to technical services

   TSC also serves as a forum for sharing information about new standards and technologies that pertain to information access. At the July meeting, Tschera Connell talked about the impact of the adoption of a 13-digit ISBN (as opposed to the 10-digit ISBN that has been the standard) and presented an overview of FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) (pronounced furbur) and its potential impact on library catalogs.

   
   

4. Technical Services Communication Survey

   At the request of the TSC chair, Sally Rogers, a work group was formed in the spring to develop a survey to assess the effectiveness of communications from the OSUL Technical Services Division to those outside the division. Mary Rider led the work group, which included Eleanor Block from TSC, Lisa Iacobellis, and Noelle Van Pulis. The survey was designed and tested with input from TSC. Sally Rogers sent it to the liball listserv in October. Responses were collected and compiled by Sonja Thompson in ASD. The work group reviewed and summarized the results for discussion at the December TSC meeting. Sally will send a brief report of the outcome and next steps to liball.

   As part of the survey discussion, TSC suggested that Technical Services representatives attend the monthly meetings of Public Services and MLRRS to help foster two-way communication. (Beth Russell has been attending meetings of the Special Collections Round Table for some time.) Pat McCandless and Jim Bracken agreed to this plan, which was implemented in late summer.

   
   

5. Policy and procedure issues

   Several policy and procedure issues related to the assignment of call numbers were discussed by TSC.

   
   

6. Directions for 2005

   Although TSC was formed primarily to address Technical Services policy and procedure issues, such matters did not take the majority of the committee's time in 2004. TSC members will be reconsidering the focus of the committee to ensure that standards, policies, and procedures are being given appropriate attention in light of the changing landscape of information access. The role of TSC relative to other library groups also will be revisited.