From: "Le Beau, Chris" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:26:06 +0000

As a public services librarian I handled e-resources for my library in
the 1990s at an institution of approximately 6000 students. For that
size of institution, this was manageable at that point in time. With
the explosive growth of e-resources and all they entail, management
seemed to find a better home in Technical
Services/Acquisitions/Collection Development (whatever you want to
label that) as we began the new millennium, although Public Service
librarians usually make the content decisions.

I too have been teaching a course in e-resource management for 11
years, and I devote a week to workflow issues and organization where
we look at questions like do you organize by format or by
serial/non-serial? Do serials encompass databases? How do ERMs or
other tools affect this organization? What we used to know as
"Technical Services" has morphed into all sorts of new names and
shapes in the past ten years. I think each institution has to find the
right configuration based on its size and resources, extent of
commitment to online vs. print, its aggressiveness with digital
initiatives, etc. I agree with Steve, I don't try to define this too
rigidly.

Back in the 90s the future I saw was one where library staff would be
more devoted to "back-end" processes to bring resources to users than
to public service (just my own personal vision). It all seemed very
Wizard of Oz-ish - lots of librarians in the back room pulling strings
and pushing buttons to create an Emerald City landscape of
information.

ALCTS just did an e-forum on workflow that may address some of your
questions. You might want to consult those responses.

RUSA CODES addresses issues like this too, as do other organizations.

Chris LeBeau
Univeristy of Missouri/University of Missouri-Kansas City
816-235-6371