Technical Services Department FY23 Objectives and Priorities

Objective: Develop a cross-section, Department-wide understanding of workflows and documentation

Priority #1: Assess new workflows and iterate as necessary

UPDATE: Gathering updates for accessioning form; wiki page for all TS forms (including corrections form); processing archivists doing end-processing; drop off of books to cataloging area changed; digital collections wiki (MPS, vendors, OTC backlog project)

Priority #2: Engage in cross-section documentation analysis and review

UPDATE: Manuscript processing manual is now on Wiki (was a google document); reviewing digital collections wiki, end-processing project (Michael and Vicki), DRS linking/templates workflows; templates drop-in session

FOR SPRING: Rare Book Section analyzing genre term subdivision issues and will share with TS Department; document character limits in Alma

Objective: Continue professional engagement through reading and group learning

Priority #3: Continue to partner in developing our expertise in conscious and inclusive cataloging and description

UPDATE: RADTF workshop; bibliographic harmful language statement; more archivists doing reparative work; DEI NACO creations as a priority over non-DEI NACO work

Priority #4: Develop Department-wide reading opportunities; also create space for self-selected, opt-in conversations 

UPDATE: OCLC report at TS Department meeting; Library Juice Academy LRM RDA toolkit course; SAA webinar article; Teams channel drop-ins, SNAC, HAD, JSTOR Forum drop-ins; series of cross-departmental conversations; 

FOR SPRING: department-wide in-person coffee; initial conversation about Enslaved.org; SNAC-a-thon based on the names that came out of the Legacy of Slavery at Harvard; authority records for formerly enslaved, enslavers, documentation from Duke; think about ways to incorporate Harvard Library groups into TS Department, videos from the report on the Legacy of Slavery at Harvard

Objective: Improve Department-wide communication through clear expectations and professional understandings

Priority #5: Managers Group will work to establish shared standards and communication styles to ensure meetings are useful for all staff and that everyone can be prepared

UPDATE: Everyone is using Google docs for agendas

Priority #6: Department will work to establish comfort and understanding of different modes of communication and avenues for connection in the hybrid workplace

UPDATE: Attempting hybrid meetings; established multiple Teams channels; updated norms for department, developed Houghton-wide form for onboarding check-in

Priority #7: Department will work to effectively hire, welcome, onboard, and train newly hired staff

UPDATE: Creative arts archivist (success but let’s hear from Max); multiple LHTs; special collections cataloger; soon special projects cataloger and service manager for archives and special collections systems

FOR SPRING: explore how to use meeting agendas