Technical Services Competencies
MOTSE Level II

A. Collection Management

A person responsible for collection management is able to:

• Analyze user and community needs
• Evaluate the relative worth of materials to determine if they should be added, retained, or withdrawn from the collection
• Understand organizational policies for soliciting and acquiring gifts
• Make renewal and cancellation decisions of outstanding orders and subscriptions
• Make informed choices about the binding, shelving, and filing of acquired materials
• Explain the principles of intellectual freedom to staff, patrons, and others
• Implement standard procedures for handling censorship questions within the library
• Develop and implement a preservation plan
• Develop and implement a disaster plan
• Develop collections within budgetary limits

B. Acquisitions

A person responsible for library acquisitions is able to:

• Select appropriate sources, vendors, jobbers, and publishers (e.g., direct vs. vendor)
• Select from services provided by a subscription agency, such as renewal, claim service, and invoicing, as appropriate for the library
• Negotiate contracts with vendors and publishers
• Refer or make renewal and cancellation decisions of outstanding orders and subscriptions

C. Serials Management

A person responsible for serials management is able to:

• Develop criteria for selection of and access to serials and periodicals
• Select periodicals and serials in appropriate formats, using the criteria
• Understand and explain all aspects of serials record management (e.g., check-in, claiming, invoicing)

D. Bibliographic Control

1. Descriptive Cataloging

   A person responsible for descriptive cataloging is able to:

   • Understand the purpose and principles of descriptive cataloging rules
   • Describe an item according to current AACR2r rules
   • Describe a multi-part item which lacks a collective title
   • Transcribe a complex statement of responsibility
   • Differentiate between publication, copyright, edition and printing dates given in the time
   • Formulate an appropriate edition statement even if one is lacking in the item
   • Determine the presence of publisher, distributor, or printer/manufacturer and differentiate among the for various bibliographic formats
   • Describe complicated pagination patterns (e.g., unnumbered sequences, numbering changes within a sequence, loose-leaf publications, leaves, including folded leaves, plates, pages numbered in opposite direction, etc.)
   • Establish standard or local notes as needed in the library's catalog
   • Determine treatment of series in the local catalog
   • Keep up with changes in current cataloging standards via e.g. LC Rule Interpretations (LCRIs) and Cataloging Service Bulletins and other standard cataloging tools
   • Analyze the effect of these changes on the local catalog and its users
   • Participate in the formulation of local policy based on national standards
   • Participate in the formulation policy which affects descriptive cataloging in a shared online environment
   • Teach the application of principles, rules and standards for descriptive cataloging
   
   
2. Access

   A person responsible for access cataloging is able to:

   • Understand the purpose and principles of rules and standards for access cataloging
   • Determine and formulate most kinds of personal, corporate, and geographic names
   • Establish the main entry for works of unknown or uncertain authorship and for works erroneously or fictitiously attributed to a person or corporate body
   • Establish the main entry for special materials such as art works, musical works, sound recordings, certain legal and religious publications
   • Create uniform title, as needed, e.g., for sacred works and musical works
   • Understand all aspects of authority control as provided by AACR2r and its LCRI's
   • Create or evaluate existing authority records for the local catalog
   • Create analytics as appropriate
   • Keep up with rule changes in access cataloging, especially those reported in LC Rule Interpretations (LCRIs) and Cataloging Service Bulletins
   • Analyze the effect of these changes on the local catalog and its users
   • Participate in the formulation of local policy based on national standards
   • Participate in the formulation of policy which affects use and application of access points I a shared online environment
   • Teach the application of principles, rules, and standards for access cataloging
   
   
3. Subject Analysis

   A person responsible for subject analysis is able to:

   • Understand and apply the purpose and principles of subject analysis (i.e., subject headings and classification)
   • Determine the intellectual content of an item and construct complex subject headings or index terms, using standard authority files (or thesauri) such a LCSH, Sears, or MESH
   • Assign a complex call number based on content and subject headings using standard classification schemes such as LCC or DDC, including all tables
   • Evaluate existing or create new authority records for subject headings in the local catalog
   • Understand and apply the indexing of subject headings and keywords I the library's online catalog
   • Keep up with changes I the application of subject analysis, such as reported in Cataloging Service Bulletins and LC's Subject Cataloging Manuals
   • Analyze the effect of these changes on the cataog and its users
   • Participate in the formulation of local policy regarding the use of subject analysis in a shared online environment
   • Teach the application of principles, rules and standards for subject analysis

E. Physical Processing

A person responsible for the physical processing of library materials is able to:

• Determine appropriate methods and techniques for the physical preparation of materials (e.g., labeling, applying security strips, mending, etc.)
• Evaluate, purchase, and maintain inventory of supplies
• Keep up with new developments in physical processing products and techniques

F. Access Technology

A person responsible for access technology (i.e. all automated technical services functions) is able to:

• Explain the structure of the library's entire automated system, including relationships among the various modules (e.g., public online catalog, cataloging, acquisitions, and serials)
• Understand how the library's online catalog relates to and affects other automated library operations and programs locally and elsewhere (e.g., consortium, Internet)
• Assess needs and communicate effectively with persons of varying levels of technological understanding
• Keep up-to-date with new developments and trends in the field of library automation
• Participate in the planning for incorporating appropriate new technologies into technical functions

G. Management

A person responsible for the management of technical services is able to:

• Prepare, justify, and administer departmental budget allocations

• Prepare, administer, and evaluate grant programs
• Collect and analyze data needed for decision making
• Perform all aspects of personnel management (e.g., writing job descriptions, recruiting training, evaluating)
• Determine workflow for each technical services function
• Establish policies and procedures for each technical services area
• Provide in-service workshops or other continuing education opportunities for current technical services staff
• Provide in-service workshops on the use of automated technical services functions for other library staff
• Participate in overall library governance, policy-making and planning
  
  
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