Access Services—Check Us Out!

Abstract

In recent years, academic libraries have seen a shift in their bread and butter operations. No longer are they primarily destinations for mediated, on-site use of collections. More and more, library users demand content when and where they can access it conveniently and most efficiently. To that end, the demand for effective access services has eclipsed reliance on most other public services functions. Managing user expectations by providing just-in-time content is no mean feat. But while appreciated by library users, access services continue to perplex many other library staff. In this column, Beth Clausen sings the praises of access services and describes strategies for promoting it and raising awareness of its value to library colleagues.--Editor MY PATH TO ACCESS SERVICES When I became a librarian, I expected to happily spend my career as a reference and instruction librarian with some liaison, technology, and collection responsibilities. I also chose, or answered the calling, to specialize in US government information and depository libraries. My career path went as expected for my first three positions. There were differences in each one, but the above description applied to them all. The third of these was as federal documents librarian in the Northwestern University Library's (NUL) Government Publications and Maps Department. The departure of the department head provided the opportunity to lead the department, and I did for about five years. Then something even more disruptive (and fantastic!) happened, and I became the acting manager for interlibrary loan while maintaining my other responsibilities. To my surprise, and to the surprise of others, I fell in love with ILL and other aspects of access services. One thing led to another, and I became the head of Resource Sharing and Reserve Collections at NUL. It has been five years since I transitioned to a permanent access services position, and such an anniversary provides an excellent opportunity or excuse to reflect on the original occasion being marked as well as on associated changes, observations, and experiences. These years were characterized by great transformation, including at least three different organization charts reflecting staff and responsibility changes, culminating with adoption of Access Services as the department name in 2011; the addition and enhancement of services; and significant consolidation of work and service delivery in the name of patron convenience. Among all the change and other happenings, the most interesting aspects may have to do with the relationships between some other user services staff in the library and our department and their perceptions of us. I've been thinking particularly about how these have evolved this past five years and the efforts to encourage that movement. PERCEPTIONS OF ACCESS SERVICES I have had experiences that I attribute to an outdated notion still held by some staff in libraries that access services functions and services are somehow lesser those of other library areas and departments. This is not across the board, of course, but there have been enough situations that lead me to logically conclude this. It was in evidence from the start of my move to access services when I was asked Why would you do that? by colleagues, and I have been consciously trying to change this perspective and show that it is rooted in a bygone era. I think my efforts, as well as those of the department's customer-service oriented staff that offers so much to the library and user community, are counteracting this perception to render it obsolete sooner rather than later. My pre-access services days seem far away, but I have asked myself how or what I thought about it and its providers before joining the ranks. I wish I could claim that I was enlightened as to the value of all types of library work, but I must admit that I may not have held circulation, interlibrary loan, and associated services in the same high regard that I do now that I have experienced them from the inside as a contributor and manager. …