Abstract

The model of a library staff divided into technical and informational service divisions remains common—especially among academic libraries. The authors argue that in many ways it is now the technical services division that is best positioned to provide outreach services to a community—whether at the university or municipal level. Maintaining bibliographic access amid the changing information landscape hinges on a clear understanding of systems, metadata, and traditional organizational skills, all home grown in the back rooms of conventional libraries. The authors cite examples of library outreach that emanated from technical service departments and conclude that the sequestered staffs of the past must make themselves indispensible today by sharing their knowledge and talents, offering services to their communities that require their technical expertise, and advance the mission of the library organization.

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