NASIG Core Competencies Research Articles

Technical Issues: Creating a Troubleshooting System with Microsoft Outlook

As electronic resources routinely account for a sizable portion of library budgets, electronic resources librarians are under increasing pressure to ensure constant access to these resources. Therefore, developing troubleshooting skills and resources is critical for maintaining electronic access for patrons. This article emphasizes the significance of troubleshooting in electronic resources librarianship by highlighting articles on troubleshooting, the NASIG Core Competencies, and the subsequent need for troubleshooting systems that integrate with email. Therefore, this article details how to create an Outlook-Based Troubleshooting System to assist electronic resources librarians in efficiently resolving access issues.

Developing scholarly communication competencies: How a post-master’s degree residency program can provide career preparation

Scholarly communication librarianship is a messy field. Its margins are ill-defined and ever- changing. There is a lack of curricular training in library schools and a lack of opportunities for early-career candidates. As a result, preparing librarians for a scholarly communication career presents a challenge. In this piece I discuss this messiness and describe my personal experiences in a residency position, showing how these kinds of positions support the professional development of scholarly communication librarians, with specific reference to the NASIG Core Competencies for scholarly communication librarians.

The Role of an Electronic Resources Librarian in Procuring Accessible Online Resources

Per the 2019 NASIG Core Competencies for electronic resources librarians (ERL), ERLs “work with concepts and methods that are very much in flux … [they are] knowledgeable about the legal framework within which libraries and information agencies operate… [including] laws relating to… equal rights (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act)”. However, the Core Competencies do not define the level to which an ERL is responsible for determining the accessibility of an electronic resource. This article aims to create a better understanding of the steps an ERL can take to develop an accessibility statement pertaining to procuring accessible content. This article synthesizes key laws and policies that ERLs should be aware of in order to draft an accessibility procurement statement for their institution. It will also discuss licensing strategies, documentation collection, and conducting potential audits of electronic purchases.

NASIG Core Competencies: Building a Bridge to the LIS Curricula and Job Responsibilities

ABSTRACT The 2016 revised NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians broadly defines the areas of work that Electronic Resources Librarians engage with and are responsible for. Using findings from two recent studies, this presentation given at the NASIG 2019 Annual Conference identified trends in electronic resource (e-resource) management on two fronts. The first study investigated the degree to which Library and Information Science programs are addressing e-resources, either as the primary subject of a course or as part of a course related to technical services. The second study addressed the distribution of e-resource management responsibilities at Carnegie-classified doctoral universities based on the areas of competency identified in the Core Competencies.

Learning by doing: Highlighting the successful collaboration between an open access peer-reviewed journal, a scholarly communication class, and a supportive library

As the “NASIG Core Competencies for Scholarly Communication Librarians” makes clear, the responsibilities associated with scholarly communication work in libraries are so “broad and amorphous” that the “full suite of competencies is beyond the reach of even the most accomplished librarian.” It is, therefore, increasingly important for all academic librarians to have not just a theoretical understanding of scholarly communication topics, but also the ability to actively engage in and manage related projects. The question then is how are master of library and information science (MLIS) programs preparing aspiring academic librarians for these roles?

Cultivating TALint: Using the Core Competencies as a Framework for Training Future E-Resource Professionals

ABSTRACTIn 2014, the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information (iSchool) and the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) partnered in the development of the Toronto Academic Libraries Internship (TALint) program. Focused on workplace-integrated learning, the TALint program provides enhanced educational experiences for Masters of Information students by combining periods of in-class study with actual workplace experiences. With this year’s TALint cohort in UTL’s Metadata Technologies Unit, the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians was used as a framework for student training. In this session, we discuss the development of a comprehensive student training plan in electronic resource management, the key benefits of using the NASIG Core Competencies within the TALint program, student perceptions of competency-based training, and we outline future directions for the TALint program within the Metadata Technologies Unit.

Embedding Collective Ownership into a Systems Migration

ABSTRACTArmacost Library at the University of Redlands structured the experience of an integrated library system migration to encourage agency, collaboration, and user-centeredness. Careful deliberation by library leadership and creative team-building activities enabled the library to address technological, cultural, and patron-facing changes wrought by the migration. The presenters related migration leadership to the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resource Librarians and considered attributes needed to support colleagues in developing collective ownership.

Using “NASIG Core Competencies for Scholarly Communication Librarians” as a Framework to Develop Campus Support and Use of a New Institutional Repository

ABSTRACTIn August 2017, NASIG approved and adopted a set of core competencies that can serve as a roadmap for a new Scholarly Communication Librarian working to promote and build collections for a new campus Institutional Repository. This presentation addressed how to utilize the specific competencies to scaffold priorities when building a new repository, including developing campus partnerships with administration, colleges, departments, faculty, and students. The Core Competencies can also be used to develop effective short- and long-term goals, both for the librarian and for the Institutional Repository, and can provide communication and outreach strategies to share those goals to the campus community.

Communicating E-resource Management Needs to Library Stakeholders: Theory and Praxis

Conflict management studies and the communication needs addressed by the NASIG Core Competencies standards will be the framework for how to communicate electronic resource management to library stakeholders. This article provides both theory and praxis as it is applied at Kansas State (K-State) Libraries for electronic resource access ticket resolution. The librarians responding to these tickets at K-State Libraries assessed their communications and workflows in the past year to provide a more effective customer service model. This provides evidence of technical services having public-facing elements in its core activity.

NASIG Core Competencies for Scholarly Communication Librarians

NASIG Core Competencies for Scholarly Communication Librarians

Electronic Resources and Serials Staffing Challenges

This article examines some of the issues related to electronic resources and serials staffing. Incorporating information from the literature, interviews with librarians working in the field, and data from job advertisements, this investigation addresses the challenges of identifying the primary job responsibilities of an electronic resources or serials librarian. The NASIG core competencies, library school curricula, and salary considerations are also covered.

The Development and Use of the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians

ABSTRACTThe Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians was adopted by NASIG in 2013 and provides a framework to assess skills needed for electronic resources management. In this column, Sarah Sutton, whose graduate dissertation research led to the creation of the NASIG task force responsible for developing the core competencies, describes the development and adoption of the core competencies. Paula Sullenger describes the application of the core competencies at two institutions: Auburn University and Texas A&M University. The competencies have supported libraries in reorganization efforts as well as assessing current staff to identify gaps in skills and more effectively manage electronic resources. They have also been used to assess Library and Information Science (LIS) curricula. It is important that the core competencies be reviewed and revised to ensure their enduring relevancy within the profession.

Embracing Changing Technology and New Technical Services Workflows in Migrating to a Next-Generation Library Management System

ABSTRACTIn 2015, Radford University’s McConnell Library migrated to OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC)’s WorldShare Management Services, relinquishing three legacy systems in the process. As a result, many of the Collection and Technical Services Department’s workflows changed considerably beginning months before the contract was signed. An extensive temporary departmental focus on data clean-up and training was required while maintaining core duties. New opportunities for collaboration and communication emerged. In light of developing new workflows, NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians and NASIG Core Competencies for Print Serials Management were consulted in revising positions. What follows is the process, management, communication, and outcomes involved in migrating to a new next-generation library management system.

Strategies for Expanding E-Journal Preservation

The responsibility for and the initiative to preserve electronic journal content is neither clear nor easy, and knowing the preservation status of an e-journal is not a basic step within the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians life cycle of electronic resources management. Columbia and Cornell University Libraries secured funding for a project to specifically evaluate strategies for expanding e-journal preservation. A wide range of e-journal categories are evaluated within the scope of the project, including: content direct from publishers, small and society publishers, Open Access e-journals, full-text content from third-party content providers, and university generated e-journals. Discussed are techniques for identifying at risk e-journals, integrating preservation into license negotiation with publishers, tracking the preservation status of e-journals, and developing relationships with existing preservation agencies. The quality of future of scholarship and teaching hinges on the preservation of the scholarly record.

“And Other Duties as Assigned”: Expanding the Boundaries of the E- resource Lifecycle to Get Things Done

This presentation focused on how elements of the electronic resource lifecycle, such as those described in the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resource Librarians and the Techniques for Electronic Resource Management, apply to the management of physical library projects, including the weeding and shifting of physical collections, a digitization project, as well as other “duties as assigned” that are part of the average librarian’s workload at a small library. Additionally, this presentation touched on issues related to managing print and electronic collections in law libraries.

NASIG's Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians Revisited: An Analysis of Job Advertisement Trends, 2000–2012

During its relatively short existence, the electronic resources librarian has often shared responsibilities with other areas of librarianship. To highlight the uniqueness and provide a level of understanding about the position, the North American Serials Interest Group developed NASIG's Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians based on a study which analyzed the occurrence of descriptors – responsibilities and qualifications – from job ads posted between 2005 and 2009. The aim of this article is to build on NASIG's Core Competencies by expanding the time period considered. Data from the additional years brings to light both rising and declining trends reflecting changes in electronic resources librarian responsibilities and requirements. The author contends that the findings reported in this article may be useful for refining NASIG's Core Competencies as the profession evolves.