ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 12 / C&RL News ■ January 2004 College & Research Libraries news Technical services and reference cooperation by Naomi R. Sutherland and Valarie P. Adam s* H ave you heard of the 5,000-year war? You know, the one that supposedly still exists betw een catalogers and reference li­ brarians? During the 1990s, Will Manley sati­ rized “reference librarians [who] love to re­ fer to catalogers as ‘socially dysfunctional nitpickers’” and catalogers w ho find “Im pre­ cise, Impractical, and Illogical” a logical sub­ ject heading for their professional neig h ­ b o rs.1 These phrases, th o u g h p erh a p s rarely thought and never spoken, do spotlight the occasional differences of opinion that exist betw een reference and cataloging regarding departmental communication and local prac­ tice. Issues m ay include questions about w here m aterials should b e p laced in the collection, the extensiveness of holdings notes view ed by the OPAC end-users, and the use of certain MARC fields. The course of resolving such issues may support Manley’s interpretation. Conversely, this process may dem onstrate the m utual interdependence of technical services and reference. This relationship persists as a du­ rable topic at library conferences and in nu­ m erous articles dating to the early 1900s. Many of these articles feature the card cata­ log, followed in time by the online catalog, as a centerpiece of cooperation.2 Noting these realities, w e decided to in­ form ally survey catalogers regarding the present state of communication and coop­ eration betw een technical services and ref­ erence. AU TO CAT S u rv e y We posed the following set of questions on AUTOCAT, the cataloging electronic discus­ sion list, in June 2002: Will you all please share with m e how you as catalogers communicate with your reference departments; also, how do they com m unicate with you? Do they just tell you about concerns they have (i.e., about your catalog) indi­ vidually or do you have som ething formal set up? What about w hen you have som ething to tell them? W hat are som e of the concerns that are dis­ cussed betw een the two departments? We received 26 responses with comments: 18 from academic libraries, 7 from public libraries, and 1 from a special interest library. Positive responses com prised the majority; only one person reported a dreadful situa­ tion that lent credibility to Manley’s wry ob­ servations. The size of the library often de­ term ined the type of response: the larger li­ braries use m ore form al com m unication. Some libraries use committees while others have their w ork areas situated close enough About the authors Naomi R. Sutherland is reference/instruction librarian, e-mail: Naomi-Sutherland@utc.edu, and Valarie P. Adams is head, cataloging and bibliographic records a tth e University o f Tennessee-Chattanooga, e-mail: Valarie-Adams@utc.edu *The authors w o u ld like to tha nk Tyson R. Land fo r his ed itorial assistance. © 2004 Naomi R. Sutherland and Valarie P. Adams Territorial invasion or symbiotic relationship? mailto:Naomi-Sutherland@utc.edu mailto:Valarie-Adams@utc.edu C&RL News ■ January 2004 / 13 to invite cross-cubicle communication. Eight broad categories of communication em erged from the responses: formal m eet­ ings, policy comm ittees, forms (electronic and paper), newsletters, e-mail, casual con­ versations, liaison assignments, and catalog­ e d serving at the reference desk. S y m b io tic re la tio n sh ip ? “Frequent, cordial interaction is the key," o b se rv e d a cata lo g e r re sp o n d in g to o u r AUTOCAT survey. As with all symbiotic re­ lationships, such contact enhances the ef­ fectiveness of both groups. Situations can degenerate quickly w hen people in the w ork place lack this type of communication. One survey testim onial included references to routinely ignored instructional memos, snide comments, or “ultra-humble begging notes that evince terror of our response” coupled with a belief that “public staff seems con­ vinced w e exist to obstruct their best efforts.” W ho initiates the interaction? The survey responses indicate that reference often opens the conversations over matters of com m on interest, e.g., the online catalog. The replies also reveal a significant am ount of informal two-way communication. Partly due to w ork area proximity, this casual contact transpires m ost often in smaller libraries. As one librar­ ian asked, “Are you close enough together in the building that you have your coffee together in the morning?” M edium -sized and large libraries a n d th o se separated by geographical distance often rely on formal meetings for effective communication. For instance, one cataloger reported: I attend nearly all of the reference team meetings so I hear their concerns there. . . . We also have a reference represen­ tative attend our biweekly m eeting of tire technical services teams. These steps have led to a great working relation­ ship betw een the cataloging team and the reference team. O ther formal means of com m unication include policy committees, task forces, and electronic and print forms. Examples of is­ sues addressed through such avenues are local cataloging practices a n d priorities, policy clarification, and collection relocation. Staff may report record errors and can re­ quest reclassification of an item or additional subject headings. One library system’s form is nam ed “Catalog W atch.” In addition, liaison assignments use both formal and informal comm unication m eth­ ods. Their existence showcases, theoretically and practically, the com plem entary nature of the reference and cataloging roles. Liai­ sons com m unicate n eed s and w ishes b e ­ tw een library departments, such as rush-pro- cessing requests for items in d em an d or scheduling reference w eeding projects so as not to overburden cataloging at inopportune moments. Perhaps the m ost practical form of com ­ m unication occurs w h e n reference and cata­ loging librarians trade places weekly, monthly, or quarterly. This arrangem ent fosters the com m on good by increasing empathy, en­ hancing firsthand understanding, and as­ suaging a vague curiosity about “how the other half lives.” The AUTOCAT survey spot­ lighted the fact that w hile catalogers fre­ quently serve at the reference desk, refer­ ence librarians rarely engage in cataloging processes. R u in s o f w ar: U n su ccessfu l co m m u n ica tio n te ch n iq u e s Despite some indications to the contrary, no group of librarians is perfect. What can you do if the ground betw een your cataloging and reference departm ents reminds you of the dimiltarised zone, never mind a battle scene from the so-called 5,000-year war? Problematic situations may include a lack of support from managers in the event of an interdepartm ental comm unication failure or an absence of individual good will and ap- proachability. D efensiveness, feeling the need to constantly justify o n e ’s actions, may also rear its ugly head. This communication filter stops the free exchange of ideas and concerns because self-protection comm ands centerstage. What has h appened to reciprocal altru­ ism? W hat has h a p p e n e d to focusing not only on keeping a listening ear but also an o p e n m ind to the other p e rso n ’s request? The library exists as a community of com ­ m on interests united by the goal of provid­ ing excellent service to the user and afford­ ing access to materials. Or does it? 14 / C&RL News ■ January 2004 One example of a communications break­ dow n occurs w hen reference librarians find themselves too busy to notify catalogers of problem s in the catalog. Or, if they do send a quick e-mail or write a note on a catalog printout, it may be vague in describing the difficulty or the suggestion for improvement. H ow can this be remedied? O ften, lib rarian s re c o rd so m e of the words that a patron uses w hen asking ques­ tions at the reference desk. These w ords can possibly be used to provide additional online catalog cross-references. Librarians might also take the time to ask their questions in person. Face-to-face com­ m u n ic a tio n p ro v id e s an o p p o rtu n ity to talk informally and to becom e acquainted with the other person while gathering solu­ tions to problems. A casual chat may even present ideas for how to help that person in the future or to explore how they might as­ sist you. Seeking out individuals can be aw k­ w ard and could m ean repeated tries to have your ideas heard, but keep trying. With this m odus operandi in mind, the key lies in regu­ lar communication and in interaction with colleagues in a variety of settings. R e w ard s o f co o p e ratio n Discussions focusing on mutual respect and appreciation for the skills of catalogers and reference librarians are not new to the cor­ pus of library literature. In 1951, Clara Ann Kuhlman, then business and social science librarian at the University of Texas-Austin, wrote an article spotlighting the basic prin­ ciples of cooperation. She suggested that uni­ form cataloging rules while important be ap­ plied in such a way as to promote flexibility and greater service to the reader and to those assisting him or her in locating materials. She commented that it is not a “healthy situation” for catalogers to decide the majority of rules without input from others, including those w ho directly assist the readers. Kuhlm an also addressed the reference librarians, urging them to “realize that it is their duty to inform the catalogers of the uses which the reader tends to make of the catalog and the ways in which the catalog m eets or fails to m eet th e n eed s of the read er.”3 More than 52 years later, collaboration thrives at th e U niversity of T e n n e sse e - Chattanooga’s Lupton Library as librarians from reference, cataloging, and audiovisual re­ sources continue heeding Kuhlman’s advice. Representatives from each of these depart­ ments recently used their complementary func­ tions by planning and presenting a success­ ful seminar to more than 75 students and fac­ ulty of the university’s music department. This seminar featured detailed demonstrations of how to search the online catalog for music- specific materials, including vocal performance scores and various types of sound record­ ings. Also included were a brief presentation on advanced searching capabilities for Music Index and navigating ILLIAD for use in re­ questing interlibrary loan materials. Preparation for the music seminar gave librarians from each area the opportunity to ask questions of each other, observe and perform sample searches, and have the re­ sults explained from a technical perspective. O ur informal study rem inded us that people from different departm ents ap p ro a c h the same search with outlooks form ed accord­ ing to their relationship to and understand­ ing of the catalog. O ur audiovisual librarian contributed her know ledge of music. The reference and in­ struction librarian focused on how to present clearly the information to the students and faculty. O ur cataloger added her in-depth know ledge of cataloging rules, particularly those of authority, in order to help us better understand and later explain music-specific search strategies to the audience. Each per­ spective enhanced our success and em pha­ sized how our joint efforts contributed to the satisfaction of our users. Seminar plan­ ning and the presentation gave us opportu­ nities to appreciate our ow n and others’ roles in providing services to our users, services which no single individual could accomplish unaided. Future d ire ctio n s Each librarian at Lupton Library, regardless of department, staffs the reference desk two or more Saturdays each year. Therefore, par­ ticular importance lies in our staying current on database and catalog usage. We plan to provide short in-house seminars reciprocally. O ne m onth a reference librarian will be re­ sponsible for a 30-minute presentation and discussion of a particular database. The next C&RL News ■ January 2004 / 15 m onth the head of cataloging will present a brief seminar on demystifying serials hold­ ings. These sessions will occur at a consis­ tent time and day of the m onth in order to facilitate scheduling and planning. This in­ terdepartm ental interaction will also allow opportunities to suggest future sem inar top­ ics and to discuss innovative ways to pro­ vide even better service to our users. O ngoing nurturing of interdepartm ental cooperation and understanding enhances the stability and productivity of symbiotic rela­ tionships. Rumors of w ar and territorial ten ­ sions diminish w h e n people actively w ork together to u n d e rsta n d and su p p o rt each other. ( “Librarians . . . ” co n tin u ed fr o m p a g e 10) sessments both hard and “soft”— about the value of their partnerships. Front line librar­ ians work with their library administrations to share those stories upwards and outwards. In return, the institutions and communities sup­ ported by these partnerships reciprocate the support, even through difficult economic times. Library directors and front-line librarians n e e d to forge their ow n strategic partner­ ship, if libraries are to truly respond effec­ tively to the challenge of becom ing m ore relevant and m aking that relevancy better recognized outside of the library’s virtual or physical walls. Together, m anagem ent and front-line library staff need to identify and select those partnerships through w hich the library can make a real contribution to stu­ dent and faculty know ledge building through concrete achievements. Our goal as librarians should be to nourish these partnerships, make certain that the out­ comes are valuable to the community, and, most importantly, ensure that this value is clearly and broadly communicated. In this way, academic libraries will be better positioned to meet some of our most pressing challenges, such as declin­ ing budgets and charges of irrelevancy, because we will be active and essential partners in the core work of our academic communities—teach­ ing, learning, and research. Notes 1. Sharon Elteto and Donald G. Frank, “The Politics of Survival in the Postmodern Library,” Portal: Libraries a n d the Academy)), no. 3 (July 2003): 495. Notes 1. Will Manley, The Truth A b o u t Refer­ ence Librarians. (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1996), 8. 2. Ruby E. Miller and Barbara J. Ford, “Inform ation/Referenœ : A Relationship Be­ tw een Cataloging and Reference,” Texas Li­ brary Jou rn a l 66 (Summer 1990): 48-51. Elaine K. Rast, “Narrowing the Gap: Seri­ als Service Im proved by C ooperation Be­ tw een Technical and Public Services,” The Reference Librarian 27-28 (1989): 105-122. 3. Clara Ann Kuhlman, “H ow Catalogers Can Help the Reference Librarian,” Wilson Library Bulletin 26 (November 1951): 267- 269. ■ 2. See Tyrone H. Cannon’s president’s page on the ACRL Web site, www.ala.org/acrl, click on “President’s Page” (accessed December 4, 2003). 3. Concept taken from Michael Levine “Sell­ ing Goodness: The Guerilla P.R. guide to Pro­ moting your Charity, Non-Profit Organization, or Fundraising Event” (Los Angeles: Renaissance Books, 1998). 4. Louise Addis, “A Brief and Biased His­ tory of Preprint and Database Activities at the SLAC Library, 1 9 6 2 -1 9 9 4 ” (M enlo Park: S ta n fo rd U n iv e rs ity , 2002). w w w .s la c . stanford.edu/spires/papers/history.htm l, (ac­ cessed December 5, 2003). 5. Vannevar Bush, “As We May Think,” A t la n t ic M o n th ly , J u ly 1945. w w w . theatlantic.com /unbound/flashbks/com puter/ bushf.htm (accessed December 5, 2003). 6. Tim Berners-Lee, Weaving the Web: The Original Design a n d Ultimate Destiny o f the World Wide Web by its Inventor (New York: Harper, 1999), 46. 7. The arXiv.org e-print arcliive offers auto­ mated e-prints in the areas of nlin, math, cs, q- bio, and physics. 8. Referred to as HEPI, this was the “Read­ ers’ G uide” of particle physics until DESY ceased publication in 1994, redirecting all their print index effort to the online litera­ tu re d a ta b a s e , SPIRES-HEP. w w w .s la c . Stanford. e d u /s p ire s /h e p /. 9. Travis Brooks and Michael Peskin, Top Cited HEP Articles fr o m SPLRES-HEP D ata­ base, SLAC Library (Menlo Park: Stanford Uni­ versity, 2002). www.slac.stanford.edu/library/ topcites/ (accessed December 5, 2003). ■ http://www.ala.org/acrl http://www.slac theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/computer/ arXiv.org http://www.slac http://www.slac.stanford.edu/library/