From Integration to the 2CUL Technical Services Initiative (TSI)

The original vision of TSI called for one integrated technical service operation to serve both campuses. After 18 months of time and staff investment, we are at a point to re-examine the viability of TSI.

The Known Barriers:

  1. Columbia and Cornell staff may not supervise staff at the partner library.  Overhead for supporting two administratively separate, broadly-scoped operations will significantly erode any ongoing savings generated by the project.
  2. Neither library may authorize spending of the other’s money.
  3. Uncertainty about the purchase of a new ILS has hampered planning efforts.

Action Plan and Rationale:

  1. Change the focus of TSI from 2CUL Technical Services Integration to the 2CUL Technical Services Initiative. Integration of nearly 150 library staff will not be expected.
  2. TSI planners will focus on areas of more promising collaborative projects and alliances, and determine such collaboration on the basis of four driving factors: quality, productivity, improvement, and innovation. 
  3. Test and assess collaborative efforts based on the criteria defined above and for their strategic value in addressing the priorities of the individual institutions.
  4. Continue the middle-out approach to TSI planning to leverage the experience and expertise of staff at all levels, as well as engaging and building support among key mid-level staff who will ultimately need to carry the initiative(s) forward.
  5. Continue to build on the excellent contributions of the TSI Working Groups in Phase 1 (information-gathering) by examining more deeply the differences in 2CUL institutional culture, practices, and the reasons for them.
  6. Pursue additional research into the broader landscape of collaboration among libraries in order to better situate the 2CUL TSI experience within this trend and to share what we are learning with other ARL libraries.
  7. Participate in discussions on Alma implementation strategy and timing.
  8. Rekindle the positive energy of TSI.  Build and maintain the Technical Services Initiative from the ground up, while leading from the middle-out.
  • No labels