Collecting and Selecting: A Tale of Training and Mentorship

Angela Henshilwood; Cristina Sewerin; Michelle Spence; Mindy Thuna; Tracy Zahradnik

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Improving and Understanding Engineering Collections and Publication
Tagged Division: Engineering Libraries
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34302
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34302
Download Count: 438

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Paper Authors

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Angela Henshilwood University of Toronto

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Angela has been a librarian at the University of Toronto's Engineering and Computer Science Library since February 2014. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Information Studies, both from the University of Toronto.

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Cristina Sewerin University of Toronto

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Cristina Sewerin is Science Collections Coordinator at University of Toronto Libraries in Toronto, Canada.

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Michelle Spence University of Toronto

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Michelle Spence is an Engineering & Computer Science Librarian at the University of Toronto. She holds a HBSc and a MISt, both from the University of Toronto. She has held positions in academic and public libraries, as well as a corporate setting.

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Mindy Thuna University of Toronto orcid.org/0000-0003-4223-8028

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Mindy Thuna completed a BSc. in Palaeontology (University of Toronto) in 1993, an MSc. in Vertebrate Morphology (University of Calgary) in 1997, and an MISt from the Faculty of Information Studies (University of Toronto) in 2005. Mindy worked at the UTM campus as a Science Liaison Librarian for 11 years before becoming the Head of the Engineering & Computer Science Library at the St. George campus in 2016. In 2019 Mindy took on the added role of Interim Associate University Librarian for Science and Research Information. In the times in between, she worked in education in a variety of different capacities, both nationally and internationally.

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Tracy Zahradnik University of Toronto

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Tracy Zahradnik is an Engineering Librarian at the Engineering and Computer Science Library at University of Toronto. She holds a BSc (Zoology, University of Guelph), MSc (Zoology, University of Guelph), MI (Library and Information Sciences, University of Toronto) and a PhD (Biology, Simon Fraser University).

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Abstract

The shifting landscape of collections development and management, in conjunction with changing staffing models and priorities, has required an evolution of selection responsibilities at the University of Toronto (U of T). An administratively complex library system with over 40 libraries and three campuses serving over 88,000 students, significant portions of the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) collections were historically built by selectors in the centralized Collection Development Department. Over the past decade, the model has evolved from a single individual selecting for all physical and applied sciences to many selectors, and of engineering and computer science disciplines have finally moved to a fully dispersed model where liaisons in the Engineering & Computer Science Library (ECSL) select for their liaison areas. Historically at the larger U of T Libraries, selection and liaison duties have been separate roles, ostensibly to let selectors and liaisons focus on developing the expertise and experience for their specific role. Over time, staffing levels at Engineering and Computer Science Library (ECSL) and librarian interest have necessitated a shift to a more distributed model for selection. In this paper, the authors will discuss how selection training has evolved over the years to become a robust program that includes ongoing mentorship and support, a new system-wide Collections Community of Practice initiative, and growing selector empowerment and capacity building in e-resource management and assessment through the resource lifecycle. As none of the current ECSL selectors were hired into their positions with selection duties but have had those duties added as the staffing model and requirements of the ECSL has changed, training and mentorship has become an important step in creating and maintaining the high-quality collections on which U of T prides itself. The paper will also look at the experience of the engineering and computer science librarians taking on selection for their liaison areas and the benefits and challenges of adding on the extra work and responsibility. The drawbacks and rewards of dispersing selection more generally will be discussed, as well as the mentorship and feedback in terms of collections philosophies as more experienced selectors train and mentor their colleagues new to this role.

Citation
Format

Henshilwood, A., & Sewerin, C., & Spence, M., & Thuna, M., & Zahradnik, T. (2020, June), Collecting and Selecting: A Tale of Training and Mentorship Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34302

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The shifting landscape of collections development and management, in conjunction with changing staffing models and priorities, has required an evolution of selection responsibilities at the University of Toronto (U of T). An administratively complex library system with over 40 libraries and three campuses serving over 88,000 students, significant portions of the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) collections were historically built by selectors in the centralized Collection Development Department. Over the past decade, the model has evolved from a single individual selecting for all physical and applied sciences to many selectors, and of engineering and computer science disciplines have finally moved to a fully dispersed model where liaisons in the Engineering &amp;amp; Computer Science Library (ECSL) select for their liaison areas. Historically at the larger U of T Libraries, selection and liaison duties have been separate roles, ostensibly to let selectors and liaisons focus on developing the expertise and experience for their specific role. Over time, staffing levels at Engineering and Computer Science Library (ECSL) and librarian interest have necessitated a shift to a more distributed model for selection.  In this paper, the authors will discuss how selection training has evolved over the years to become a robust program that includes ongoing mentorship and support, a new system-wide Collections Community of Practice initiative, and growing selector empowerment and capacity building in e-resource management and assessment through the resource lifecycle. As none of the current ECSL selectors were hired into their positions with selection duties but have had those duties added as the staffing model and requirements of the ECSL has changed, training and mentorship has become an important step in creating and maintaining the high-quality collections on which U of T prides itself. The paper will also look at the experience of the engineering and computer science librarians taking on selection for their liaison areas and the benefits and challenges of adding on the extra work and responsibility. The drawbacks and rewards of dispersing selection more generally will be discussed, as well as the mentorship and feedback in terms of collections philosophies as more experienced selectors train and mentor their colleagues new to this role.  
AU  - Angela Henshilwood
AU  - Cristina Sewerin
AU  - Michelle Spence
AU  - Mindy Thuna
AU  - Tracy Zahradnik
CY  - Virtual On line 
DA  - 2020/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Collecting and Selecting: A Tale of Training and Mentorship
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/34302
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--34302
ER  -