Library technical services

Library technical services are the processing and maintenance activities of a library's collection. These include:^[1]

• Identification: locating potentially worthwhile items to add to the collection
• Selection: deciding which of the identified items to add to the collection
• Acquisitions: securing the items for the collection
• Organization: indexing and cataloging the items acquired in a manner that will aid the end-user in locating materials in the collection
• Preparation: labeling, binding, repairing, conservation, and otherwise making items ready for (and maintained during) storage in a manner that allows for easy retrieval and maintenance of what is in a collection

Technical services may also include: maintenance of online catalogs, creation and maintenance of MARC records in the catalog, labeling, covering, security processing, and/or distribution of materials, maintaining a library's technology resources, such as servers, OPACs, circulation, scanners, and other devices.

Technical Services Resources

• OCLC - Webjunction^[2]
• Library of Congress - Resource Description and Access (RDA)^[3]

Technical Services Membership Opportunities

• ALA - Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS)^[4]
• Also see local state library associations and consortiums

References