Fundamentals of Technical Services (Ala Fundamentals)

Written by librarians working and teaching on the front lines, this guide uses a functional, hands-on approach to lay out the basics of technical services, from acquiring new materials to making them available to library users. Perfect for those just moving into the profession, as well as library staff in need of a brush up, Fundamentals of Technical Services concisely examines

• What precisely Technical Services are, with a brief history of the field
• Collection development and acquisitions, including budgeting, ordering, and receiving
• Metadata and cataloging, from MARC to RDA
• Dealing with different kinds of materials, including books/monographs, serials, video, audio, and electronic/e-resources
• The basics of physical processing
• Systems such as ILS, ERM, and EDI
• Collection maintenance issues such as book repair/preservation and weeding
• Authority control and database maintenance
• Vendors, contracts, workflow, and other administrative functions
• Forward-looking analysis of important trends and developments such as pricing, consortia/co-ops, languages of materials, and outsourcing

Complete with a handy glossary, this primer provides essential coverage of the broad array of technical services and how the library's back-office operations work together.