Tectonic Shifts: Technical Services of Today
Registration is now open for NOTSL's virtual fall meeting to be held on October 3, 2025 via Zoom. The meeting will take place on Friday, 9:00a - 4:00p.
Click here to register through Eventbrite.
NOTSL is pleased to welcome the following speakers and their presentations
Tectonic Shifts: The Changing Landscape of Technical Services
Keynote speaker Steve Kelley, Head of Continuing Resources & Database Management at Wake Forest University, and CORE President Elect.
The morning session discusses the state of technical services in libraries today, while acknowledging where we've come from and offering some suggestions on where we might be going. Topics will include the growth of electronic collections/the shrinkage of physical collections, the increase in subscription models of acquisitions, artificial intelligence in technical services work, the use of BIBFRAM linked data model, the changing staffing needs of technical services departments, and more. He will discuss the enduring significance and necessity of technical services work, which provides the collections that define the very essence of libraries.
Steve Kelley is the Head of Continuing Resources & Database Management and a Senior Librarian at Wake Forest University, where he has worked for 23 years. He currently serves as the President-Elect of Core, a Division of the American Library Association. He is a former Chair of the Metadata & Collections Section of Core and a former President of NASIG. Steve has co-edited the book review column of Technical Services Quarterly for ten years and is a member of the Editorial Board of Serials Review.
Technical Services in Public Libraries
Lacie Griffin, Collection Development Manager, Johnson County Library, and Past Chair of CORE's Metadata and Collections Section
Lacie will present "Technical Services in Public Libraries". Public libraries are navigating a shifting landscape in technical services, where decisions around outsourcing versus in-house processing, digital access, and metadata ownership are more critical than ever. This program explores the evolving role of technical services in supporting access and discovery in both physical and digital collections. Panelists will examine the benefits and challenges of outsourcing cataloging and processing, discuss strategies for maintaining quality and control when services are outsourced, and address how digital platforms impact metadata creation and usage. The session will also dive into the question of bibliographic metadata ownership and why it matters for libraries. Attendees will gain insights into balancing efficiency, sustainability, and autonomy while ensuring equitable access and discoverability. This session is ideal for technical services staff, managers, and library leaders interested in strategic planning for the future of library collections.
With over 20 years of experience in library science and education, Lacie Griffin is a passionate and dedicated collection development manager. Her library's collection development department oversees the collection development, technical service, acquisitions and cataloging of materials, both physical and digital, for a 14-branch system. She is also a speaker and advocate for intellectual freedom, serving as the co-chair for the Intellection Freedom Committee for the Kansas Library Association. As co-chair, she serves as the project manager of the Office of Intellectual Freedom Helpline Grant for the state of Kansas.
Musings on Past, Present, & Future of Technical Services
Cynthia M. Whitacre, Sr Metadata Operations Manager at OCLC (recently retired)
Cynthia will present "Musing on Past, Present & Future of Technical Services". She will discuss the major changes she has seen during her career in cataloging and will emphasize the shifts that she sees occurring now with the use of artificial intelligence and the ongoing move to linked data.
Cynthia Whitacre has been a librarian for over 45 years, serving as ALA ALCTS (Association for Library Collections and Technical Services) Division President in 2010/11. ALCTS merged with LITA and LLAMA to form Core in 2020. Cynthia retired from OCLC in July 2025 after a 38-year career there, initially starting as a Retrospective Conversion Specialist in 1987 and retiring as a Manager of the Metadata Policy area. She was OCLC's primary liaison to the PCC (Program for Cooperative Cataloging) for over 10 years. Prior to OCLC, Cynthia worked in academic and special libraries.
Technical Services: The Next Generation
Daniel N. Joudrey, Professor and Director of the Libraries and Librarianship Concentration, Simmons University
"Technical Services: The Next Generation" explores how new librarians are boldly venturing into the ever-evolving world of cataloging and metadata. Based on real conversations and experiences with students and emerging professionals, Daniel N. Joudrey shares their hopes, concerns, fears, and expectations as they chart a course through the challenges and opportunities of technical services today. Join us for an honest, forward-looking conversation about the future of our field.
Daniel N. Joudrey is a Professor in the School of Library and Information Science, Simmons University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where he teaches information organization and cataloging. His research interests include aboutness determination, subject access to information, and cataloging education.
Bringing It All Together
Keynote speaker Steve Kelley
At the end of the day, Steve Kelley will summarize all of the sessions and discuss how they combine to provide us with takeaways from the day.
