From trial to implementation, technical services staff play an important role in shaping awareness of, and expectations for, new resources. Internally, technical services staff provide information and instruction to public services staff. Externally, they influence how new resources are integrated into the library website and other platforms. With appropriate “message control,” technical services staff can positively influence awareness of new resources while keeping everyone’s expectations in check. During fall 2015, technical services staff at Georgia Southern University adopted a protocol for new resource rollouts that explicitly times and structures internal and external communications to ensure that all library staff are ready to support new resources as they go live. This protocol focuses on providing appropriate lead-time notifications to public services staff and “training the trainers” first, prior to releasing any external communications. Furthermore, this protocol integrates with activities of the library’s promotion committee, supporting smooth transition to public services promotion of new resources. During this session, presenters will discuss this protocol in detail, with special emphasis on timing of internal and external communications, the importance of providing sufficient staff training and support materials early on, and the importance of maintaining objectivity and accuracy in all rollout communications and assets. Presenters will share protocol planning tools and worksheets, describe how these are integrated into implementation workflows, and engage participants in discussion about the role of technical services in new resource rollouts. Presenters: Jeff Mortimore & Debra Skinner Zach S. Henderson Library Georgia Southern University

1. SHAPING EXPECTATIONS:
DEFINING AND REFINING THE ROLE OF TECHNICAL
SERVICES IN NEW RESOURCE ROLLOUTS
JEFF MORTIMORE & DEBRA SKINNER
ZACH S. HENDERSON LIBRARY
GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

2. AGENDA
• Explore the technical and public services nexus from the perspective of new
resource rollouts.
• Locate the rollout process within the electronic resources lifecycle.
• Describe Henderson Library’s technical services protocol for new resource rollouts.
• Describe rollout communication practices and tools.
• Review rollouts to date.
• Discuss impact, lessons learned, and next steps.
JM

3. PUBLIC & TECHNICAL SERVICES NEXUS
• From the user’s perspective, service is service.
• The distinction between technical and
public services exists only internally.
• All library services ideally contribute to a
unified customer service experience.
• The expectation of a unified experience is
patron-driven, “making clear communication
between Technical Services and Public Services
of even greater importance” (Laskowski &
Maddox Abbott, 2014, p. 27).
Unified
Customer
Experience
Reference &
Instructional
services
Collections &
Access-
related
services
Facilities-
related
services
IT &
Systems-
related
services
DS

4. NEW RESOURCE ROLLOUTS – IT TAKES TWO…
• Require intentional coordination between technical and public services.
• “New” doesn’t always mean recently acquired.
• May be needed at various stages in the life of a resource:
• Trial or acquisition of a new resource.
• Consortial acquisitions or cancellations.
• New platform or user interface.
• New content, services, or integrations.
• User inquiry or troubleshooting requests.
• Require judgement regarding internal and external perceptions of “newness” and
change:
• For example, WorldCat Discovery.
DS

5. ROLLOUTS & THE ELECTRONIC RESOURCES LIFECYCLE
Fig. 1. Electronic resources lifecycle, included in the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resources
Librarians. Adapted from Pesch, 2009. Copyright 2009 by EBSCO Industries, Inc. Adapted without permission.
So, where do rollout-
related tasks overlap
with the electronic
resource lifecycle?
• Technical Services often is the “first
owner” of any electronic resource
during acquisition and initial setup.
• Technical Services remains invested
in the quality of mediation as we
provide ongoing support.
DS

6. • Technical Services
• Consistently promote awareness of new resources and services.
• Ensure personnel have needed information as rollouts expand to university community.
• Liaison Librarians
• Provide notification of changes early for reference and liaison work.
• Encourage aggressive promotion to faculty.
• Faculty
• Celebrate the new; preempt confusion or disappointment.
• Increase student use through faculty awareness and buy-in.
• Students
• Direct marketing to the library-savvy.
AUDIENCE & MESSAGE
DS

7. • Most configuration work
complete before any Go-
Live announcements.
• Resource is “live” well
before the Go-Live date.
COMMUNICATIONS TIMELINE
Stage Week +/- Date(s) Implementation Tasks Communication Tasks
Trial
☐ Obtain base URL(s)
☐ Verify IP range at vendor
☐ Verify proxy settings
☐ Create A-Z list link assets
☐ Test link assets (local, remote, mobile)
☐ Trial open notice to liaisons
☐ Trial participant notices
☐ Adoption decision
☐ Trial close notices
Adoption and
Staging
☐ Configure link resolver
☐ Catalog (database & journals)
☐ Set OCLC holdings
☐ Test link resolver and catalog assets
☐ Draft internal FAQ post
☐ Release adoption notice to liaisons
Go-Live
Announcement
Go-Live
-2 weeks
☐ Liaison training ☐ Release liaisons Go-Live announcement
Go-Live One
Week Notice
Go-Live
-1 week
☐ Finalize internal FAQ post
☐ Draft external FAQ post
☐ Draft faculty-ready copy
☐ Draft blog announcement
☐ Draft Faculty announcement
☐ Liaison training
☐ Release liaisons Go-Live reminder
☐ Release internal FAQ post
Go-Live Date 0
Public Release
Go-Live
+1 day max
☐ Revise internal FAQ post
☐ Finalize external FAQ post
☐ Finalize faculty-ready copy
☐ Finalize blog announcement
☐ Finalize faculty announcement
☐ Liaison training
☐ Release liaisons Go-Live release
announcement
☐ Release faculty-ready copy
☐ Release external FAQ post
☐ Release blog announcement
☐ Release Faculty announcement
• Conduct final testing and
create support materials.
• Focus on building liaison
awareness prior to public
promotion.
• Public promotion and
support begins at Go-Live.
• Liaisons & Promotion
Committee take over!
JM

8. • Text
LIAISON ANNOUNCEMENTS & SUPPORTS
Stage Week +/- Date(s) Implementation Tasks Communication Tasks
Go-Live
Announcement
Go-Live
-2 weeks
☐ Liaison training ☐ Release liaisons Go-Live
announcement
Go-Live One
Week Notice
Go-Live
-1 week
☐ Finalize internal FAQ post
☐ Draft external FAQ post
☐ Draft faculty-ready copy
☐ Draft blog announcement
☐ Draft Faculty announcement
☐ Liaison training
☐ Release liaisons Go-Live
reminder
☐ Release internal FAQ post
Go-Live Date 0
Public Release
Go-Live
+1 day max
☐ Revise internal FAQ post
☐ Finalize external FAQ post
☐ Finalize faculty-ready copy
☐ Finalize blog announcement
☐ Finalize faculty announcement
☐ Liaison training
☐ Release liaisons Go-Live release
announcement
☐ Release faculty-ready copy
☐ Release external FAQ post
☐ Release blog announcement
☐ Release Faculty announcement
Two emails prior to
Go-Live, one
following.
Liaison-focused
training and
communication
supports.
The two weeks leading up to Go-Live give the liaisons time to train on and test the
resource, ask questions, and request any corrections or additional support.
JM

9. Liaisons Go-Live Announcement (Go-Live +2 weeks):
“The anticipated go-live date for OverDrive @ Georgia Southern is Wednesday, February 3rd. OverDrive
allows users to read or listen to popular eBooks and audiobooks directly on their computers and mobile
devices. It is available now via the Catalog and the A-Z Database List.
On Wednesday, January 27th, we will send out an update email and release an internal FAQ post
providing instructions on how to set up and use OverDrive. On Wednesday, February 3rd, we will
release an external FAQ post, blog post, GSFAC announcement, and faculty-ready language for you to
use to promote OverDrive to students and your liaison areas.”
Liaisons Go-Live Reminder (Go-Live +1 week):
“As announced last week, the anticipated go-live date for OverDrive @ Georgia Southern is Wednesday,
February 3rd. OverDrive allows users to read or listen to popular eBooks and audiobooks directly on
their computers and mobile devices. It is available now via the Catalog and the A-Z Database List.
See the following internal FAQ post for information about setting up OverDrive on your mobile device:
http://georgiasouthern.libanswers.com/eteam/faq/117642
On Wednesday, February 3rd, we will release an external FAQ post, blog post, GSFAC announcement,
and faculty-ready language for you to use to promote OverDrive to students and your liaison areas.”
LIAISON ANNOUNCEMENTS
JM

10. Print Demand-Driven Acquisitions (PDDA)
• Library adopted PDDA early October 2015.
• Each OPAC/Discovery interface presents PDDA
features and form somewhat differently,
requiring unique instructions for each.
• Internal FAQ post distributed with liaisons Go-
Live reminder (Go-Live -1 week).
• Internal FAQ post revised leading up to Go-Live,
then adapted as patron-focused FAQ post.
INTERNAL FAQ POSTS (GO-LIVE +1 WEEK)
JM

11. • If needed, Technical Services provides “faculty-
ready copy” to liaisons and the Promotions
Committee.
• Supports message control, especially with:
• “Politically charged” adoptions or changes.
• Unique or complicated resources or services.
FACULTY-READY COPY
JM

12. PATRON-FACING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Stage Week +/- Date(s) Implementation Tasks Communication Tasks
Go-Live Date 0
Public Release
Go-Live
+1 day max
☐ Revise internal FAQ post
☐ Finalize external FAQ post
☐ Finalize faculty-ready copy
☐ Finalize blog announcement
☐ Finalize faculty announcement
☐ Liaison training
☐ Release liaisons Go-Live release
announcement
☐ Release faculty-ready copy
☐ Release external FAQ post
☐ Release blog announcement
☐ Release Faculty announcement
External FAQ post
adapts content to
patron audience.
Blog post on library
homepage includes
link to external
FAQ.
Announcement to
faculty listserv
includes links to
external FAQ and
blog posts.
The final Go-Live
release announcement
and faculty-ready copy
include links to the
external FAQ and blog
posts, which liaisons
can use to recapitulate
and extend promotion.
JM

13. Flipster
• Library rolled out Flipster in Spring 2016.
• Flipster includes a unique user interface and
dedicated mobile app, both of which require
mediation.
• Patron-focused external FAQ distributed at Go-
Live via liaison and faculty announcements, and
via library blog.
• External FAQ also employed as Flipster’s
detailed description on our A-Z Database list.
EXTERNAL FAQ POSTS – FROM LIAISON TO PATRON SUPPORT
JM

14. EXTERNAL BLOG POSTS
Homepage blog
posts are further
promoted via
Facebook and
Twitter by our
Promotions
Committee.
JM

15. “The Henderson Library now subscribes to OverDrive!
With OverDrive you can browse, check out, and read or listen to popular fiction and nonfiction
books on your computer and mobile devices. In addition to working with your browser,
OverDrive offers mobile apps for most popular devices and e-readers, including Android, iOS,
Kindle, Nook, and Windows Phone.
OverDrive is available in the Catalog and on the A-Z Database List. Individual titles can be found
in the Catalog and Discover. OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks may be checked out for up to 14
days, and are automatically returned to the library when they are due.
For more information, see our recent blog post. To set up your account and install the OverDrive
app on your mobile device, see this FAQ post.
If you have any questions, please contact the Information Services Desk at (912)478-5645.”
FACULTY LISTSERV ANNOUNCEMENTS
JM

16. • With the exception of the FAQ posts, all
communications are drafted and submitted
for approval in a single Word document.
• A lot of language and links are similar across
communications, so a single document saves
time and helps with tracking.
• “Map” indicates that the content of one FAQ
post was mapped to another, rather than
rewritten (a feature of LibAnswers).
ROLLOUT COPY TEMPLATE
JM

17. New Resource
• BrowZine
• Flipster
• Choice Reviews Online
• IOP Science
• New York Times in Education
• New York Times Online
• OverDrive
New Interface, Content, or Service
• AP Videos (improved discovery layer access)
• CIQ NetAdvantage (new interface)
• EBSCO eBooks Mobile Apps (newly supported service)
• EBSCO Journal Alerts (newly supported service)
• eBrary (new titles)
• Flipster (new titles)
• Films on Demand (new titles)
• Gale Literary Databases (new interface)
• Ovid (new interface)
• Print Demand-Driven Acquisitions (new service)
• Savannah Historic Newspapers (new interface)
• West GA Historic Newspapers (new interface)
• WorldCat Discovery (new interface)
ROLLOUTS TO DATE – 33 FROM 8/15 TO 5/16
DS

18. • Impact on patron awareness and usage is hard to quantify, however…
• Internally, impact has been considerable:
• Improved relationship between technical and public services.
• Increased number of questions received regarding rollouts.
• Increased number of FAQ posts created as result of troubleshooting requests.
• Good evidence of improved patron awareness:
• Rollouts expand the reach of consortial communications.
• Communications are easily recognizable, as opposed to “just another email.”
• President’s response to rollout of new resource, OverDrive.
IMPACT & LESSONS LEARNED
DS

19. • Cancellations (Rollbacks?).
• Make FAQs more public.
• Increase public services’
support autonomy.
• Expand assessment.
NEXT STEPS
JM

20. References
• Connaway, L. S. (2015). The Library in the Life of the user: Engaging with people where
they live and learn. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research. Retrieved from http://www.oclc.org/
content/dam/research/publications/2015/oclcresearch-library-in-life-of-user.pdf
• Laskowski, M. S. (2015). Technical services for changing times: Adjusting our image, our
skills, and our mission. Library Leadership & Management, 29(4), 1-9. Retrieved from
https://journals.tdl.org/llm/index.php/llm/article/viewFile/7139/6346
• Laskowski, M. S. and Maddox Abbott, J. A. (2014). The evolution of technical services:
Learning from the past and embracing the future. Technical Services Quarterly, 31(13),
13-30. doi:10.1080/07317131.2014.844619
• Pesch, O. (2009). ERMs and the e-resource life-cycle [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/ERLifeCycle
• Van Belleghem, S. (2015). When digital becomes human: The transformation of
customer relationships. London, England: Kogan Page, 2015.
QUESTIONS?