Innumerable questions to answer

Looking forward to next week and attending Peggy Johnson's workshop on Collection Development and Management.  Hoping to learn lots!  In this spirit of learning and continual education, I've put together my list of what I need to know as I morph into my new role (again, in no particular order):

• Our library's holdings; what are our collecting strengths and weaknesses?  How do I find this information?
• How are our patrons using the collections?  ARE they using the collections?
• Materials budget:  How is it allocated?  How is it monitored?  How do we spend the budget?
• Availability of reports; who knows what information is available?  How do I get the information - what will ALEPH give me? 
• What is our collection development policy (Ok, this one I already know; its OLD, I mean old, I mean 1991 old)
• Do we have any cooperative collection development agreements?  Currently working on some agreements, I know, with Jenica @ Potsdam  and other SUNY comprehensives
• Ok, vendors, scary vendors :) Which ones do we use?  How do I select vendors?  How do I evaluate vendors and their services?
• What are the local procedures for:  selecting materials, ordering materials, processing materials?  How does the ALEPH acquisitions module work?

I will be the first to admit that this would be a WHOLE heck of a lot easier if I could just ask my incumbent these questions, but this is such an awkward position to be in since the subject of leaving the position is not the person's doing.  Oh my...
Regardless, I hopefully can rely on my SUNY cohorts and network with other collection development librarians in the coming months.    So much to do!

Comments

[Jenica]

Seriously, I say again, call me anytime. :) 315-267-3328. I remember being in that position (except my incumbent retired 2 months after I arrived in Potsdam) all too well, and I'd be so happy to help you -- particularly with the ALEPH/reports/data side, since we share similar data sources.

Also - talk to your Acq clerk. I'll bet cold hard money that the person ordering the books knows a lot of these answers already.

[Kate]

Awesome - thanks so much, Jenica :) I will...your situation so sounds so much harder!