NASIG 2014

This presentation (using Powerpoint) will outline the day to day practicalities of the job of an Electronic Resources Librarian (based on my experience in Dublin City University) in the context of the most recent version of the American Library Association's core competencies for the position. The objective of the talk is to make librarians feel less insecure in their jobs as they attempt to come to grips with the ever changing (technologies, social media, ecopyright etc.) landscape in modern academic libraries. Librarians will be encouraged to comment on their own experiences and how closely they match the speaker's (or not). A debate may ensue regarding just what level of expertise we are supposed to attain in the relative outlined competencies. An open and honest debate may also encourage publishers to come forward with their anxieties regarding ebook licensing, open access business models etc. While the talk is mainly aimed at Librarians, who will be reassured that they are not alone as they attempt to perform at the very best level in their positions and that there is plenty of help out there (from Listservs, usergroups, help documentation etc.), it should also be of interest to publishers and other vendors as they gain an understanding of what it is that librarians (their customers) do all day.