Processing Committee

Charter:

Vision statement:

The Processing Committee promotes Processing’s role as Barton experts and problem solvers and as the dynamic link between Public and Collection Services. The committee leads and supports Processing’s efforts to ensure user ease of access to library resources. We continuously work to improve Processing and its contributions to serving the public.

Mission statement:

The Processing Committee, a functional group of Public Services, examines, develops and articulates the role processing staff plays in selecting, organizing, presenting, and preserving information resources for the MIT Libraries community. To accomplish this, the group:

  • Works to improve service to library staff and users by increasing accuracy, timeliness, and user-friendliness of our products and services.
  • Participates in decision and policy making system-wide concerning processing issues.
  • Anticipates and champions needed changes for local processing.
  • Consults and advises within the MIT Libraries concerning processing issues.
  • Seeks to improve communication with Collection Services and Public Services staff.
  • Develops, values, and promotes the processing staff’s extensive knowledge and expertise.
  • Represents and acts as an advocate for the processing staff in the MIT Libraries.
  • Develops policies and procedures for our units to ensure consistent practices across units when appropriate and to eliminate duplication of effort.

The Processing Committee will reexamine its mission annually and reassess the Committee’s role in our changing system.

Goals:

(Dates indicate when we intend to start working on a goal; items in pink are considered a priority)

  • As a new committee we seek to establish our role within the MIT Libraries. We will do that by:
    • creating a forum for local processing staff. (Sept)
    • establishing relationships with other committees as appropriate. (Fall semester)
    • working with selectors on a local basis to determine what support is needed and to acknowledge support already given. (Fall semester)
    • publicizing the work the committee and local processing units do. (ongoing)
    • advocating for the crucial role of the processing supervisors. (Aug-Oct)
    • determining our responsibilities and decision making areas. (ongoing)

     

  • We will assess the impact of Advance in order to identify problem areas and possible solutions in conjunction with the Third Barton Project. (Sept/Oct)

 

  • We will assist with the training and orientation and serve as a resource for new processing supervisors. (Aug-Oct)

 

  • We will create a local processing resource page on the web including procedures, policies, and other resources, capturing shared practices, and acknowledging local exceptions. We will evaluate procedures before posting them. (Spring semester; after 6.8 comes up)

 

  • We will develop a plan for measurement. (timing dependent on the measurement group starting)

 

Success Criteria:

By the end of the year the committee will have:

  • Successfully advocated for and participated in the hiring and orientation of new Processing Supervisors.
  • Held fora that were well-attended, participatory, and responsive to local processing issues.
  • Established dialogue/feedback between Processing Committee and our stakeholders (i.e. committees, selectors, departments).
  • Created an informative and well-used local processing resource page on the web.
  • Initiated work on our goals within the year and met our timetable.