Zahra S.

Unda August 29, 2023

LIS131 Gg Tuesday

TIME SERVED IS TIME WELL SPENT— MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR SERVICE COMMITMENTS
Michelle Mach

What is service? Several reasons for this confusion about service activities of academic librarians. First, librarianship
is a service-oriented profession. Second, every library, and probably every librarian, defines service differently.
Finally, research and scholarly/creative activities capture substantially more attention in articles, books, and
conference programs than service. This chapter will discuss the reasons for participating in service, the many types
and levels of service available, how to select appropriate activities, and how to present your achievements for
evaluation.

Why Do Service?
Why do librarians participate in service activities? The cynic might say, “Because it’s required.” It is true—for many
librarian positions on college and university campuses, it is a job requirement. Even though this may be the initial
reason some librarians get involved, it is not usually the reason they continue. Some common reasons for
participating in service are:
 learning about others,
 having a positive impact on someone’s life,
 sharing expertise and ideas,
 developing new skills or deepening existing ones,
 networking and meeting new people,
 becoming part of a community,
 raising the visibility/respect of the library, and
 having fun.
In addition, specific service activities may reap specific benefits. Priscilla K. Shontz notes, “Serving on search or
selection committees allows you to see what your colleagues and supervisors notice in resumes. It allows you to see
others’ resumes, and allows you to learn for your own future job interviews” (Shontz, Jump Start …, p. 63). Some
activities affect your institution, not just yourself. Kathy A. Turner (Florida Institute of Technology) discovered that
serving as Faculty Senate President “made a huge difference in how librarians are perceived on campus.”
Participation in service may also lead to opportunities in other areas.

Types of Service Activities

Committee work is the foundation of much campus and professional service. In fact, some librarians may view
“committee work” and “service” as interchangeable terms. Committees may be labeled as working groups, teams,
task forces, boards, councils, or round tables, but their purpose is the same: to carry out a particular charge. Some
are permanent groups with long-term goals, and others are ad hoc groups brought together for short-term tasks.
Some may focus on discussing issues, while others work toward a specific output such as a conference program or
scholarship award. Some groups may do both. Committees may be comprised of librarians, administrators, faculty,
staff, students, or community members, with membership ranging from two or three members to more than twenty.

Campus Service
Campus service may include both library and university work, depending on your institution. (Some libraries view
library committee work as part of your job, rather than as service.) Both library and campus service commonly
includes faculty governance, awards/scholarships committees, and search committees.

Library service opportunities may also include standing committees, particularly for cross-department issues like
the library catalog, the Web site, or even social activities. Short-term task forces often investigate and recommend
new library policies, resources, or services. Libraries may offer noncommittee service, such as organizing a library
book sale, designing a Web page, or assisting a patron focus group. All library service offers a way to meet librarians
and staff, often from different units and with different levels of experience. Depending upon the committee
appointment schedule, a short-term committee may provide the quickest way for new librarians to become involved.
As a bonus, short-term committees often have a cutting-edge focus, providing excellent background for future
presentations or research

University or college committee opportunities may include thesis/dissertation, budgets, grievance resolution,
curriculum, publications, information technology or campus computing, student life, or athletics. There is
often a library committee at the university level, providing the library representative with an outsider’s view of the
library. University committees often require multi-year commitments and appointments may be highly competitive.

Although university committees can be intimidating, they do offer an excellent way to figure out who the major players
are and how things work at your particular institution. How is a college class added to the catalog? What causes
some students to go on academic probation? How much money does the athletic department bring in, anyway? How
do teaching faculty really feel about the library? Being able to confidently answer such questions, even if only for
yourself, will help you feel more at home at your institution.

One way to become actively involved in a campus committee is to offer your skills as a librarian. For example, you
might offer to research a topic of interest to the committee, such as the effect of smaller class size on student
performance.

In addition to formal committees, you might also consider working with a particular population on campus. These
groups may include racial, ethnic, or religious groups; adult learners; Greek organizations; disabled students;
athletes; first generation college students; student government; international students; or honor societies. Your role
with such groups will likely be less structured than formal committee assignments, maximizing your creativity and
flexibility. Offer these groups library tours, instruction sessions, Web site design, research assistance, or whatever
your areas of strength will allow you to provide.

Michael J. McLane (Central New York Library Resources Council), an academic librarian and library administrator for
more than thirty years, observes that “the most enjoyable [campus] activities often involved working with/for students
in nonlibrary situations.” Many academic librarians agree. Other librarians offer talks on librarianship as part of career
day sessions. Another possibility is to help the groups achieve their own goals, like raising funds or organizing a
conference.

Sometimes the size of your institution affects the kinds of campus opportunities available.

Professional Service
Library association work appeals to many librarians because it “provides opportunities to work on real issues. For all
that you read in books and study in library school, it is not the same as working to solve an issue that impacts your
library, position, or profession.” As a new librarian, it is easiest to become involved in your state or regional library
association. Some libraries encourage service in national library organizations such as the American Library
Association (ALA), Special Libraries Association (SLA), REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library and
Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking) or the National American Serials Interest Group
(NASIG). The Library HQ site (www.libraryhq.com/orgs.html) lists most major library organizations.

New librarians do get appointments on national committees. Joining the New Members Round Table (NMRT) of
ALA is one path to national committee service. NMRT helps new librarians (those with fewer than ten years of ALA
membership) gain committee and leadership experience. Serving as an ALA committee intern is another way to
become involved. In addition to library organizations, subject specialists may also wish to join associations in their
discipline, such as the Modern Languages Association or the Society for Range Management. Some
associations, like the American Society for Engineering Education, have divisions or sections specifically related
to libraries. Nonlibrary organizations not only present a good way to keep current on your discipline and its major
issues but also provide a refreshing “outsider” point-of-view on library issues.

Some common professional service activities include editing journals or newsletters, developing bylaws and
procedures, creating related resources (either online or in print), judging competitions, arranging conference
programs or panels, and serving as a liaison to other organizations. Association committees typically focus on
primary job types or functions, current library issues, specific user populations, or library type. There are committees
for awards, publications, standards, budgets, planning, membership—the list is nearly endless. Large organizations
such as ALA even have a “Committee on Committees”!

In addition to committee appointments, there are also volunteer positions, such as listserv administrators,
Webmasters, or newsletter editors. A few volunteer positions offer a stipend, making it possible to attend conference
meetings. Another option is to start your own professional group.

Community Service
Community service offers the most opportunity for noncommittee work. Some libraries require that community service
use your professional skills. Activities might include volunteering at the public library, sitting on the school board, or
working with a local historical society.

Decisions, Decisions
As a new librarian, you may be appointed or “volunteered” for activities that do not interest you. Some library
administrators favor this “sink or swim” technique because it forces new librarians to immerse themselves
immediately in the academic environment. Try to make the best of it; you might be pleasantly surprised.

Eventually, you should initiate at least some of your own service activities.
 Think about what activities you enjoy or identify groups of people that you would like to work with.
 View any written policies at the library on service activities.
 Then talk to your supervisor, your mentor, the chair of the evaluation/review team, and your colleagues with
varying levels of tenure at that library. Ask to see vitas or annual lists of activities, preferably from those who
have experience levels similar to yours. (The vita of a senior academic librarian can be daunting!)

Do not be alarmed if everyone offers different advice; it may be simply that a wide range of activities are acceptable.
In your conversations, two perspectives will probably emerge.
 The first is that as a professional you should present a cohesive package. That is, your librarianship (your
primary job), your research/creative activity, and your service should join to form a cohesive whole.
 The second viewpoint advocates participation in any activity, regardless of how it relates to your other
duties. Sometimes this perspective is found at small college libraries where specialization is a luxury. It is
also a way to get started in your first job, or as a way to transition to a new one.
There is no reason that the two perspectives need to be exclusive; you can certainly tie most activities together with a
common theme and occasionally branch out to develop new skills.

In addition to considering how service may (or may not) fit with your other duties, you will want to
 examine the time factor.
 Examine your regular workflow.
 Be aware that depending on when you start your job, you may not be able to immediately find committee
work.
 Finally, consider the time required for all your service activities. Will you have enough time for your other
duties? If not, learn to say no, nicely but firmly
 Questions to Ask about Service
Ask Yourself:
 What kinds of activities do I enjoy?
 What skills would I like to learn or expand?
 Whom will I meet as a result of this service activity?
 What benefits might result from this activity?
 What size group do I feel comfortable working in?
 What can I offer to the group? How will I fit in?
 What are the costs (in time, money, effort) associated with the service activity?
 How does this service activity relate to my current job? To my research interests?
 What are the organization’s political leanings or mission? Do those mesh with my own?
 How does the time requirement mesh with my work schedule? My personal schedule?
 Will I be able to publish or present as a result of this activity?

Ask Your Supervisor, Mentor, or Colleagues:

 Is there financial support for service commitments (conference travel, for example)?
 What kind of service opportunities are the most highly valued at this institution? Is breadth or depth
favored?
 How closely should service activities be tied to my other duties like librarianship or research?
 How are librarians selected for library and university committees?
 How is library committee work viewed?
 How is editing or writing service viewed? (Does it count as research or service?)
 How much service is required? How is this measured (percentage of time, number of activities)?
 What level (community, university, state, national) of service is expected? What combination of
activities?
 Would it be possible to see a sample vita or activity summary listing service activities?
 What kinds of service activities are popular at this institution?
 What kinds of service activities would you recommend for a new librarian?
 How did you first get involved in service activities?
 What kinds of activities besides committee membership are acceptable?
 How often will my service activities be reviewed? Who will do the reviewing?
 What type and format or service documentation is expected?

Ask the Service Activity Coordinator:

 Will I be expected to attend in-person meetings at conferences? If so, how many times per year?
 How much work goes on in between meetings? Is this primarily done by individuals or teams?
 Is online or “virtual” service a possibility?
 What kinds of leadership opportunities are available?
 What skills are required or recommended?
 How easy is it to become involved? Is there a formal process in place?
 Does the committee have an “end product” (such as a conference program) or is it more of a discussion
group?
 What is the time commitment (number of hours, time of year, short-term, or ongoing?
 Getting Started
Once you have a handle on what counts as a service activity at your institution,
 view Web sites of organizations that interest you.
 Subscribe to listservs that interest you; many of them post calls for volunteers.
 Let colleagues at your current library and elsewhere know that you are interested in service.
 Many organizations have online forms for committee volunteers.

If possible,
 attend committee meetings in person before you decide. At those meetings, introduce yourself to the chair,
explain your interest in the committee and highlight any previous related experience.
 If an in-person meeting is not possible, send an e-mail message to the chair.
 If you are not invited to your first-choice committee, do not despair.

Sometimes you may get a terrific leadership opportunity sooner than you expected. If you feel up to the challenge, it
can have a very positive impact on your career.

Evaluation of Service Activities

Before your first tenure, merit, or annual evaluation, find out who will review your work (if the process is not a blind
review), whether this is a standing group or one with rotating membership, and the written and unwritten criteria.
Many review guidelines contain a sentence like this: It shall be the librarian’s responsibility to provide evidence of
successful service. At minimum, this “evidence” should include an updated vita or summary of activities.
 Spell out any acronyms on first usage, as people outside of your department, library, or university may
review your materials.
 Indicate committees that you chaired or in which you held a leadership role, such as secretary.
 Describe your activities in some detail.

Talk to your mentor or supervisor about the format and

content of expected documentation.
 One possibility includes writing a description
of the service, including the importance or
impact of the work, challenges,
accomplishments, time commitment, and your
specific role or contribution.
 You may be required to write a self-appraisal
or a description of your service philosophy,
that is, why did you get involved in these
particular groups and activities?

Think about how to highlight your contribution. A

description of service that includes the number of
applicants, amount of documentation reviewed, and a list
of award winners is more effective than the simple
statement “served on awards committee.” A photo of you
surrounded by hundreds of cans of food is more powerful
than “organized food drive.”

Reference:

Gregory, G. M. (n.d.). The successful academic librarian: winning strategies from library leaders. New Jersey:
Information Today, Inc.