Written by: Lottie Say

Have you ever wondered how many people it takes to keep our library so enjoyable? While Librarians are widely recognized as information professionals who organize and connect people with resources, many other roles contribute to the library’s smooth operation. Behind-the-scenes responsibilities are handled by specialized staff such as the Project Facilities Coordinator who executes installation and equipment management of the Ellis Library building, or the E-Learning & Web Information Specialist who supports online discovery through the library website. The University of Missouri libraries are home to an abundance of staff. I am thrilled to share the roles of those who are not always visible but are essential to the daily success of our libraries.

An example of one of our hidden gems is the Copyright Team. This team is in charge of reviewing the copyright policy periodically, and providing support for professors and researchers wanting to learn more about copyright decisions, permissions and more. The Copyright team also serves as a liaison to University legal counsel to advise on copyright issues! I received a quote from one of our librarians describing more about the Copyright Team, “The Libraries Copyright Team is currently composed of a librarian with copyright as one of their functional areas, our Repository Services librarian, our Director of Digital Initiatives, heads of Teaching & Learning and Access Services, respectively, and our Associate University Librarian for the Research, Access, and Information Services Division.” While the work of this team happens behind-the-scenes, this multidisciplinary force serves as a vital pillar to protect the integrity of our daily resources. 

A second example of a concealed treasure is the Access Services Department. This department houses several vital units such as Shelving and Circulation, but to understand the hidden impact of Access Services, we must look at Resource Sharing/ILL (interlibrary loans). This team is split into two groups, supplying and requesting. If a student or faculty member were in need of a specific article, they could request this book to be found among all of the Missouri libraries. If this article is found online from our collection, on the web, from the University Depository, or other subject libraries on campus, the Resource Sharing/ILL – Requesting unit could find it within minutes to an hour. If the article requested is somewhere overseas, it might take just a bit longer! Ivy Hui, Head of the Resources Sharing/ILL – Requesting unit, summarizes her duties, “My primary role is to make sure the ILL requests placed by our users [MU faculty, staff & students] are obtained in a reasonable time manner (from minutes, hours to months), with my assistant staff.” 

On the flip side, the article must be received by the Resources Sharing/ILL – Supplying unit, this team handles the reverse of this process. While the Requesting unit brings in the requested media, the Supplying crew shares MU’s vast collections with those requesting beyond our libraries. This unit processes incoming requests from other institutions, books are pulled from our shelves and articles are scanned from our databases to fulfill academic communities all over the world. Libraries everywhere would not be the same without the request and supply process. 

Our university is incredibly grateful for the efforts of our library faculty; the library is more than just a building full of books! Feeling intrigued about our staff? Click here to explore the roles that nourish our libraries daily!