Computer Technology staffing at Research Libraries

[David Johnson]

This is an information request and possibly a research question for 
librarians.  I hope it is appropriate here.

Our Libraries at MIT are in the process of planning and investigating 
possible options for structuring technical computer hardware/software 
support to the libraries.  We would like to gain your thoughts and insights 
from experience in your library.  Perhaps there already are publications on 
this topic as well which would give some very up-to-date quantitative 
information.  If so, we would love to know what is out there with shich you 
might be familiar.  We are really looking for material or information from 
the year 2000 or 2001, not 1990's information.

We have 11 libraries with 2.5 million items all in Cambridge Massachusetts, 
and several options for digital delivery, storage, and database/e-jounal 
subscriptions.

Staffing of positions for the libraries in the hardware/software areas is a 
curious and challenging issue for us.   We are most curious about how other 
leading academic research libraries have tackled the staffing 
issue.  Ideally we would like to see organizational charts, etc.   But we 
will certainly settle for what we can get here!   Please don't feel you 
have to  spend all day and all night answering these general
questions. Ballpark figures are better than none.  Feel free to leave out 
answers about money if you don't know or can't disclose that. Feel free 
also to send this material directly to me if you do not want others on this 
list to see it.

Thanks
David Johnson
Library Technology Consultant
MIT Libraries
77 Mass Ave  Room 14-0615
Cambridge, MA 02139      617-253-9327
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If some of you kind folk in academic research libraries, (like those at 
major colleges and universities), would give us the low-down on how you are 
put together, we would be mighty appreciative.

  Here are some questions

In your college or university setting:

How many Students are there ? Undergrad/ Graduate/ Total
How many Campuses?
In how many different cities/towns are these campuses in?
How many total items does your library have in in its holdings?
How many library FTE's (full time equivilent employees)
How many total square feet of floor space if known?

How many FTE's in computer/network support on library payroll?

How many web design/digital rights management software/ database 
management/ other software specialist type FTE's on library payroll?
What do you call them?   Do you have job descriptions you can share to help 
us define and relate our staff positions to yours?

How many dollars are spent per year by library budget on just 
hardware?  How does this break down?

How many dollars are spent per year on FTE's  (personnel costs with 
fringe)  for computer/network hardware/software support?   Does this 
include digital rights management?   Web support?  etc.

How many FTE  MLS librarian positions are on the library payroll?

What outside support, development, management or other hardware, software, 
programming, troubleshooting, repair, or other services are availabe to you 
and at what dollar cost to the libraries?  For example,  the university 
computer "server farm" or "data center" may house and maintain the servers 
used by your library management system along with the academic records 
computers, accounting and business services mainframes for the entire 
college. Another example would be hiring a web design consultant firm to 
design the web pages for your library. Again, this is work performed on 
behalf of the libraries, but work that is not done by library staff 
members.  This might be either a "hidden" cost or  a hidden "in kind" 
contribution to the library's  bottom line. Any light you can shed on these 
values and costs would be helpful.


Thanks in advance for your information!


David Johnson
Library Technology Consultant
MIT Libraries
77 Mass Ave  Room 14-0615
Cambridge, MA 02139      617-253-9327