The Libraries of New York University and Columbia University will host the symposium Access Services in the 21st Century. The single-day symposium will take place on Thursday, 11 March 2004 at the Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for University Life at NYU.

The objectives of the symposium are to:

  • Exchange information about what each of our institutions are currently doing or planning for the near-term.
  • Explore challenges confronting access services.
  • Share solutions that may be exportable to other institutions.

Access Services in the 21st Century will provide an opportunity for access services practitioners from among the larger research libraries to gather to share experiences, insights and best practices with each other.

The planned topics for discussion include:

  • Library Open Spaces - coffee shops, all night study spaces, special reading rooms, etc. What impact do they have on Access Services? The Libraries? How are these spaces used? Are they worth it?

    Facilitators: Nancy Kress (Chicago) and Peter Jaffe (NYU)
    Recorders: Chris Grygo (Columbia) and Johnny Weyand (Harvard)
  • Electronic Services and E-Reserves. Electronic Document Delivery (EDD), Courseware software, Web Services, Patron Empowerment features, Self Check systems, and the like. How are these integrated in the library and what effect do they have on "traditional" services and staff?

    Facilitators: Mary Giunta (Columbia) and Carmen Blankinship (Cornell)
    Recorders: Ken Harlin (Columbia) and Rose Harrington (Stanford)
  • Customer Service and Quality Control: Are these at odds? Setting service standards (for shelving, desk attending, check-in to shelf turnaround, etc.) Managing abusive patrons and patron problems. How can both be done well to the benefit of the library and the patron?

    Facilitators: Bill Austin (Columbia) and Cathy von Elm (U Penn)
    Recorders: John Kimbrough (Chicago) and Susan Burdick (Yale)

This symposium will take place in conjunction with the Columbia University Libraries sponsored Reference Services Symposium to be held on Friday, 12 March 2004 at Columbia University.

Kimberly Burke Sweetman (NYU)
Trevor Dawes (Columbia)
Peter Jaffe (NYU)
Curtis Kendrick (Columbia)