Factors Influencing Competency Perceptions and Expectations of Technical Services Administrators

Abstract

This study investigates the factors that influence perceived and expected daily task competencies for technical services administrators; that is, the competencies technical services administrators claim to possess (perceived) and those they believe they ought to possess (expected) in the areas of acquisitions, cataloging, and serials. For the purposes of this paper, a technical services administrator is defined as one who oversees, at a minimum, the acquisitions, cataloging, and serials units in his or her library. The author surveyed 116 technical services administrators via e-mail in fall 2003, receiving a response rate of 54 percent and an acceptable use rate of 53 percent. The survey was designed to correlate perceived and expected competencies with: (1) an incumbent’s professional background; (2) tenure in current position at present institution; and (3) size of technical services unit as measured in full-time equivalents (FTE). The study concludes that incumbent tenure and size of the technical services unit affect both perceived and expected competencies, with the latter having a greater effect. Professional background affects competency possession, but has only a marginal effect on competency expectation. The findings reveal that administrators with ten or more years in their current positions who have noncataloging backgrounds and at least ten FTE in their technical services units are least likely to know the daily procedures of their technical services units. Administrators with ten or more years in their current positions who have cataloging backgrounds and at least ten FTE in their technical services units are least likely to feel they ought to know the daily procedures of their technical services departments. These administrators are also least likely to have responsibilities that fall outside of technical services.