Role of Library Faculty in a Team Environment

The reorganization of Cataloging Services at the Pennsylvania State University Libraries (PSU) in 1995 altered the responsibilities of library faculty and staff in a way that was not even imagined seven years ago. The hierarchical structure was eliminated and the beginning of an organization based on shared leadership and responsibility was created. In this environment, leadership is truly and fully shared, with all team members, faculty, and staff sharing responsibility for team activities including coordination, monitoring, work prioritization, and training. This article will focus on the roles that faculty librarians serve as members of teams that include paraprofessionals. That segment of team membership and its effect on team dichotomy will be examined in detail. Specifically this will be addressed as it applies to the team structure in Cataloging Services at the PSU Libraries