Changes are coming to "New (and New to Us) Materials in the BDC" Column

I am so accustomed to having to do such a variety of work tasks on my own due to almost perpetual staffing challenges in the past that I am having to learn what I can let others do to advance the BDC's unit goals on my behalf. I am getting a bit better at it but there's still improvements to be made. 

It's been awhile since I've had time to compile an update about what's new and new to us here in the Research Room. So long in fact that we ran out of room on the display shelves and have had to rotate some titles to the closed storage area for lack of display space several times. Rather than continue to delay, I've decided to redeploy some of the BDC's current resources for greater productivity. 

In other words, I really don't have to do this particular column myself. Thus, ch-ch-ch-ch-changes are on the horizon with regard to how the BDC let's you know about our recently arrived materials.  I have competent staff who are able to help with this task on a regular basis. Of course, I'll still have to put my 2 cents worth in and edit the column - but that is a far less onerous task than writing summaries of umpteen new materials for the column. As you know, 'tis far easier to edit than to create. Besides which, I am the materials selector so I already know what's coming in whereas Cassandra and Sydney do not. 

Now that Sydney is in the Reading Room to assist customers but often has some downtime between customers and/or has a mix of customers who need a lot of hands-on one to one help using our resources and those who do their research largely independently of staff assistance - though researchers are always under BDC staff supervision -- and since this is yet another way in which Sydney can "learn" the BDC's collection as she goes along and she writes well, I have decided to turn over the reins for a quarterly summary of "New (and New to Us) Materials in the BDC" to Sydney. Cassandra will add information about the archival collections she's processing, too. Some quarters the write-up will be long; in other quarters the write-up may be quite short. 

But first, we have to catch up as there is a considerable amount of new and new-to-us materials to highlight for you. The three of us have decided that the catch-up will result in two columns: Sydney will do the library materials in one column and Cassandra will do the archives materials from July 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025 in another column. We are aiming for the catch-up posts to be uploaded to Connections in mid-to-late April. 

Thereafter expect a "New (and New to Us) Materials in the BDC" post in mid-to-late July 2025; mid-to-late October 2025; and in mid-to-late January 2026, etc. I made this decision in order to comply with some of the Communication Strategies in the Library's current Strategic Plan, viz.:

• Deliver timely, relevant communication both internally and externally
• Inform and educate cardholders through print and digital media/communications