Library Technical Services served the 10 District college libraries and the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI). LTS procured and cataloged most of their materials (books, journals, video and sound recordings, computer software, and electronic resources), processed them for use, and supported their accessibility via the District's online union catalog.

Library catalog database upgrade. Upgrading the automated library catalog database began in 1998-1999. In 1999-2000 LTS loaded a supplementary database that controled the consistency of records in the library catalog. LTS also undertook a grant writing project to complete the catalog improvement project. Resulting from the work of cataloging assistants Monica Johnson and Kathleen Miller (in their first grant writing effort), the Arizona State Library awarded LTS over $3000.00 to replace the final 9,000 bibliographic records left unimproved from the previous year's enhancement project.

Electronic resources. LTS participated in training in the use of an experimental cataloging service, the Cooperative Online Resource Catalog (CORC), to enhance the cataloging of web sites, electronic books, and other information resources available remotely on the Internet. Online Computer Library Center (OCLC, Inc.), the developer, expects to offer the service live in 2000/2001.

Resource sharing. LTS also supported district interlibrary loans (ILL), the district's borrow/loan transactions with libraries across the United States. In 1999-2000 LTS received almost 4,000 ILL requests for materials held by Maricopa libraries, of which 37% were granted; and dispatched over 900 requests from Maricopa students and staff, of which 96% were successful.

Library Technical Services PSA staffing was stable in 1999-2000. There were no resignations, new hires, or internal transfers. The 2-position MAT technical support team was effectively reduced to one person by long-term illness.

In 1999/2000, LTS processed nearly 11,000 book and media orders and over 3700 periodical subscription requests; cataloged over 8200 new titles in the libraries' union catalog; and made nearly 17,000 new items available, either on the libraries' shelves or electronically.

Turnaround. Principal attention focused on "turnaround," the period required for LTS to make materials available to library users, measured from the point of order to the delivery of a physical item to the shelf. Recommended standards, agreed among the libraries and LTS, are established in Quality Services & Standards:

LTS wants its web site to be internally functional and externally informative. We will proceed with the 1999-2000 goal to automate individual statistics collection to (1) streamline the process and (2) promote the dissemination of selected monthly statistics on the site.

As electronic books become more widely familiar and available, and as the libraries continue to identify other types of electronic information sources, the bibliographic control of these sources will play an increasingly prominent role in LTS's training and production workflow.

In 1999-2000, LTS provided training for college library staff, observing procedures during "mini-internships" at LTS, or in workshops for selected library system modules. In 2000-2001 LTS will cooperate with District Office Training Services and college library staff to create documentation for basic navigation in the various system modules used by the college libraries.