As part of the 2018 budget challenge, some changes will be taking place in the MB and LT&R teams from 12 March 2018. The role of Special Collections Librarian will be reduced to 0.5. and Damian has accepted a 0.5FTE role in LT&R as a subject librarian so will continue to work full time for UC Library.

While it is disappointing for the MB team to lose half of Damian’s role, the work he has done on collection research and collection management has made the Special Collections more accessible for teaching and research. Having involved the library assistants in a lot of the collection management and research has meant that we have a wider base of knowledge of the Special Collections in our team. We appreciate the professionalism that Damian has shown throughout this process, as this was not a voluntary change.

So what will Damian be doing in his new role in LT&R? Stuart and his staff are very pleased to be able to welcome Damian into the Research team.  While Jo will remain Damian’s primary manager he will report to Stuart for his other role, and will be based at EPS Library.

Damian will work in two subject areas:

1. He will work approx. 0.35 FTE with Nick on his science subjects (Biological Sciences, Geological Sciences, Geography and Antarctic Studies). Nick and Damian will work out how they will divide their workload, but will probably work as a team across those departments.
2. He will work approx. 0.15 FTE with the UC research centres that aren’t currently covered by other SLs or Macmillan Brown specialists. This work will initially involve understanding how we can help those research centres.

In turn, Nick will be freed up by 0.3 FTE to work on Research Data Coordinator tasks with Anton. This would serve three purposes:

1. Nick will be able to learn the Research Data Coordinator BAU tasks as a much needed back up for Anton
2. Nick will gain professional development in a rapidly growing area of librarianship
3. Anton will have an opportunity to grow the strategic and communications aspects of his role.

Damian’s hours of work in each team will be:
Monday: Macmillan Brown team
Tuesday to Wednesday: Research Team
Thursday: Research Team morning, Macmillan Brown afternoon.
Friday Macmillan Brown Team.

Jo Condon and Stuart Broughton