The Joint Documentation Service Joins the UM
Since the 1stJanuary January 1, 2021, the staff of the Joint Documentation Service officially transferred from the administrative jurisdiction of Paul-Valéry Montpellier University to that of the University of Montpellier. This transfer follows a decision made last June by the universities in consultation with the Ministry, which ensures quality service for university library users while clarifying the status of the staff.
Many people were unaware of this: until now, staff members of the University of Montpellier’s Joint Documentation Service (SCD) were administratively attached to Paul Valéry University as part of the Interuniversity Library ( BIU ). “ It’s true that this structure might have been surprising,” admits Sandrine Gropp, director of the SCD, with a smile. “We work for UM, within UM, but our administrative contact was UPV.”
The reasons for the document reorganization
The situation in Montpellier was unique in France, a legacy of the 1970s and the creation of inter-university services (preventive medicine, sports activities, libraries, etc.). In the 1990s, inter-university library services disappeared in all major French university cities except Montpellier, where the BIU remained in operation until the end of 2020.
Why make such a change 30 years later, when this arrangement—as surprising as it may be—had functioned satisfactorily for many years? Because the institutional landscape of higher education has changed, particularly with universities gaining expanded responsibilities and authority, the strengthening of institutional strategies, and the restructuring of regional development policies (I-Site, PIA, etc.). “Under this model, the University of Montpellier funded its documentation service by transferring funds to the BIU, but without being able to participate in decisions, which were made within the UPV’s governing bodies, ” explains the director.
The SCD at the heart of the institution’s strategy
The responsibilities of the Joint Documentation Service are indeed increasingly tied to the institution’s overall strategy. First and foremost, of course, is the management of the 12 university libraries and the coordination of the library network, which includes some twenty affiliated libraries spread across the various campuses, making the SCD a cornerstone of student services. But beyond this core mission, the department also plays a key role in supporting education and research. “We’re transforming the university libraries into learning centers; we support projects like the student business incubator; and we develop the information resources components of partnerships, in the paramedical field for example,” emphasizes Sandrine Gropp. “And we also serve as the lead department for open science within the University.”
These arguments led each university to appeal to the General Inspectorate of Higher Education and Research to review the continued existence of this national exception and ultimately put an end to it, thereby allowing each university to benefit from a fully operational SCD. In addition, tasks supporting their activities (documentary information technology, heritage workshops) have been entrusted to an interuniversity documentary cooperation service (SIU), managed by the UPV and co-funded by the UM.
"New" staff members at the UM
On January1, nearly 100 staff members were welcomed to the UM. This transition was completed in just six months, despite the challenges posed by the health crisis. “It was a challenge, and it was met thanks to everyone’s commitment—at the political level as well as within the University’s academic units, departments, and administrative offices. Every decision was the result of consultation between UM and UPV, and their implementation was carried outin in a true spirit of cooperation. ” Users can rest assured that this restructuring will have no impact on them. Whether they are at UM or UPV, they will retain the same access to the same services in all university libraries. At UM, access to library resources and services is even expected to be expanded, particularly through the I-site MUSE and the new experimental facility.
The “new” staff members, for their part, will find themselves in a new administrative landscape. “We were made to feel very welcome thanks to the support and responsiveness of the UM departments. ID badges, meal plan forms, computer access… Everything was ready before the summer break. The Campus Life Office even sent us a welcome message! ” While the nature of the SCD’s activities will not change as a result of this reorganization, Sandrine Gropp is already highlighting its positive effects, including in terms of cooperation: “ Beyond new projects within the University, there is a renewed dialogue with our colleagues at the UPV because we want to continue building things together, out of a desire to do so and to serve our users.”