The joint documentation service joins the UM
Since the 1stJanuary January 2021, the staff of the joint documentation service have officially moved from the administrative jurisdiction of Paul-Valéry Montpellier University to that of Montpellier University. This transfer follows a decision taken last June by the universities in conjunction with the Ministry, which guarantees the quality of service for university library users while clarifying the situation of staff.
Many people were unaware that the staff of the University of Montpellier's joint documentation service, the SCD, were previously administratively attached to Paul Valéry University within the BIU (Interuniversity Library). " It's true that this structure could be surprising," admits Sandrine Gropp, director of the SCD, with a smile. " We work for UM, within UM, but our administrative contact was UPV."
Reasons for 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 documentary structures disappeared in all major French university cities except Montpellier, where the BIU was retained until the end of 2020.
Why make such a transfer 30 years later, when this organization, surprising as it may be, has been satisfactory for many years? Because the institutional environment of higher education has changed, particularly with universities gaining access to broader responsibilities and powers, the strengthening of institutional strategies, and the restructuring of site policies (I-Site, PIA, etc.). " With this model, the University of Montpellier financed its documentation service by transferring funds to the BIU, but without being able to take part in the decisions, which were made by the UPV authorities, " explains the director.
SCD at the heart of the institutional strategy
The missions of the Joint Documentation Service are increasingly linked to institutional strategy. First and foremost, of course, is the management of 12 university libraries and the coordination of the documentation network with some 20 associated libraries spread across the various campuses, making the SCD a pillar of student services. But beyond this core mission, the service also plays a key role in supporting education and research. " We are transforming university libraries into learning centers, we support projects such as the student business incubator, and we are developing the documentary aspects of partnerships, in the paramedical field for example," emphasizes Sandrine Gropp. " And we are also a reference department for open science within the University."
All these arguments led each university to request that the General Inspectorate of Higher Education and Research examine the persistence of this national exception and ultimately put an end to it, thereby enabling each of them to benefit from a fully functioning SCD. Tasks supporting their actions (documentary IT, heritage workshops) were also entrusted to an inter-university documentary cooperation service (SIU), managed by the UPV and co-financed by the UM.
New agents at UM
On January1, nearly 100 staff members were welcomed into the UM. The transfer was completed in just six months, despite the ongoing health crisis. " It was a challenge, and it was met thanks to the commitment of everyone involved, both at the political level and within the university's business units, departments, and services. Each decision was the subject of consultation between the UM and the 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 documentary resources and services should even be developed, particularly within the framework of the I-site MUSE and the new experimental establishment.
The "new" agents will discover a new administrative landscape. "We were very well received thanks to the mobilization and attentiveness of the UM services. Badges, meal plan forms, computer access... Everything was ready before the summer break. The campus life department 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 already points to its positive effects, including in terms of cooperation: " Beyond the new projects within the University, there is a renewed dialogue with our colleagues at the UPV because we want to continue to build things together, out of desire and for the benefit of users."