Joint documentation service joins UM
Since the 1stst January 2021, the staff of the joint documentation service have officially been transferred from the administrative fold of the Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier to that of the Université de Montpellier. This transfer follows a decision taken last June by the universities in conjunction with the Ministry, and guarantees the quality of service for university library users while clarifying the situation of the staff.
Many people were unaware that, until now, the staff of the University of Montpellier's common documentation service, the SCD, were administratively attached to the Paul Valéry University within the BIU (inter-university library). It' s true that this structuring may have come as a surprise," admits SCD director Sandrine Gropp, with a smile. We work for the UM, within the UM, but our administrative contact was the UPV.
Reasons for reorganizing documentation
Montpellier's situation was unique in France, inherited from the 1970s and the creation of inter-university services (preventive medicine, sports activities, libraries, etc.). In the 90s, inter-university documentation structures disappeared in all major French university towns except Montpellier, where the BIU was maintained until the end of 2020.
Why such a transfer 30 years later, when this organization, surprising as it is, has been satisfactory for many years? Because the institutional environment of higher education has changed, in particular with universities' access to extended responsibilities and competences, the strengthening of establishment strategies and the reorganization of site policies(I-Site, PIA, etc.). " Under 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 taken by the UPV's governing bodies ", explains the director.
The SCD at the heart of institutional strategy
The missions of the Service commun de documentation (SCD) are indeed increasingly linked to the school's strategy. First and foremost, of course, it manages the 12 university libraries and coordinates the documentation network with the twenty or so associated libraries on the various campuses, making the SCD a pillar of student services. But beyond this central mission, it is support for training and research that is at the heart of this service. We are transforming BUs into learning centers, supporting projects such as the student business incubator, and developing the documentary aspects of partnerships, in the paramedical field for example," emphasizes Sandrine Gropp. And we are also a referent department for open science within the University."
All these arguments led each university to contact the Inspectorate General of Higher Education and Research to question the persistence of this national exception, and ultimately to put an end to it, enabling each of them to benefit from a fully-fledged SCD. In addition, a service de coopération documentaire interuniversitaire (SIU), managed by the UPV and co-financed by the UM, has been set up to support their activities in areas such as documentary computing and heritage workshops.
New" agents at the UM
On January1, almost a hundred new employees joined the UM. The transfer was completed in barely six months, against the backdrop of the health crisis. " It was a challenge, and one that was met thanks to the commitment of everyone involved, at political level as well as within the BUs and the University's departments and services. Each decision was the subject of consultation between the UM and the UPV, and was put into practice with the utmost care.e in a real spirit of cooperation. Rest assured, this restructuring will have no impact on users. Whether they are at UM or UPV, they will retain the same access to the same services in all university libraries. At the UM, access to documentary resources and services is even set to expand, particularly in the context of the I-site MUSE and the new experimental establishment.
As for the "new" agents, they will be discovering a new administrative landscape. "We were made very welcome thanks to the commitment and attentiveness of the UM departments. Badges, catering access forms, computer access... everything was ready before the vacations. 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 is already pointing to its positive effects, including in terms of cooperation: " Over and above 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."