Library Assembly

January 13, 2009

LIB 767

Officers LaTanya West and Susan Graham were present.

Meeting came to order at 2:02 PM

Open Announcements

-         Anna Keyes' retirement party will be held on Friday, 1/16/09 at noon in the 7^thfloor Open Space area (outside of 767).

Director's Report

Furlough

-         Larry Wilt (LW) reported that the Library will be closed on all furlough days.

-         Furlough days should be marked as "furlough" on your timesheet.

-         5/22/09 is the only non-holiday furlough day. 

-         For furlough days that take place on holidays, you are permitted to use those holidays as floating holidays and take off those days (with your supervisor's prior approval).  Mark "HOL" (holiday) on your timesheet on the dates you use those floating days.

Searches in progress

-         Reference and Head of Technical Services searches have been completed.  However, they are on hold.  On hold does not necessarily mean frozen.  It means that we are awaiting further budget decisions.

-         Acquisitions Library Technician thaw is also on hold.

-         Assistant Serials Librarian search is ongoing.

-         Temporary Project Archivist search is ongoing.

-         It is difficult to know when to enact backup plans.  In the past when the Gallery position was frozne, the Library got special permission to hire for a contractual position.  However, LW does not expect to get any contractual positions now. 

-         The LEC is thinking of backup plans.

-         It is possible that the searches in progress now could also get put on hold.

-         LW hopes to get more information about the FY10 budget, and therefore know more about any hiring, by the end of the month.

Building Issues

-         Special Collections vault construction has been postponed to Spring 2009.  There is no set date.

-         LaTanya West (LTW) and LW will be meeting with Chartwells to talk about collaborating with Pura Vida café that would involve an experimental change to the drink policy.  LEC has been discussing relaxing the no drinks (except water) policy to allow unspillable/closed containers of drinks in the Library.  The venture with Pura Vida would entail the café selling a closed cup branded with representations of the Library (including image, website).  It would act as a PR tool for the Library, and generate sales for the café.  The Library will test the less restrictive drink policy to see how it goes:  if there are any changes in cleanliness, etc. and based on the experience will make the decision to change the policy for good. LW and LTW will inform the Library Assembly of the outcomes of their meeting with Chartwells at the next Library Assembly meeting.

o   Concerns & potential risks

§  If we allow closed containers for drinks, patrons will want to bring in food, too.

§  If patrons leave their containers behind after they depart, it could attract pests.  This will be especially monitored because the cleaning staff is only here during the day.

§  All employees are asked to observe what happens during this trial period and report if more trash is seen, and to give any other feedback.

Documents

-         The Library Vision document was completed in December, 2008.

-         There is a report circulating through LEC for the Provost that will be presented at the next Library Assembly meeting.

Anna Keyes' retirement

-         LW will not be able to attend Anna's reception, but wanted to acknowledge that Anna gave the Library over 21 years of service. She contributed a great deal to the Acquisitions Department and to the development of the Library as a whole, helping to make it into the place it is today.  He thanked her for her service.

Staff Photos in the Online Directory

Janet Hack(JH) presented the new look of the online staff directory, which includes photos of staff members

The URL for a preview of what it will look like is: http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/test/staff/

-         It is not mandatory to put your photo on the directory page, but it is strongly encouraged.

-         You can submit a photo that you already have, as long as you are recognizable in the photo.

-         Photos must be 70 pixels wide x 100 pixels tall.

-         If you don't have a photo, JH can borrow the Library camera and set up a time to take your picture.  Or, she can crop you out of the photos taken for the staff calendar.

-         JH will send an email out soliciting photos.

Multimedia Demo: Online Tutorials

Joe Clark (JC) demonstrated online tutorials that he has created.

-         Over the last year, JC has made a lot of Captivate tutorials.

-         JC showed the Library Reserves tutorial ( http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/tutorials/reserves.htm) and the Music Research tutorial (http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/tutorials/music.htm )

-         Tips: 

o   It is a good idea to use the dialog boxes to help convey the content of the tutorial (good for those without audio, those who are more visual learners, and those with less English skills).

o   You can make the same tutorial with different time lengths.

o   If you list the topics covered in the tutorial under the link to watch the tutorial, the user can see what is discussed and have a better idea of which tutorial s/he needs.

-         JC and his student are working on a video tutorial for the entire Library.

-         Library Media has one for itself on its web page: http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/media/

-         Youtube counts the number of hits the video gets*.*

-         Google analytics is used to capture online tutorials usage statistics.

Department Reports

1.      Accounting & Receiving:  No news, paying invoices and ordering supplies. 

2.      Acquisitions:  No news

3.      BMS:  The first batch of the McNaughton Reader Series (177 titles) has arrived.  They are waiting for ITD to give the item status. The McNaughton Reader Series is a leased, browsable collection of popular fiction and non-fiction.  The books are hardcover with original book jackets and will be located in the rotunda.  We will have ~400 titles total and then send back 20 and get 20 new ones. The books will only circulate to current faculty, staff, and students (not special borrowers or alumni).  They will have a 28-day circulation, with one renewal.  No more than 5 books/person and no holds/recalls can be placed.  The records are in our catalog but no OCLC.  Katy Sullivan (KS) will publicize the collection and post policies.  Please let KS know if you have any preferences for specific authors.

4.      Circulation:  Started initial training using their own version of PeopleSoft financials for billing. Reservations for student/faculty lockers are now online: http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/study/

5.      CM/ILL:  ILL is starting to pick up now.  The next book sale is scheduled for Wednesday 4/22/09 and Thursday 4/23/09 from 9:00am - 7:00pm both days. 

6.      LITS:  No news

7.      Media:  Room 258, the group viewing room, will have a flat screen TV and computer, which will allow for group presentations and will accommodate more seats.  The room is available to students, too, but cannot be used for group meetings that do not require media (do not want it to become a study room).  The Slide Library has digitized nearly 30,000 images (almost half of the collection), 29,000 of which were created in the last 4 years.

8.      Reference:  Several training sessions, open to all who are interested (including students): 

a.       1/15/09:  LexisNexis webinar, 12:00pm - 1:00 pm, Rm 259

b.      1/21/09: A representative from Thompson will teach Journal Citation Reports (a new e-resource) and give a review and update of Web of Knowledge/Web of Science. 

10:30am - 12:30pm for Library staff & 2:00pm -3:00 pm for UMBC faculty, Rm 259

c.       1/22/09: KS will give a refresher on EndNote, 2:00pm - 3:15pm, Rm 259

Reference has begun scheduling Spring instruction classes.  They have hired a new student who will be working with JH to make online tutorials.

 9.       Serials:  June is gone.  If anyone has e-journal or SFX problems, please contact Joyce Tenney (JT).  Marcus Dagold (MD) is doing well, but will be out until February. 10.    Special Collections (SC):  The P/T Visiting Archivist position has been posted. The position is possible through money granted from the Provost.  The incumbent will process University Archives in anticipation of the University's 50th anniversary.  The next exhibit in the Gallery will be "James L. Amos Photographs:  Geographic, Illustrative, & Personal," opening 1/28/09.  Amos is best known for his National Geographic prints and for making one of the few photographs of Dr. Seuss (however this print will not be on exhibit).  Amos will give a talk about the exhibit 2/18/09.  During the first half of FY09, SC took in 34 significant gifts, $218,994  and >30,000 items.  Student achievements:  Max Tanzer has scanned over 160 glass plate negatives, Demetria Jones is working on online tutorials, and Nicole Smith is developing an online exhibit. 

Committees and Working Groups

1.      Cheers:  No news

2.      LEEC:  1/21/09: Tom Beck presents the History of Photography (an interactive session), 2:30pm - 4:00pm, Special Collections.  If you have any ideas for training, tell LEEC members:  LTW, Pat Garnett, Rachel Shapiro, Gergana Kostova, or Simmona Simmons.

3.      Building Report:  If you witness any roof leaks, report them directly to Steve Longo at Facilities Management (x51785) or call Library Administration (x52356).  Melissa Button is working P/T from home.

4.      DMWG:  Training on Confluence will be rescheduled.

5.      CONTENTdm:  Will be upgrading to version 5.

6.      PR & Marketing: Meeting with Steve Anderson has agreed to meet with us to describe and discuss the digital signage system that was tested in ECS and planned for wider campus use.

7.      Communications Working Group:  meets for the first time 1/14/09.  When they develop a charter, they will report back to Library Assembly.  If you are interested, LTW will send out an email.

Meeting adjourned 3:04 pm.