Barry welcomed Theresa Macklin to the group.
The Registrar provided us with a list of all 9,609 students scheduled to graduate in May 2012. Chris Sterback (IIS) ran this list across WorkFlows' user database and identified 127 BARRED graduating students. On April 2, 2012, we sent out courtesy notices to these 127 BARRED graduating students, informing them of the need to either return or pay for long overdue library items to avoid having holds placed on their registration/ transcripts and diplomas. Over the next three weeks, 16 of the graduating students returned items and cleared their accounts. Diploma holds and academic holds were then placed on the remaining 101 students. Of these students, 10 were placed for the Camden Campus, 18 for the Newark Campus, and 73 for the New Brunswick Campus (63 UGRAD of which 48 were SAS).
The placement of the academic and diploma holds went smoothly. As of the day of the meeting (May 17, 2012), roughly 1/3 (33) of the holds had been removed. Eight of Camden's 10 holds had been removed; Nine of Newark's 18 holds had been cleared. According to Ken Iuso, New Brunswick Registrar, diplomas would be mailed out to all graduating students at the beginning of June 2012. He-like all of us-was pleased to see that only a small percentage of graduating students (.01 %) needed to be have a hold placed on their diploma because of library bills.
The Billing Subgroup-Judy, Nita, Gill, and Barry-met again on May 9th. The members continued to tweak the document "Delinquent Account and Collection Agency Policy and Procedures." It is important that the PUBNOTEs indicating Phase I and Phase II delinquent accounts action convey what desk staff and billing staff need to do when interacting with users who have delinquent accounts. Billing staff throughout RUL have been invited to attend a Billing Subgroup Meeting on June 4th to provide their input. Also to be discussed at this meeting are plans to remove old holds as part of Access Services' role in providing a clean database for the future transition to an open source integrated library system.
Barry reported on his trip with Andy Martinez to the University of Chicago on April 19-20 for the IviesPlus 2012 Symposium. Six breakout sessions were divided into three tracks, something different this year that was highly successful: Track A-Rethinking Resource Sharing; Track B-Redesigning Library Spaces; and Track C-Reimagining Services. The sessions were high-quality discussions, the collegial spirit was warm, and Barry said he returned from Chicago invigorated. One point of shared emphasis at the symposium was the need for continuing to develop all forms of study space in the libraries. Weeding, consolidating, and transferring books and print journals to storage locations to create space were discussed. Also, shared in discussion were ideas on how to use space and arrange furniture to promote quiet study.
Jan reported that the Media Center is involved in several initiatives, including offering to faculty streaming video clips on reserve. The clips, for copyright reasons, need to be less than 10% of the overall work. Hard copy DVD's of these course offerings will be kept on reserve, too. The Media Center is also in the process of digitizing out-of-print VHS videos. It is trying to replace as many VHS videos with DVDs as possible.
Alexander
Chang
LSM
Math
Physics
Kristen (Art)-OIT printing was installed at the Art Library on April 27th. It has become immediately popular (8,814 double-side prints; 7,628 single-side prints). A color print option is available with the use of a copicard.
Ramon (Douglass)-New carpet is being installed on two floors in the public areas.
Dean (Annex)-Problems with two compressors has resulted in temperatures of 79 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the stacks; outside vendor is coming to fix it.
Eugene (SMLR)-New books and videos have recently been received.