Minutes of November 29, 2007 Meeting

Present:

Dent, Borisovets, J.Gardner (recorder), R.Gardner, Glynn, Mardikian, Agnew, Fredenburg

Agenda

1. Research and Instructional Services – Overview of unit organization and preliminary discussion about goals.
2. Learning Communities – Discussion about RUL involvement, and what that might look like. Feedback needed for upcoming meeting with Marie Logue
3. Overview of Diversity Initiative – Lila
4. New Items.

Valeda announced her AUL report would come electronically with the agenda in future; it will include basic updates that can be discussed by PSC if needed.

1. Research and Instructional Services.

Valeda shared her general thoughts about RIS, its identity as a new unit and basic priorities. She showed an organization chart with reporting relationships and described responsibilities of the AUL for RIS:

• Collaborating on public services across the campuses, with no supervisory responsibilities at Camden & Newark libraries.
• Advocacy for librarians and staff in NB.
• Integration of new RIS identity into the organization.
• Elevating the profile of library public services including instruction and information literacy.

Having studied university and presidential goals and initiatives, RUL goals and documents, Valeda identified the following specific challenges:

• Library instruction.
• Future of reference.
• Our website and its profile as gateway.
• Technology to support public services, leveraging technology for instruction, for example.

PSC made the following recommendations:

• Functional organization charts that show the formal functional ties across the campuses are needed to define the library system, not only for RIS but for collections, digital and technical services as well. This will help clarify RIS’s new identity.

• PSC should concentrate on across the board (cross campuses) issues. Better system wide communication about public services and our initiatives is needed; PSC has a role to play here.

2. Learning Communities.

PSC acknowledged the Libraries have a history of involvement with some groups that now fall under the learning communities umbrella.

A formal, sustained training program for “student library advocates” in learning communities was suggested. Grace described a similar training for residence hall student assistants at another institution. Library-trained students could then go back into a learning community and become a library advocate, diagnose and make decisions about their peers’ needs for library resources and instruction, make referrals, etc. PSC endorsed the concept and thought it worth pursuing.

3. Overview of Diversity Initiative.

Lila Fredenburg described the rationale and main components of a proposed program for diversity education at RUL. PSC members discussed and enthusiastically endorsed the plan, and agreed to support its programs and others’ participation.

4. New Items.

Natalie announced that the memorial service for Veronica Calderhead has been scheduled for December 18 at 3 pm in the Robeson Student Center, Newark Campus, and an announcement will be sent out shortly. Jingfeng is leaving to teach at IU’s library school in Indianapolis.

Jackie announced the dates of two retirement parties: Howard Dess’s on Feb. 29, 2008, and Pat Piermatti’s on March 14, 2008.

Valeda cancelled the December 19th PSC meeting.