Minutes of September 11, 2006 Meeting

Present:

Au, Gardner, Bartz, Glazer (guest), Hartman, Haynes, Hoover (recorder), McDonald, Mullens, Nahory, Ruggiero

1) Front Page Images

Background: Review new selections and captions.
Expected Outcomes: select images and adopt captions

• We reviewed many images that were obtained from
  1. a publicly available image repository from Newark
  2. images that Sam had used previously on the web pages
  3. new images or photographed by library staff.

• Most discussion to remove photos revolved around the quality of the photo (lighting, backdrop), old computer equipment depicted and image overused. Reasons to add photos depicting a friendly inviting place, showed librarians in service and showed student interaction.

• It was decided to add 2 new images to the rotation, add 3 more after they were reshot, remove 2 images in use (bad background) and possibly remove the overused Douglass Chapel image. It was also decided that over the long term we would strive to have 30 images that would reflect all the libraries on campus.

• The committee also decided against having captions on the front page. However, a gallery of all the images will be created, with information on the location or setting of each image. H.Glazer will assist with this.

2) Index and Databases

Background: determine status of database description review.
Expected Outcomes: distribute new assignments for database description review.

• Six are outstanding from previous assigments. All pledged to get them in.

• New assignments
  
  LION (African-America Poetry, English Poetry) SB or Kevin
  Amica KH->SH;
  BioOne LM->HH;
  Books in Print w/ Reviews RG;
  Business Source Premiere Au;
  Marriage Women and Law SB;
  Medline Ovid LM->JM;
  MLA Ebsco SB->KM;
  NetLibrary (wait)
  Camdenbase TH

3) Goal Setting

Expected Outcome: establish goals for the year

• Reviewed current goals
  1. continue to review and update Webpages on a regular schedule
  2. develop specifications and procedures for Website content (e.g. database descriptions, Research Guides, Finding Aids)
  3. collaborate and communicate with RUL councils and committees to introduce and maintain Website content (e.g. Alumni Library)
  4. investigate best practices at peer institutions for Website management and Webpage development
  Agreed to keep all the above and under the "Specifically" section add:
  1. respond to Central Search committee about placement of this new service on the library web pages.
  2. work with the groups reviewing the Staff Resources pages content to make it more accessible and useful. This recommendation came from the Internal Communication Task Force.

4) Webmaster Report

Update on Staff Resources Page.

• While others are working on content updates to the Staff Resources page the WAC has decided to bring the style of it up to date with the other library web pages. Sam made a demo page that
  1. Reflected the new library web page colors (Red and black banner)
  2. Removed the use of frames (the URL you see in the location bar is the proper one for the page)
  3. Added a printer friendly page that will automatically remove the header and left navigation bar when printing.
  4. Added a left navigation bar for Committees and Services

• After discussion it was decided to:
  1. Leave the left hand navigation bar and have links to the functional areas of the library
  2. Move the services (Bookroom, Find People, Find Committes, Search Staff Pages, Staff Resource Index) from the left hand navigation bar to the top black menu bar under the header. This is very similar to how the top black bar is used on the library web pages.
  New Finding Aid for Census Tract and Block Data is available at:
  http://www.libraries/rul/rr_gateway/gov_info/census.shtml
  
  Revised Service Desk Hours page available at:
  http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/ask_a_lib/desk-hours.shtml

5) Systems Report

• Hein Online. Paul Axel-Lute from Newark Law once again contacted Cathy P. about adding Hein Online to the Library proxy server. The last time this issue came up and was debated it was decided that the libraries did not want to add the service. Main reasons being:
  1. We did not negotiate the license
  2. We did not know who or how user complaints of abuse would be handled
  3. Did not want our proxy to be used by other entities outside of Rutgers as a way to proxy some, but not all of their resources.
  4. If we add the service to our proxy would we change the link on our page to go directly to the resource, instead of the going to the Newark Law Library page ? Would we have to tell Newark Law to use a different URL so our proxy becomes involved.
  5. Are we doing it this for Rutgers Library Users or Newark Law Library Users?
  We still need answers to all of the above. Issue has been referred to Public Services Council for a decision.

• Proxy server was upgraded to the latest version in response to some top talker complaints we received from RUCS. The new version has easy ways to monitor bandwith usage on a per user basis as well as ways to automatically lock the accounts if they exceed limits that are set. Initially the software has only been setup to monitor usage, but not to automatically block accounts. Upgrade was very starightforward and accomplished with less then 5 minutes of downtime.

6) Instruction Report

Assesment on SearchPath has been completed. The committee lost their lead researcher and they got all they can out of the results.

Need to review Finding Aids pagee last updated May 2005

Workshop for Tips and Tricks for using Resources. Open to the Public.

7) IPAC - nothing to report

8) Update on Central Search

• Electronic Resources Task Force sub group is proceeding with the selection and setup of resources to be searched by Central Search. It is not quite clear what was expected of the web committe in its introduction on the library web pages. Is it just one remote link to a new service, or is it a redesign of numerous pages on the existing libraries web site.

• A memo from Jeanne to RUL_EVERYONE implied that a demo of the product configured with our databases would be available by December 15, for rollout to the public by January 2007.

• Selectors may be asked to tighten up the Subject classifications of our existing resources.

• There was a sense of urgency expressed that when the sub group completes the setup there will need to be swift action to introduce the service on our web pages.

Web committee agreed to look at the new service when it is ready and study any web page chanegs that may need to occur.

Next Meeting: October, 9 2006