Information Services Steering Group
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, December 12, 2002
Conference Room, Kilmer Library

Present: Stephanie Bartz Jeris Cassel (recorder), Ron Jantz, Marty Kesselman, Kevin Mulcahy, Penny Page, Pat Piermatti, Myoung Wilson (chair)

Approval of Minutes November 14, 2002 meeting minutes approved as written.

NBL Reference Service to NJ Network
Pat Piermatti raised the issue of NBL reference service responsibility to the New Jersey Network and Statewide Library Services. The PSPM #6 states that RUL is the last resort in the state, but due to collection deterioration, particularly in the sciences, LSM feels inadequate to serve in that capacity. In the instances of medical and drug-related questions from hospitals, libraries will be better served by the UMDNJ HealthyNJ Information for Healthy Living website (http://www.healthynj.org/). Are separate statistics to be kept on questions from the NJ network services? If so, who collects them and how should they be collected. Piermatti also noted that the Citation Location Center should be deleted from PSPM#6. Myoung will pose these matters to Public Services Council.

Visiting Russian Librarians
A program for a group of Russian librarians (mostly science and technology librarians) is tentatively scheduled for January 29. They will be visiting for five days. Betty Turock, SCILS, is coordinating the visit along with Thelma Tate and the NB Sister Cities Program. It was suggested the reference team leaders, Natalie Borisovets, and Nina Shapiro (Princeton) be involved in the visit. Myoung will forward the suggestion to Thelma.

Personnel Actions
Isaiah Beard is leaving the position of PC Coordinator position at LSM and filling Matt Brown's former position at the SCC. Pat Piermatti and Stephanie Bartz are working on the description for PC Coordinator. Pat, Stephanie, Arlene, and Myoung as ex-official will serve as the search committee.

Librarian V annual reappointment evaluations and PP4 staff evaluations will be coming up in early 2003. Myoung will meet with reference team leaders involved in evaluations in January.

ACIC Proposal
ACIC funds are intended to cover two categories: (1) renewal and upgrade of existing computer facilities and (2) initiatives that incorporate technology into the curriculum and enhance teaching and learning.

Stephanie Bartz, Ron Jantz, and Kevin Mulcahy will write the proposal which is due to Ryoko and Marianne by February 14. They will propose upgrading the 62 computers in the SCC IHLs and Data Center.

RUL/SCILS Intern
Kevin Mulcahy and Jeris Cassel will serve as onsite supervisors for Angel Falcon's time (26 hours weekly) in public services at Alexander and Kilmer. Myoung will develop a schedule for Angel to meet with all reference team leaders.
Booking for NBL Laptops
Nine (9) laptops have been purchased for NBL (4 from ACIC funds and 5 from ELF) for instruction and public service projects. Instruction coordinators are to collect statistics on the instructional uses of the laptops.

Training Manual
There was brief mention of the online NBL Training Manual, its value in training information assistants and interns, and the need to update it.

Reference Statistics
Statistical reports of NBL reference desk and off-desk activity were distributed to the team leaders.

Reports
Public Services Council-
· Rutgers and NYU were invited to join PALCI. Use of PALCI will be implemented in the Spring as a pilot.
· A Software Evaluation Work Group has been formed to evaluate and recommend software that will expand access to electronic resources. The group will be evaluating Open URL software and cross database searching software. Marty Kesselman is serving as chair of this group. Myoung and Ann Montanaro are members.

Alexander
· Patricia Libutti is serving as instruction coordinator while Stephanie Tama-Bartels is on maternity leave.
· Kevin Mulcahy and Stephanie Bartz are negotiating for the SCC to take over the NBL server.

LSM
· Panels have been removed from the reference office located on the Main Level. This office is available for librarians to use as a "home away from home" office.

NBL Reference Collection/RUL Generalist Team
· Sent recommendations for NJ newspapers from NewsBank. This may mean getting rid of Star-Ledger paper and microfilm copies in NB.
· Suggested World of Learning online.
· Kevin Mulcahy will meet in January with Jeris Cassel and Kayo Denda regarding reference collection materials.

D21 Update
· Website will be available for updates and with information on whether or not to send individuals to the Douglass Library. There will be high activity between January and March.

PC Coordination Team
· Working on updating and archiving NBL website. Important to standardize policy for minutes. Stephanie will develop a set of questions to pose to NBLF.