July 16, 2001

Subject: Annual Report

The following are highlights of the activities of the New Brunswick Libraries (NBL) Information Services Steering Group (ISSG) carried out on behalf of the NBL Information Services Group during the academic year 2000-2001.

1. Organizational Structure and the Membership of the New Brunswick Libraries Information Services Steering Group

   In the June election of 2001, the New Brunswick Librarians re-elected Myoung C. Wilson as Chair for another two-year term, 2001-2003. Myoung C. Wilson was also appointed by the Director of the New Brunswick Libraries as the NBL representative to the University Libraries' Public Services Council.

   The NBL PC Working Group was created during the Spring semester 2001 in order to provide a forum for coordination of local issues such as reallocation of PCs, acquisition of replacement PCs, establishing procedural guidelines and facilitating communication and information dissemination between local PC coordinators, Systems, PCWG, and groups within the NBL. The Group will be under the able leadership of Stephanie Bartz who will represent this Group to the Information Services Steering Group.

   During this reporting period, the following librarians served as members of the Information Services Steering Group. Due to resignations and sabbatical leaves, reference team leadership has been assumed by a number of colleagues.

   Chair - M. Wilson
   Vice Chairs - J. Cassel and P. Page
   Reference Team Leaders --
        E. Gilbert, Alexander
        P. Page, Branch Libraries
        M. Kesselmnan (from October, 2000 through February 2001) and K. Denda (March , 2001 to present), Douglass
        J. Cassel, Kilmer
        P. Piermatt, LSM
   Common Knowledge Database Team Liaison*- R. Jantz
   Reference [Collection] Subgroup Liaison* - E. Gilbert
   RUL Instructional Services Group Liaison* - J. Cassel
        Associate Members (Library Reference Associates.) - K. McGuire, U. Swamy, Tony Joachim, Nita Mukerjee, Roger Smith
   (*Subgroups of ISSG)

   Beginning July 1, 2001, Kevin Mulcahy will become acting Reference Team leadership for Alexander Library due to Ellen Gilbert's resignation.

2. The members of the ISSG followed up on the following issues from the previous year:
   
   
   • The first version of the NBL wide Reference Manual was completed under Penny Page's leadership. The Manual should help New Brunswick librarians better coordinate their information service activities and develop common standards of practice of information/reference/research services across all NB Libraries. We plan to continuously update the manual.
     
     
   • The Douglass Library weekend staffing of reference with specially trained (by the Chair of ISSG and by the then Douglass Reference Team Leader, Lisa Vecchioli) access services staff completed its year-long experiment. The carefully kept records of statistics, the types of reference queries and staff observations all indicate that we are moving in the right direction on this staffing model. Under the current leadership of Kayo Denda, Douglass will continue to staff its weekend information service with specially trained access and non-faculty line staff.
     
     
   • The exchange program of librarians to work at reference desks other than their primary sites has continued into its second year with success. The basic premise of such an exchange has been accepted. This program has, at times, helped staff a unit reference desk that is short of its own staff. We plan to continue this practice during the coming academic year. The following librarians participated in the exchange program for this academic year:

     Jeris Cassel at LSM
     Pat Piermatti at Kilmer
     Linda Langschied at Chang
     Tom Glynn at Douglass
     Scott Hines at LSM
     Kayo Denda at Alex
     Sara Harrington at Alex
     Kevin Mulcahy at Douglass
     Ryan Womack at Alex
     Eileen Stec at LSM

   • We have not been successful in implementing the NBL Centralized Telephone Service this year. Despite the excellent report and several meetings with Brian August from the University Telecommunications Office and Arlene Minch representing the Administrative Team, the concept of centralized telephone service using dispersed staff at different locations requires a much more consistent and sophisticated telephone system across all NB libraries to implement the original recommendations. It is our recommendation that a new telephone system be introduced as part of D21 at Douglass. We will revise our plan for offering centralized telephone reference service combined with real time reference service.
     
     
3. The Information Services Steering Group held monthly meetings (except March, 2001) and achieved the following:
   
   
   • At the request of the Director, the members of the ISSG served in the Fall semester, 2000 as the Exploratory Committee for the three non-subject specific vacant faculty lines. The members spent intense and long hours reviewing and analyzing the needs for new expertise and growth in the New Brunswick Libraries. Out of these discussions, the members developed three preliminary profiles for the purposes of academic position postings. Based on these, we now have successfully recruited three Information Services Librarians in these areas -- two in the area of instructional services and one as the Digital Initiatives Librarian. The members of the ISSG particularly welcome Scott Hines, Treveni Kuchi and Stephanie Tama.
     
     
   • As in previous years the members of the ISSG shepherded a successful ACIC grant proposal entitled "Building Bridges to the Future: Computer Upgrades for Advanced Instructional Support of Undergraduate Research in New Brunswick Libraries". The proposal was prepared by Scott Hines, Ron Jantz and Marty Kesselman. A grant in the amount of $60,615.00 was awarded to the NBL.
     
     
   • In search for an alternate information services model in the fast changing digital library environment, a task force to investigate the feasibility of real time reference service was established at a joint meeting of ISSG and Multi Media Digital Library Services (MDLS). The task force submitted its final report to the NBL librarians and organized a demonstration of real time reference service with the Cornell University Olin Library. Members of the Task Force were Ryan Womack, Emily Fabiano, Marty Kesselman (Chair) and Ron Jantz. The charge statements from the Chair and the report from the Task Force are attached. After realizing the system-wide implications of initiating such services, the report was submitted to the RUL Associate University Librarian Jeanne Boyle for her consideration and coordination.
     
     
   • The members of the ISSG led discussions regarding the future direction of the system-wide email reference service, "Ask A Librarian". A new team of NB librarians will participate in this service in the fall semester, 2001. The following NB librarians participated in Ask A Librarian email reference service during this academic year:

     Emily Carey
     Jeris Cassel
     Rebecca Gardner
     Ellen Gilbert
     Brian Hancock
     Laura Mullen
     Leslie Murtha
     Ryan Womack

   • The Common Knowledge Data Base Team continues to add value to this very important and growing reference tool for NB Librarians. This year, the user interface of the CKDB was enhanced by adding Boolean searching capabilities; a statistics collection feature was also added. This function will allow the CKDB team to analyze search terms to get a better idea of what the users (i.e. the NB librarians, reference associates and information assistants) are searching for and how to improve this user interface. The team continues to examine ways to add valuable and hard to locate information from all of the NB libraries.
     
     
   • Acting Douglass Reference Team Leader Kayo Denda, Scott Hines and the Chair of the ISSG have been active members of the D21 Planning Team. I would like to acknowledge Kayo Denda's important contribution in coordinating such important activities as collecting data through surveys and conducting interviews of the Douglass campus community.
     
     
   • The members of the ISSG also addressed the following issues during its monthly meetings:
     
     
   • Food and drink policy
     Following discussion with the Head of Access Services, it was agreed that the current drink policy will remain in effect until further notice.
     
     
   • Replacement procedures for microform machines
     As a result of our discussion, requests were made to replace some badly outdated machines in various NB unit libraries.
     
     
4. Instructional Services:
• In the fall semester, 2000, a video tape of NB library orientation was developed by Jeris Cassel and used for the freshmen orientation program for the first time.
  
  
• The Douglass College "Shaping a Life" course was team taught (for the first time) by New Brunswick Librarians. They are:

  Sue Peters and Linda Cifelli(Coordinators)
  Emily Carey
  Kayo Denda
  Rebecca Gardner
  Tom Glynn
  Scott Hines
  Marty Kesselman
  Jackie Maher
  Jackie Mardikian
  Karen Wenk
  Margaret Wiesczczek

5. Personnel
• A search Committee of Scott Hines, Marty Kesselman, Arlene Minch, Pat Piermatti, and Myoung Wilson successfully recruited two Information Technology Specialists (i.e. PC Coordinators) who were assigned to LSM and Douglass in the Spring semester, 2001.
  
  
• Two Reference Teams Leaders (Marty Kesselman and Patricia Piermatti), Mary Fetzer for Alexander, and the Chair of the NBLISSG served as an Ad Hoc Committee for the annual reappointment reviews of Librarian V's. They participated in the annual review of four (4) Librarian V's.
  
  
6. Goals and Objectives
• Continue to explore innovative ways of offering information/reference services. Examples of these efforts are our discussions on experimenting with outreach services, such as establishing library outposts in dorms or student centers, and establishing library cyber-posts.
  
  
• Participate fully in RUL's effort to develop real time reference service.
  
  
• Develop Internet-based reference training modules for reference desk staffs.
  
  
• Review and refine the leadership structure of the Information Services Group.
  
  
• Explore efficient ways of training new hires, regular line or temporary librarians, information assistants and other personnel who participate in reference/information services.
  
  
• Develop an NBL wide plan to assess the need for below-the-line budget requests and establish a uniform procedure for making such requests.
  
  
• Continue to develop and explore orientation and instructional modules appropriate for specific user populations.
  
  
• Develop improved ways to collect NBL-wide statistical data regarding information service activities.

cc: Members of the NBLISSG