Present: B. Beede, I. Caparros, J. Cassel, H. Dess, E. Fabiano
(convener), R. Gardner,
E. Gilbert, R. Jantz, M. Kesselman, L. Langschied, J. Mardikian, J. Mi,
K. Mulcahy, F. Olin, N. Putnam (recorder), H. Rusak, J. Sloan, A. Tallau,
L. Vazquez, C. Wu
Agenda:
1. Minutes of November 20 meeting approved as distributed.
2. Director’s report – Toyama
a. Ryoko reviewed RU internal funding opportunities and the NB libraries
connections,
especially as regards ICI (Instructional Computing Initiative), student
computing fee
money. Ryoko serves on the Advisory Committee to decide for NB how
ICI funds
will be distributed; is suggesting the NB Libraries proposal call for $50,000
for
powerful PCs for public use and to support network printing ASAP. RFP has
gone out
but there is no seed money to support equipment to install networked printing.
Ryoko
requested recommendations from public service librarians as to what is
needed. Some
available ports still exist in NB, money for PCs didn’t.
Students want PCs w/zip drives, fast modems, wired dorms, more plug-ins,
enhancing EDEN, hub equipment replacement, etc., with the bulk of the money.
Other available funds include ITFSC money for innovative instructional
programs
with emphasis on technology and Dialogue grants for Undergraduate Education.
b. Ryoko requested feedback regarding the feasibility of offering,
again, the library
instruction credit course for University College honors students.
Was it worthwhile
for students, instructors? Cost? Open to all honors students?
Kevin will facilitate a
response from the faculty and the Instructional Group to Ryoko by early
January to
be submitted to FAS and the NB Curriculum Program Committee; send
all
comments/ideas to Kevin please, ASAP.
3. Proposal was made by Ben and accepted by the group to have minutes/notes of local
NB librarians’ meetings posted on email to nb_libfac. Ben will contact
Sam MacDonald
about putting these on a library website.
4. Report on December 16 Coordinating Committee meeting as regards
the SACs –
Cassel/Kesselman
The proposal recommended by the NB faculty was not acceptable. After
much discussion
by the Committee, a new reconfiguration was suggested: SACs to be removed
from the
by-laws becoming operational groups of the AULs; Planning and Coordinating
Committees
merged as a Coordinating Council (details to be worked out) to be advisory
to the University
Librarian, dealing with the big picture. A subcommitteeBen Beede
(Chair), Jeris Cassel,
Theo Haynes, Bobbi Tipton, Marty Kesselman was appointed to recommend a
final design.
A diagram of how the above would be structured was offered by Marty.
Highlights of the discussion included concern about the drawbacks in selective
versus elected
representation on the SACs and the role of the Directors in the process;
unresponsiveness of
AULs (brought out at the Coordinating Comm meeting) and how operational
issues would get
resolved if that is the case; objectives of NB librarians not clearly explained
to Camden and
Newark librarians and the need to find lines of solidarity with our colleagues
in Camden and
Newark as well as New Brunswick; recommendation that we elect 2 people
to attend all SAC
meetings for better communication to faculty.
The faculty endorsed the merger of the Planning and Coordinating Committees
and
recommended that SACs remain as is, for now. The importance of sharing
views and
opinions with the University Librarian was stressed.
5. NB Information Services Group Organization Chart - Mardikian
Jackie distributed the chart which describes the Functional Teams across
NB libraries and
Local
Operational Teams for individual libraries; questions were answered.
6. Database Evaluation Team - Langschied
The recent implementation of Vale, ProQuest, etc., has created confusion
and numbers of
questions at Reference Desks about information handling (especially) with
these new
databases.
The public is not informed on how to use these; more importantly, neither
are the librarians on
the front lines prepared to offer the expertise that is sought.
Discussion followed-up an earlier email posted by Linda about this issue. She recommended a
Database Evaluation Team or Task Force be formed and charged with: 1) a
thorough usability
evaluation not only contents and cost evaluations, 2) a report on usability
problems and
whether
the system should be purchased from a usability standpoint, and 3) developing
accompanying
documentation or user guide to offer along with the new database.
Howard, Chair of NERS, the Networked Electronic Resources Subcommittee
of the
SACCDM,
informed the group that NERS had just met and proposed a special task force
to evaluate
proposed database purchases to evaluate operability, ease of use, user
friendliness, etc.
Howard welcomed membership suggestions, other ideas regarding this issue.
Suggested
at the meeting: student pre-testing trials of potential database acquisitions,
documentation/
workshops for public users, contact other institutions with that database
experience, task force
should be associated with the NB Collections Group, libraries Dialogues
grant proposal to
develop web-based training for users.
7. Announcements
Draft NB Faculty Handbook will be sent to NB heads of groups for
review/suggestions then
to
all NB faculty - Fabiano
Interview schedule for World History and Humanities open positions:
January 13, 15, 21, 25
and February 8 – Cassel
NB libraries, SCC collaborated on a grant proposal with the Spanish and
Portuguese
Department
for RU funding of and electronic instructional improvement project – Kesselman
No one selected from interviewees for the SCC Information Technology Libn/Specialist
position;
a Librarian V position was offered to Delphine Kahanna (CETH) while the
position is reviewed
- Kesselman
Information Technology Libn. position for LSM still under discussion.
Following some
discussion
of these last two searches and the frustration experienced in developing
acceptable APPs for
Information Technology Librarians, this was suggested as an agenda item
for the next faculty
meeting - Wu
Field experience program for SCILS students needs to be revisited now that
we have
reorganized;
also an agenda item for the next faculty meeting – Mardikian
Reminder about the January 12 Web of Science demonstration in the TLH/SCC;
selectors
reminded
to register Rutgers for electronic access to any ejournals in our area
a form will be forthcoming
– Dess
Lil Maman has retired from Douglass; Librarian V will be hired during the
search process –
Olin
NEXT MEETING: January 15, 9:30am, Pane Room, Alexander Library