DEAN’S COUNCIL MINUTES: Aug. 28

A Meeting of the Dean’s Council was held on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Dean’s Conference Room.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mara Saule, Selene Colburn, Marianne Burke, Paul Philbin, Birdie MacLennan, Keith Gresham, Peter Blackmer, Jeff Marshall and Nancy Bercaw.

I. General

Mara asked the Council as well as Bailey/Howe Library colleagues to be aware of how student traffic patterns are affected by the opening of the new Davis Center.

II. Libraries Budget Strategies for FY09

Mara attended a Council of Deans’ retreat last week, during which upcoming budget issues were discussed. The process will be similar to the last year with a hearing in January.

III. Update on Searches

Barbara Lamonda is the new head of ILL. Two searches in that division remain open: library support generalist and library support media. A national search for the head of CMS will begin soon. Keith will chair the search.

IV. Dana-Bailey/Howe Tech Services Workflow

Maximizing common processes across the two libraries was discussed. A Dana/BH realignment group will be created with 3 representatives from Dana and three from BH. Armed with a very clear and realistic charge, the group will make recommendations based on data collected by working/consulting groups.

V. Discovery and Delivery Initiative

The Council discussed the creation of a Discovery and Delivery Initiative (or think tank) based on the idea of re-energizing and re-framing what the libraries do through the (varied) eyes of users. Selene presented the Council with a compilation of notes and comments by libraries colleagues about the concept. She explained that they seemed to be excited about pushing resources to the user based on users’ experience. Suggestions for the Initiative included the following: looking more at how users are discovering resources, reviewing our own user-studies as well as professional literature, among other ideas. The next step is to create a planning group.

VI. Williston Move

The move will completed this week. Since only half the space has been used, suggestions for additional usage are welcome.

Libraries Tour: Medicine and Media

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” --Hamlet

That’s why we have people like Angie Chapple-Sokol and Lori Holiff in our libraries: to help people find out what they don’t know. And until I ventured out on my latest leg of the libraries tour, Horatio, I didn’t know much about Angie or Lori.

The in-depth work of a medical reference librarian begins with a question, like What’s the differential diagnosis of compartment syndrome? (Or something like that.) Once asked, Angie (or any one of the reference librarians) goes into sleuth mode to find very specific detailed results. As a liaison to the nursing program, Angie provides nurses and students with evidence-based research to help them make decisions about changing procedures – or not changing them as the case might be.

Angie also organized and arranged Dana’s medical history collection, which includes rare books from as far back as 1598 as well as archaic devices like a solid pewter bedpan and skull hole punchers (all given call numbers). I highly recommend a visit to see them in all their glory and creepiness.

The instruments make me think of “The Elephant Man” for some reason, which happens to be one of the 4,900 DVD movies available from Lori and the cinema-savvy staff in Media Services, a place where technology is sprouting as rapidly as new releases. Take your pick of 8,000 videos, or 6,000 albums, or 3,000 compact discs. Don’t know what to get? See the staff picks, or ask Lori directly. Despite her busy schedule, she’s always willing to talk shop.

If you don’t have the equipment necessary to watch her recommendation, you can watch (or listen) in-house. And if you want to make your own movie, Media Services can hook you up with a camera and an editing suite. The supply room is organized so meticulously that whatever you want is at ready to go when you want it.

Maybe I should rent “Hamlet” and find out what Horatio didn't know.

Libraries Planning Retreat Comments

I want to say thanks again to everyone who attended the Libraries Planning Retreat on Aug. 3. Thanks for staying and participating despite the heat. Thanks for the candid comments and creative ideas. And thanks for working to transform R2’s Report into our own plan for the libraries. The next step in our timeline is to create work groups and more information is forthcoming. For now, here are the unedited, stream-of-consciousness ideas that flowed from retreat participants in the form of index cards, flip charts, post-it notes and yellow pads. A few comments came in via-email and they have been added as well.
-- Mara

http://www.uvm.edu/~pblackme/Final_Libraries_Retreat_Comments.doc

Additional update on Aug. 21
www.uvm.edu/~pblackme/added_aug_21.doc

B/H Liaison Program News

The Information & Instruction Services department is pleased to announce the debut of the Bailey/Howe Library Liaison Program. In development for much of the past year (and in fulfillment of a recent R2 recommendation), this program consists of the public services librarians in Bailey/Howe receiving formal liaison assignments to the various academic colleges, schools, departments, and programs on campus. This program was informed by and complements the liaison program that has been in existence in Dana Medical Library for the past few years. By supporting and encouraging regular and effective communication between the Libraries and the University’s colleges, departments, and programs, the Bailey/Howe Library Liaison Program provides a framework for the creation of effective working relationships between library faculty and the faculty and students in other academic units on campus, leading to improved and increased usage of library services and collections. The program also serves as a gauge of the needs of university students, faculty, and staff and informs planning and strategic directions for the Libraries. While work on the program continues, I invite you to take a look at the initial web site for the project at http://library.uvm.edu/services/liaison/index.html. Official campus announcements and publicity about the program are in development and will be forthcoming. --Keith

Movers, Shakers & Markers

Many, many thanks to all the libraries' faculty and staff who participated in the project to mark and move nearly 30,000 tomes to a new home: including, but not limited to Zhanna Gordon, Chris Krupp, Wendy Gunther, Albert Joy, Kathy Bohan, Katie Cooper, Susan Mower, Juliet Young, Jane Hendley, Brenda Hutchins, Toni Fortini, Larry Dubois, Mary Swasey, Michael Breiner, Birdie MacLennan, Scott Miller, Scott Schaffer, Catherine Tran, Sharon Thayer, Barb Lamonda, Jake Barickman, Daisy Benson, Winona Salesky, Ryan Edmonds, Angus Robertson, Devin Morrill, Monique from Circulation and Pat Mardeusz!

Dean's Council Minutes, August 14

A Meeting of the Dean’s Council was held on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Dean’s Conference Room.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mara Saule, Marianne Burke, Paul Philbin, Birdie MacLennan, Keith Gresham, Peter Blackmer, Jeff Marshall and Nancy Bercaw.

ABSENT: Selene Colburn

I. General

Mara opened the meeting by recognizing the fact that the Honors College Faculty Seminar was being held during the first part of the week in Bailey/Howe with 15-20 faculty from across disciplines participating. Trina Magi coordinated the event and libraries’ faculty (including Keith Gresham, Scott Schaffer, Laurie Kutner, Donna O’Malley and Jeff Marshall) participated. Mara also acknowledged Jeff’s and Marianne’s participation in the recent Harvard Leadership Institute. Both reported that they greatly enjoyed and appreciated the experience.

II. Libraries Planning Retreat Review

Mara reiterated that the call for additional comments is open until the end of the week, at which time all collected notes will be posted on the Dean’s List Blog for review. Work groups will be formed shortly thereafter. The general response to the retreat was favorable, despite the heat. The irony of leaving the (newly working) air system in B/H in favor of a fresh location (where an air system wasn’t present) was also noted.

III. Academic Year 07/08 Reappointment and Promotion

Peter Blackmer reminded Council Members to survey faculty about promotions this fall. Those interested in putting together a promotional dossier must make their intentions known by late September. Sabbatical applications also need to be put forth as well. Reappointments have more time, but a schedule of candidates will be out soon. Birdie MacLennan is the representative to University Professional Standards Committee.

IV. Communication Issues

The continued need for more transparent communication to and from the Dean’s Council, and the libraries in general, was discussed. There will be an ongoing effort to create and maintain multiple ways of communicating. Input from libraries employees are encouraged and welcome. Send to Nancy.Bercaw@uvm.edu.

V. Williston Project

Birdie reported that the Williston move is coming along very well and the marking project, spearheaded by Peter Spitzform, should be complete by the end of the week. Movers are coming on Monday to remove approximately 30,000 volumes. Volunteers are still welcome and needed for the rest of this week. Scott Miller will oversee the deposit of the books into the space. Some chaos is to be expected during the moving process. Birdie will coordinate a field trip to see the Williston facility for interested parties after the move is completed.

VI. UVM Accreditation

Mara will serve as co-chair of the University’s Accreditation Process with Jill Tarule. Nancy will function as project manager and the project will be managed from both the Libraries’ Office of the Dean as well as the Provost’s Office. The University will be evaluated against 11 Standards. One Standard (7) is devoted specifically to Library & Other Resources. Seven committees have been formed to review the 11 Standards. Some libraries faculty members have been invited by the President and Provost to sit on some of those committees, although there will be ample opportunity for all libraries faculty and staff to participate.

VII. B/H Liaison Program

Keith presented an overview of the newly created and soon-to-be implemented Bailey/Howe Library Liaison Program, which Info & Instruction has been working on for the past year. It remains a work in progress and will continue to be refined and reported on. Keith explained that the program was built in a way to work along side the existing program at Dana, with both programs now able to inform one another. Marianne commented on the potential for “cross-liaisoning.”

Catalog Update

The Libraries catalog will be down from 8/13 - 8/14 for a software upgrade. While the catalog is down, searching it is still available. A backup version is available by selecting Library Catalog on the homepage. In addition, by going to http://voyager.uvm.edu/ you can search the catalog by using a different interface called Open WorldCat. This interface is similar to Google in that items held by UVM Libraries appear at the top. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask or contact the information desks at Bailey/Howe or Dana. In addition, you can also use the Ask A Librarian service at Bailey/Howe or Dana to ask a question.

Taking the (Excellent) Cake

Congrats to Sandy, Angie, Fran and Marcie for taking the cake at this year's award ceremony.