Library Tour '07: The Catalogers

The Catalogers would make a good name for band, but the catalogers in Bailey/Howe could also be called The Decoders – or The Coders, for that matter since they do both. Our group even has a few things in common with Peter, Paul and Mary: one is named Mary and another really digs rock n’ roll music. But what really makes Larry, Michael and Mary special is the work they do independently.

Mary VanBuren-Swasey was kind enough to give me an introductory lesson in cataloging. She patiently walked me through a somewhat bewildering maze of “orphans,” bibliographic records, indexes, codes, cutters, rules and exceptions. She was a good teacher. And what I learned is that cataloging = detail + accuracy + consistency. And, thereby, Catalogers = Precision. Without them, libraries would be anarchy.

Which brings me to Michael Breiner, who gave me a splendid overview of his work and an inadvertent glimpse into his intellectual interests. Catalogers get a great overview of the world by viewing what passes through their hands. And, conversely, their own world views and interests help inform their work. Among other things, Michael catalogs media and music. And any day now, he will issue what he calls “The List” (another good band name) featuring his Favorite Ten Albums of 2007. Sitting with Michael brought me to my next conclusion: If it exists, it can be cataloged; and, ergo, catalogers know a lot about existence.

The third member of The Catalogers is Larry Dubois, who specializes in “value-added” cataloging in addition to doing a lot of the Wilbur Collection (about Vermont or Vermont institutions). He shared some gorgeous art books – treasures unto themselves – and showed me how he codes and describes them by referencing a wide variety of resources from the OCLC to the Library of Congress, in addition to calling upon his years of experience. Watching Larry work leads me to believe that being a cataloger requires a rare combination of skills – a head for numbers and a way with words. Most people have one or the other.

But Larry, Michael and Mary have, and do, whatever it takes to make our collections accessible to patrons. I’m not sure what to call “it” exactly, so I’m going to rename our band of catalogers “The Ineffables.”

Our holiday spirit

Thank you, again, to Darcelene for organizing the Christmas Food Project. She raised $270.45 from libraries colleagues and was able to purchase 262 pounds of food for those in need. That's the spirit!

Winter Gathering '07

Many, many thanks to the libraries social committee --Darcelene, Larry, Sylvia, Helen, Marci, Sharon, Katie and Chris Krupp--for staging and hosting a wonderful winter event. It was beautiful and delicious and perfectly organized.

Dean's Council Minutes, Dec. 4

DEAN’S COUNCIL MINUTES

A meeting of the Dean’s Council was held on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Dean’s Conference Room.

Present: Mara Saule, Peter Blackmer, Paul Philbin, Keith Gresham, Birdie MacLennan, Nancy Bercaw, Jeff Marshall, Selene Colburn and Jeanene Light (representing Marianne Burke)

I. Welcome

Mara welcomed Jeanene Light, who will be the acting director of Dana Medical Library and will attend Dean’s Council meetings while Marianne Burke is on sabbatical, Jan. – June 2008.

II. FY09 Budget

The FY 09 university-wide budget hearings will begin on Thursday, Jan. 24. Each Dean and VP will have 10 minutes for budget presentations. Then, the fiscal committee will meet and discuss. At end of February, Mara and Peter will meet with Provost to discuss the status of the Libraries FY09 budget submission. Again this year, it is expected that all divisions will be returning 1 percent of general fund base budget resources.

III. BH Master Planning

The next meeting regarding Bailey/Howe master planning/re-visioning is set for Tuesday, Jan. 8. Selene is collecting a list of building consultants, and some with “learning commons” experience in particular. Peter and Scott continue to explore options for the entrance to BH in an attempt to make it more welcoming without sacrificing security.

IV. Libraries Strategic Plan

Mara requested a Dean’s Council Retreat (tentatively scheduled for Friday, Jan. 25) to work on the larger strategic planning process. The retreat will examine the recommendations from the Discovery and Delivery Council, the Tech Services Work Group, R2, as well as the strategic plans at peer institutions. A SharePoint site will be created for planning purposes and document review. Goals and expected outcomes for the retreat will be clear and will reflect high aspirations for where the libraries want to be in 5 to 10 years.

V. Collection Space Planning Timeline

Birdie presented her working timeline for libraries space considerations and collection shifting. BH is at about 75-80 percent of its maximum capacity and is collecting at a rate of about 20,000 volumes per year. (Five years ago, the rate was 25,000.) BH discards between 2,000-4,000 titles per year. Birdie and Keith have been working on long-ranging collection space and weeding issues. Scott Miller has been measuring actual linear feet space, which will help determine actual percentages to be weeded from the collection and what can and should be moved where.

VI. Library Logo

The Communications team has selected two logo designs, created by the Scuola Group, for potential use by the libraries. The top pick is a liberal interpretation of the tower brand, but utilizes UVM style guidelines in terms of font and color. Mara will share the designs with the President next Friday.

Tech Services Working Group Update

The Technical Services Working Group continues to meet on a weekly basis to investigate ways the libraries can more effectively meet the needs of patrons. The group recently gathered statistics and compared the workflows for acquisitions (non-serials) and cataloging at Bailey/Howe and Dana. Members of the TSWG met with various staff members in both libraries.

The group will next explore the workflow in both libraries' serials departments, including print serials and e-resource maintenance.

--Tina Kussey (chair), Sandy Aldrich, Larry Dubois, Toni Fortini, Albert Joy, and Jeanene Light.

Next Libraries Open Forum: Blackboard Learning System

THE TOPIC AND SPEAKER FOR THE NEXT LIBRARIES OPEN FORUM:
(10 to 11 a.m. in the Dean's Conference Room, BH, Wednesday, Dec. 12)
Blackboard, Today and Tomorrow: As recently announced by the Provost,
UVM will implement the Blackboard Learning System this fall. Jill
Jemison, the project manager for the Blackboard project and
Instructional Technology director at the College of Medicine, will
discuss what an enterprise learning management system can offer the
university community. She will show how the college uses Blackboard,
social networking and library integration to make a interactive, media
rich curriculum experience for their students and demonstrate how UVM
may leverage these tools.

Mara to Host "Open Office" Time

Beginning January 9, Mara will host "open office hours" every Wednesday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Of course libraries employees can pop in any time to visit with her and get chocolate. But now there will be reserved time for anyone to stop by and share comments and communications. No appointment necessary.