DEAN'S COUNCIL MINUTES: Dec. 22, 2009

I. Goodbye and Thank You

Dean Saule noted that this was the last meeting with Jeanene Light as interim director of I & IS. The Council applauded their appreciation for her good work. It was also noted that this was the last Dean’s Council meeting for Mara and Nancy until July 2010.

II. Scholarly Comm Comm

The Scholarly Communications Committee has drafted a white paper. To review, click here. Dean Saule planned to share with the Provost after the meeting of the Dean’s Council. Acting Dean Jeff Marshall will share with the Provost’s Council of Deans in January. Dean Saule thanked the committee for its outstanding work.

III. Employee Climate/Equity Survey

Marianne Burke circulated a “background, rationale, mechanics and input” document regarding the upcoming Employee Climate/Equity Survey. To see the document, click here. All colleagues are encouraged to take the survey between February 16 and March 5, either on the web or on paper. Reminders will be forthcoming.

DEAN'S COUNCIL MINUTES: Dec. 8, 2009

I. FY 11 Budget

Dean Saule reported that no firm budget information has come out of Waterman. She did remark that this was an expensive year for incoming class in terms of needing a lot of financial aid. The libraries acquisition budget still stands at 5 percent. Acting Dean Jeff Marshall and Peter Blackmer have a meeting in middle of January with the Provost to discuss the budget.

II. Gen Ed

Dean Saule has been serving on the “Gen Ed Requirement” work group, which will issue recommendations soon before being forwarded to the Senate for discussion. Implementation could take a couple of years, and will be a phased approach. To see the latest draft, click here.

III. TRI (Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives)

The libraries support role in citation searching for TRIs is an ongoing point of discussion.

IV. LIBQUAL Results

Selene Colburn asked the Council what kind of information should be culled from the survey and what should be done with that information. Where have we made improvements, or the lack there-of? How do they help inform the strategic plan? Selene will work with Alan Howard creating usable data for the Council and Libraries to review.

V. BH Code of Conduct

A small ad hoc committee has been working to develop policies of conduct for Bailey/Howe. Lesley Boucher assisted the group with what works for Dana Medical. To read, click here. Initial feedback is in the process of being incorporated into the document.

VI. Operation Shrink

Jeanene Light and Paul Philbin created “Operation Shrink,” a plan for keeping the libraries open in case of a pandemic. To read the plan, click here.

Old and New Friends Gather Together For Great Food

The Annual Holiday Party was another delectable fest.

Complete with retired libraries friends and brand new tiny patrons!

Thanks to the committee for the long hours it takes to organize the event, set it up and clean it up. It's worth every second!

What Will They Think of Next

A rogue student, ostensibly looking for a place to study, found what he/she was looking for in the hallway outside maps and government documents. The only problem was that the desk was a bit wobbly, so, instead of using the free books nearby, the student grabbed some actual government documents to prop up one leg of the desk.

Review of the CDI Tour

On Dec. 10, the Center for Digital Initiatives was pleased to host 15 of our library colleagues for an SFDC noon-time presentation and tour of our 3rd floor space. Librarians Robin Katz and Sibyl Schaefer covered:

-A walkthrough of the CDI's website
-A brief history of the CDI
-The CDI's current goal of creating and better serving a participatory user community
-The collection development process
-The project development process
-Metadata standards and workflow
-The many formats we're capable of accepting
-A sneak preview of upcoming collections

Thanks to those who attended for the great questions and conversation afterwards. For those of you who missed it, Robyn would be happy to send you a copy of the Power Point.

Changes in the Dean's Office

As you all know, Dean Saule is taking a leave from January - June 2010. Jeffrey Marshall will serve as acting dean, and will remain (mostly) located in his office in Special Collections. He will come up to the Dean's Office for meetings and, of course, to coordinate with the support staff located here.

You may or may not know, however, that Nancy Bercaw (aka me) will also be on leave during that time frame. Diann Varricchione will be back to take my place and support Jeff, as well as the Dean's Council. Diann will work Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Our work study student Ana Banu will be here Mondays and Fridays. Please send blog items to Ana for posting at abanu@uvm.edu.

And of course, Annette will continue to provide support on financial matters!

If you are curious, I am going to Singapore (with David) to join my husband Allan who is teaching film at NYU Tisch Asia. http://www.tischasia.nyu.edu.sg/page/home.html

Linda's Retirement Party: A Photo Essay

Thank you, Linda, for 36 years of services and smiles. You will be missed.

A New Record for B/H

Eight thousand and three people entered B/H yesterday.

How I learned to know and love the library

There is this film (Fight Club) where the main character has a peculiar, personal way of expressing emotions: "I am Jack's complete lack of surprise," for example.

I am Ana and this is Ana's intro to a fascinating world called UVM Libraries. This is my first semester at UVM, my third month working in the Bailey/ Howe Library and my first post on this blog.

This Library can make a lot of libraries look like a joke. I spent a lot of time here even before I started school or work. I simply liked the feeling. Starting with the first floor, then zigzagging from the Media Center to the Second Floor and finally ending up at the last one. That's where you can hear your thoughts. Where people respect this thing called SILENCE. And it's nice. It's nice to have that option. The option to discover the thoughts in the books and the way they manage to infiltrate in every hidden corner of your mind. And how they will reveal themselves at a certain point in your existence.

I am a Film Major. And a Sophomore, almost a Junior. The third floor has rows after rows of books about films. Whatever you could think of. My first absurd thought was 'what if I get locked in the library one night?/ There's no way I would get bored.' And I still believe that. Either working or studying or just being there, the 'good feeling' doesn't go away.

This is Ana's second step to discovering the Library. This is also Ana's goodbye for now.

New Lighting = Less Energy

Have to say thank you to Scott Miller, yet again, for masterminding the new lighting in Bailey/Howe. Not only is it more attractive, it's much, much more energy efficient. Already, the lighting has saved 10-20 percent on our electric consumption--and bills.

Caption, Anyone?