DEAN’S COUNCIL MINUTES: Nov. 18, 2008

A meeting of the Dean's Council was held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

Present: Mara Saule, Peter Blackmer, Selene Colburn, Marianne Burke, Birdie MacLennan, Tina Kussey, Jeanene Light, Paul Philbin, Nancy Bercaw

Absent: Jeff Marshall

I. Strategic Planning

Members of the Dean’s Council will host sessions for feedback on specific goals of the proposed 2009-2013 Strategic Plan. The sessions will focus on the action steps, strategies and outcomes for each goal. Dates and times to be scheduled after the Thanksgiving break.

1. Info Access: Tina and Jeanene

2. Programs and Services: Marianne and Paul

3. Facilities: Peter and Selene

4. Digital Initiatives: Birdie and Jeff

5. Mission and Core Purposes: Nancy and Marianne

II. E-Troubleshooting Form

Tina announced that the Serials Implementation Team (SIT) has been working with the D&D Council and Information &Instruction Services to customize the E-troubleshooting form so that it can be used by both libraries, and deciding where to locate the form on the web. The SIT group is consolidating the separate listservs into a single UVL listserv: eresources@list.uvm.edu. The individual groups at Bailey/Howe and Dana that were working to resolve these issues, will be working together to address all of the problems that are reported to this unified listserv.

III. Budget Matters

Mara commented that no news has come out of the President’s Office, but that President Fogel had assembled a group to create principles for guiding any budget cuts.

Strategic Plan Work Groups

As discussed yesterday, we need volunteers to help revise/adjust/change the proposed Strategic Plan for the libraries. If you are willing to help, please hit the comment button and let us know which group you'd like to join:
1) Information Resources & Access Strategies
2) Programs and Services
3) Facilities
4) Digital Initiatives

New Study Space in BH

The new study space between the WID and the CDI is ready for use--and clearly is being used already. Head up to the 3rd floor and check it out.

Libraries Display

Located outside the Government Relations Office in Waterman.

Happy Halloween

Wendy Gunther has been making these Halloween figurines for years. We thought they were worth sharing today, in addition to these frighteningly wonderful libraries colleagues.

The University Libraries: Coming Together

Libraries Annual Meeting: Notes from the Dean's Remarks

I. Welcome, and thanks to:

· Larry, Darcelene, and the Library Social Committee

· Dean’s office: Peter, Annette, Nancy and Lisa—especially for the slide show.

II. Themes

· Every year we have a theme, which we discover largely in retrospect—we don’t always know what theme we’re making as we’re working. The past year seems to have several themes: change, collaboration and coming together. We are evolving to new levels of service.

· Thesaurus.com defines “together” as: calm, cool, in sync, well-balanced; as one, collectively, in unison, side by side, with one voice; and, in a state of preparedness.

III. What has come together over the past year in the Libraries?

· The evolution of the R2 report in very practical ways:

o Tech Services re-visioning, through the work of the Technical Services Working Group (TSWG) and the Serials Implementation Team (SIT)

o Discovery and Delivery Council

o Newly-constituted Collections Team

o Bringing Dana and Bailey/Howe processes together

o Materials budget realignment

· The evolution of our organizational structure.

o Collection Management Services (CMS) into Resource Description and Analysis (with Birdie as Director) and Collection Development and Acquisitions (with Tina as Interim Director)

o Jeanene Light as Interim Director of B/H Instruction & Information Services

· The evolution of our Web site to something that is aesthetically pleasing as well as flexible and functional with a January 2009 release.

· The evolution of our communications and marketing initiatives: LOGO design and ASK campaigns. Also connecting with our users through our various new and re-energized liaison programs.

· The evolution of our facilities.

o Evolution of Dana as an even faster and flexible research machine: informatics, no ILL fees, etc.

o Evolution of B/H: renovating a better building

o Including partners: Writing in the Disciplines (WID), ETS Help Desk

o Devolution of Cook to a largely virtual library

o Billings becoming a reality

o Our virtual space: CDI and institutional repository

· The evolution for the future in a newly created Strategic Plan.

o The Strategic Plan has been circulated, and there will be an open forum to discuss on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

IV. The Libraries’ evolution amidst economic uncertainty. We need to be even more flexible and focused. The budget implications suggest that we must be streamlined.

· Better shape than many other institutions:

o So far, no hiring freezes or layoffs

o Paychecks covered

o Near-term and longer term concerns:
Enrollment uncertainties, Retention, Research focus

· Strategic planning and University Planning Council

· New student learning outcomes

· Accreditation

· New vision/mission statements:

Vision Statement: To be among the nation’s premier small research universities,

preeminent in our comprehensive commitment to liberal education, environment,

health, and public service.

Mission Statement: To create, evaluate, share, and apply knowledge and to prepare students to be accountable leaders who will bring to their work dedication to the global community, a grasp of complexity, effective problem-solving and communication skills, and an enduring commitment to learning and ethical conduct.

In closing, this will continue to be a year of evolving together. In fact, the new libraries’ group photo represents the convergence of all our efforts and the progress we have made. Seeing all our colleagues pictured together under Billings represents the past as well as the future –all of which is coming together for the UVM Libraries.

DEAN’S COUNCIL MINUTES: October 21, 2008

Present: Mara Saule, Peter Blackmer, Paul Philbin, Jeff Marshall, Tina Kussey, Jeanene Light, Selene Colburn, Nancy Bercaw

Absent: Marianne Burke, Birdie MacLennan

I. Libraries Strategic Planning

Departments are encouraged to review the draft Strategic Plan, which was developed by the Dean’s Council over the past 8 months, and to give feedback directly to Nancy. An open forum to discuss the document will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The Strategic Plan can be seen at http://www.uvm.edu/~pblackme/Draft%20of%20Strat%20Plan%20Oct%2010%202008.pdf

II. Vermont’s New State Librarian

Marty Reid, recently named Vermont’s State Librarian, will visit the UVM Libraries on Friday, October 24.

III. Budget Matters

Mara announced that the Board of Trustees Executive Committee approved the Elsevier contract Monday and thanked Tina for helping organize materials for the last-minute meeting. On Friday, October 24, Mara and Peter will meet with Richard Cate, the new vice president for finance, as well as Associate Provost Jane Knodell, to talk about last year’s budget.

IV. Libraries Annual Meeting

The Libraries Annual Meeting will take place in the B/H Staff Lounge on Tuesday, October 28, 2008. Directors’ reports can be read now at http://www.uvm.edu/~pblackme/Libraries%20Annual%20Meeting%202008.pdf

V. Updates

· Shawn Biegen has accepted the staff position in serials and will start Nov. 17.

· Interviews for the staff position in Special Collections are underway, with the final interview scheduled for Monday. The position is expected to be filled by November.

· A bindery working group will commence soon. Albert Joy will serve as chair.

· The search for the Outreach Digital Initiatives Librarian has attracted 16 applications thus far.

· The College of Education received a grant from the Center for Inclusion to help CTL expand faculty development around universal design principles.