Present: Imani Abalos, Bette Anton, Phyllis Bischof, Nensi Brailo,
Elizabeth Byrne, Katie Frohmberg (chair), Ginny Irving, Corliss Lee, Mark
Mentges, Ralph Moon, Charlotte Rubens, Peter Soriano (facilitator), Jutta
Wiemhoff (recorder)
Absent: Cris Guerrero, Bernie Hurley
Announcements:
Arts & Humanities Council members expressed concern about the possible loss
of telnet Melvyl and would like PSC to address this issue at one of their
future meetings. There is strong sentiment among users to keep the telnet
version because it is much faster than the web version. (Nensi)
Bette announced that the multi-resource search tool SearchLight is in test
mode through 12/10 at http://cdl.ucop.edu/cgi-bin/searchlight. CDL
encourages testing and sending comments directly to CDL.
Ralph reported good progress in getting UCB's circ information accessible
in Melvyl. He projects that this will go into production in the Web version
in early 2000. Ralph agreed to find out if there were plans to do the same
for the telnet version and let PSC know.
Agenda Items:
1. The minutes of 11/3 were approved with minor changes. Charlotte reminded
recorders to e-mail an additional copy of the final minutes to "pscarch."
Since the web version has to be in ASCII, she suggested saving the document
as text in Word (as a .txt file).
2. Availability Study - Katie informed PSC that UL Lowell has sent out the
charge of the Workgroup on Access to Collections. The principal issues to
be addressed are:
a. Identify the problems that library users face regarding use of the
print collections shelved in the Gardner stacks (including the portion of
the Moffitt collection shelved on Level D) and attempt to determine how
widespread the concerns are within the Library's user community about these
problems.
b. Identify the problems that library users face regarding use of the
print collections housed at the NRLF and attempt to determine how
widespread the concerns are within the Library's user community about these
problems.
c. Conduct an availability study to determine the various reasons behind
why library users are not able to locate the materials that they need.
A report is due in April 2000. Charlotte was selected as PSC's representative.
3. LWNS changes to Public Services PC Environment - Ralph reported that
increased computer misuse at public PC stations (like loading non-standard
programs from diskettes in the computer) has prompted Systems to explore
the new Windows 2000 version expected to be available in February 2000.
This version has a much finer grained control and should allow Systems
programmers to make the floppies writable, but not readable, which would
eliminate the above-mentioned problem. LWNS is already testing the beta
release version and hopes to upgrade all public PC's to the new Win2000
version this summer. Systems decided to no longer pursue Windows NT,
because of serious installation problems discovered during testing.
4. Web and Excellence Action Planning - The following PSC members
volunteered to work on the two priority projects defined by PSC:
Improve the Library Web Action Group:
Corliss Lee, Mark Mentges, Cris Guerrero, Bernie Hurley, Lisa Weber. Isabel
Sterling will be the Action lead for this group (per UL Lowell's
suggestion). Katie will send out a call for self-nominations for one
representative from Arts/Humanities/Area Studies and one rep from GSSI.
Avi Rappaport (LAUC-B) has expressed interest to offer her expertise and
volunteer to do consulting work for this web project, if PSC can wait until
the beginning of the new year.
Establishing Excellence in Public Service Action Group:
Elizabeth Byrne (Action lead), Imani Abalos, Phyllis Bischof, Nensi Brailo,
Jutta Wiemhoff. Katie will send a call for self-nominations for one
representative from the Sciences and one from the Affiliate Libraries. It
was also decided to include one representative from the Circulation
Services Group.
Deadline for self-nominations is Wednesday, November 24, 1999.
The group decided that the subcommittees are to establish the "Performance
Measures" as part of both projects.
Two corrections were made to the Web Action Planning form (see attachment).
5. AUL Training Plan - The group suggested three additions to the AUL
training plan:
- A Visit with the Affiliated Librarians Heads Group
- A Visit with LAUC-ExComm
- A Visit with the Circulation Services Group.
Since Isabel Sterling is scheduled to join PSC for their next meeting on
December 1 (her first day on the job), the group discussed a variety of
suitable agenda topics for that day: Welcome, Isabel!; introductions of
each group member; what are Isabel's questions to this group; what is the
group's mission/charge, what is PSC's role and how does it fit into the
rest of the councils.
There was mutual consent among the group for Katie to continue on the PS
Council for several more times after Isabel takes on her new
responsibilities. To allow for a smooth transition, PSC will recommend to
UL Lowell that Katie not leave after Isabel's first meeting. [Note:
Subsequent to this meeting, Katie has indicated that she would not continue
on PSC past December 1.]
6. Electronic Access Policy - PSC agreed with Imani to change the
characterization of the issue from electronic access policy to computer use
policy. Imani gave an update on the Information Center computer use
guidelines. Roundtable has accepted the underlying principles of the
guidelines. UL Lowell now expects PSC to use the Information Center
guidelines to develop and adopt guidelines that can be used throughout the
library system. Imani handed out samples of guidelines compiled by UCSD
and UCSF for the group's perusal. A small subgroup consisting of PSC
members Imani Abalos, Elizabeth Byrne and Corliss Lee will work on
developing the librarywide use policy and a directive to public service
staff including action steps for staff to take in specific situations. The
subgroup will present a draft to PSC at the December 1 meeting. The final
product will be added to the Public Service Manual. Implementation is
planned for spring semester 2000.
7. Xerox Service Contract - The group discussed the way in which the Xerox
photocopy service contract was implemented. There was overall agreement
about a wide variety of ongoing, time consuming public service problems.
PSC will ask Mike Rancer to have Admin Council initiate a survey of needs
in the branch and affiliate libraries.
Ralph asked for and received permission to send out a call for
self-nominations for the Gladis E-Mail Circ Notices task force. Discussion
of this matter will be put on next meeting's agenda.