minutes 41404

[Linda Vida <lvida@library.berkeley.edu>]

Meeting Minutes
The Affiliated Libraries Administrative Group (TALAG)
April 18, 2004
8:30-9:45am
Institute of Governmental Studies

Present: Linda Vida (Chair), Dan Krummes (Recorder), Paul Atwood
(ex-officio member), Lily Castillo-Speed, Lincoln Cushing (ex-officio
member), Ruth Girill, Ron Heckart, Terry Huwe, Michael Levy and Waverly
Lowell.

Old Business:

1.  Distribution of TALAG minutes.  Group consensus was
that, after formal approval by TALAG members via e-mail, TALAG meeting
minutes will be distributed electronically to the campus library
community as a whole via the Library’s “All Users” listserv.

2.  “The Affiliated Web Grid.”  A review draft of
TALAG’s “Affiliated Web Grid” was distributed by Linda and Paul. 
The grid, in its design phase, is an electronic representation of
Affiliated Libraries’ collections, services and policies.  It is
anticipated that the Affiliated Grid will be mounted on The Affiliated
Libraries website in the near future.  TALAG members will review
their individual library grid listings over the next few weeks, with a
detailed discussion of the Affiliated Grid slated for the next TALAG
meeting.  

3.  Task Force Recommendations Survey.  Linda reported that she
and Waverly will conduct a survey of TALAG members to rank the
recommendations issued by the recently-completed Report and
recommendations of the Affiliated Libraries  The Library Task Force
(Spring 2004).  The survey will be distributed within the next 2-3
weeks.  Results of the survey will be discussed at the next TALAG
meeting.

4.  TALAG “in the news.”  Lily reported on efforts to publicize
TALAG within the UC library and general campus communities.  An
article has been prepared for CU News [note: the article
subsequently appeared in the April 15, 2004 issue of the
newsletter].  Lily has also been in discussion with Cathy Cockrell
of The Berkeleyan. Cathy Cockrell will interview Lily and Linda on
April 14, 2004. [note: Cathy emailed a draft of the article to Lily and
Linda on April 20, 2004, to review prior to publication.]

5.  Budget Cuts & Affiliated Libraries.  Linda announced
that Elaine Tennant of the Academic Senate’s Library Committee has asked
for Affiliated Libraries to detail the effects of current and projected
budget cuts on Affiliated Libraries staffing, collections and
services.  Such budgetary information should be sent to Lincoln by
April
21st. 
Lincoln will consolidate the information from individual Affiliated
Libraries and report back to Ms. Tennant.

6. The Library Copier Contract Update.  Five Affiliated Libraries
(Ethnic Studies, Governmental Studies, Law, Transportation Studies and
Water Resources) will be affected by The Library’s proposed new public
services photocopier contract with Canon.  Law will see the number
of its copiers diminished; the other affected Affiliated Libraries will
lose their copiers completely.  Linda, Dan, Ron and Lily reported
briefly on their effort to secure a reversal of The Library’s
decision.  A copy of the letter sent to The Library’s Business
Manager, Mike Rancer, was distributed to TALAG members; a formal meeting
with Mr. Rancer will take place in the near future and the group will
report back to TALAG at the May TALAG meeting. 

New Business:   

1.  TALAG Communications.  As Chair of TALAG, Linda now
routinely attends Roundtable.  She will send brief updates to TALAG
members regarding Roundtable discussions that have impacts on Affiliated
Libraries a few days after each meeting.  Fuller descriptions of
Roundtable discussions are available via The Library’s “All Users”
listserv.   Linda will also forward any other library
information (labor relations, communications from deans and directors,
etc.) that is sent to her in her role as TALAG Chair. [Linda subsequently
forwarded an email to TALAG about the new system for subscribing to
Campus Administrative memos.]

2.  Affiliated Librarians on LAUC and other Library ad-hoc
committees.   TALAG members agreed that it would be useful for
the Group to compile a master listing of Affiliated librarians serving on
LAUC and other Library ad-hoc committees.  The list will be made
available as a web page linked to The Affiliated Libraries web
page.  Paul Atwood agreed to compile the list and will begin by
polling Affiliated librarians as to both those committees on which they
serve as appointed representatives and also those which they attend more
in a “liaison” role.

3.  ARL Salary Survey.  Lincoln reported that
historically the Academic Research Libraries (ARL) Salary Survey of the
Berkeley campus has not included Affiliated librarians even
though it has been represented as covering all campus professional
librarians. However, since close to 20% of all professional librarians on
campus work in Affiliated Libraries, their absence in the overall salary
statistics has compromised the survey’s accuracy, something which the
Librarian’s Union challenged during its most recent negotiations with the
University.  The Boalt Law Library has traditionally reported their
statistics separately. According to Lincoln, LAUC-B is also looking at
this issue and is now working with Library Human Resources and the campus
Academic Personnel Office to correct this long-standing
oversight.

4.  Affiliated Spring Assembly update.  Lincoln reported
that Anno Saxenian, the new Dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Information
Management (SIMS), had indicated an interest in working more closely with
the campus library community and is a potential speaker at the upcoming
Spring Affiliated Assembly. If Ms. Saxenian is able to speak, TALAG
anticipates that this program will be interesting to LAUC-B and an
allusers message will be sent out.

5. Statewide Spring Assembly announcement  This year the
program at the LAUC Spring Assembly to be held at UC Riverside on
Thursday, May 13th will be available as a Webcast. Information about how
to view the program is posted at the Assembly web site
(http://laucr.ucr.edu/LAUCSpring04/Webcast.html#Webcast).

The program is an interesting one and will be moderated by Terry Huwe.
Speakers: Trudis Heinecke Director, Long Range Planning,
University of California, Office of the President Budget Office

George Bynon, Associate University Librarian for Administrative Services,
University of California, Davis

Elaine Tennant, Professor of German, and Co-Chair, UC Berkeley Division
of the Academic Senate, Committee on Library

They will "discuss the process of developing and maintaining library
funding, within the larger contexts of campus affairs, faculty relations,
and statewide long-range planning."

6.  The Library’s new IT project.  Terry reported that The
Library is in the planning stages of a pilot project focusing on a
Content Management System that will put into service a system to create
and maintain the Library's websites.  The system will allow staff
members without web-coding technical skills to manage content for their
unit's websites. More information is available at
http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Spring2004/eberkprojects.html.
TALAG members agreed that a representative from the Affiliated Libraries
should participate in this project.  Linda will follow-up and
contact The Library regarding this project. 
 
5.  Next TALAG meeting.  Linda announced that the next TALAG
meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, 2004, from 8:30 - 10:00
am.