Minutes: Public Service Task Force Septemer 24, 1998 Meeting Minutes (meeting #5)

Present: Lissa Bell, Phyllis Bischof (co-chair), Nensi Brailo, Alison Brandt, Agnes Concepcion, Sarah Han, Corliss Lee (co-chair, recorder), Rick Love, Chris Tarr, Roy Tennant, Bill Whitson

New Member: Chris Lunde (grad student, Sciences)

Announcements

1a. Following up on Nensi Brailo's comments at the last meeting about the possibility of making a video for customer service training, Corliss suggested a CLA training program on customer service to Nensi and Rich Rosario of Moffitt. Both planned to attend, with Scott Miller's support. Some library staff also planned to attend the campus training on customer service [later cancelled]. Corliss is searching for videos on customer service in libraries.

1b. Rick Love is a member of the new Library Student Employment Task Force and welcomed comments and questions. The task force hopes to complete its work by the end of October.

1c. Lissa Bell reported on plans for the user panel on October 23. A small subcommittee has discussed objectives for the panel, talking points, composition of the panel, and format (5 minutes per speaker, 6 speakers; 45 minutes for a moderator to ask questions of the panelists, and 10-20 minutes for quesions from the audience).

1d. Chris Lunde, the new graduate student representative for the Sciences (Comparative Biochemistry), was introduced. He briefly discussed his experiences with campus libraries.

1e. Lynn Jones will be going on maternity leave. PSTF will seek a new representative from PSAG-TS.

2. Other potential speakers were discussed. Plans are taking shape for Regina Minudri, Acting Head of San Francisco Public Library, to come in November. Task Force members decided to limit this fall's events to three in number so as not to overwhelm staff or conflict with other scheduled events.

3. Task Force members briefly summarized the public service implications of existing reports (three reports relating to the Blue Ribbon Committee, Undergraduate Services Task Force, and 1993 Strategic Planning Work Group on Research Services. Bill Whitson volunteered to consolidate the written reports of the Task Force members into one document. Discussion will continue at a future meeting.

Discussion ensued about what users want vis-a-vis what library staff think they want; about user studies; about undergraduate use of the library; and about the role of publicity and outreach, especially to graduate students and faculty.

4. Bill Whitson summarized some of the themes he perceived at the recent CARL conference. His e-mail summary of these themes will be put up on the PSTF web site.