Executive Committee Minutes 9/8/2011

LAUC-B Executive Committee 

September 8, 2011
10 am -12 pm
Room 119 Moses Hall (IGS Harris Room)

Members present: Lillian Castillo-Speed, Susan Edwards, Dana Jemison, Susan Koskinen, Jeffery Loo (recorder), Jennifer K. Nelson, Nick Robinson (chair), Kai Stoeckenius

Guests: Rita Evans, Margaret Phillips, I-Wei Wang

I. Announcements 

  • The LAUC-B Committee on Research is offering the LAUC-B Informational Brown-Bag for Research Grants and Fellowships on Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 12:00 to 1:30 PM in Doe 303. This program will help LAUC-B members prepare applications for LAUC research and presentation grants as well as the Townsend Fellowship.
     
  • Applications for the Townsend Research Fellowships for Librarians are due November 15, 2011. (application form)
  • The 2010-2011 LAUC-B Executive Committee purchased a laptop and it is now available for Executive Committee use.

II. Reports

A. Treasurers Report (N. Robinson for A. Malik)

  • The current LAUC-B account balance is $56,722.99. Preparations for the FY 2011 - 2012 budget are underway.

B. Meeting with the University Librarian (N. Robinson, S. Edwards)

  • Nick and Susan met with Tom Leonard on August 31, 2011.
  • The Council of University Librarians is meeting in Oakland from September 8-9, 2011.
    • The discussion will include the issues of a system-wide ILS, an ARL request for proposals directed at vendors for preparing packages for library consortial acquisition, and the next steps for the Next-Generation Technical Services recommendations as well as the Library Planning Task Force recommendations.
    • LAUC Statewide President Mitchell Brown and LAUC Statewide Vice-President/President Elect Keri S. Botello are attending a portion of this meeting. Mitchell and Keri will discuss the LAUC Committee on Professional Governance report on Next Generation LAUC Members, the results of the Diversity Committees census of librarians, the role of LAUC in the implementation and communication strategies of the Next-Generation Technical Services recommendations, and the distinguished librarian status.
       
  • Nick informed Tom that he submitted to Joanne Miller, Principal Library Planning Analyst at CDL, the LAUC-B members collected comments and feedback on the Library Planning Task Force recommendations. Nick voiced LAUC-Bs interest in opportunities for comment and participation in the ongoing LPTF planning and in other strategic initiatives.
     
  • LAUC-B Executive Committee members will invite Professor Elaine Tennant, the new director of The Bancroft Library, for a lunch meeting to discuss the role of LAUC in UC Berkeleys libraries.
     
  • The position of E-Learning Librarian will be opening and it will be primarily funded by student fees.
     
  • Nick informed Tom that the LAUC-B Executive Committee will begin exploring the issue of librarians peer review standards in times of increased workload.  (Details are below in the New Business section of the minutes.)

C. Committee on the Library, Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate (S. Edwards)

  • The Committee will meet on September 15, 2011.

D. LAUC Statewide Conference Call (N. Robinson)

  • This years LAUC Statewide Election Day is June 1, 2012. Ballots will be administered electronically. LAUC Statewide President Mitchell Brown will explore the possibility of using a single electronic ballot for both statewide and divisional elections.
  • The LAUC Committee on Professional Governance has distributed their report on the Next Generation LAUC Member to the LAUC divisions.
  • The LAUC Statewide Assembly is now an annual event. LAUC-Santa Cruz is organizing this years Assembly.

III. Continuing Business

A. Conference planning (I. Wang, M. Phillips)

  • The LAUC-B Conference Planning Committee encourages LAUC members to register early for this years conference - Fiat Flux: Changing universities, challenges for libraries on Friday, October 21, 2011, 8:30am 5:00 pm held in downtown Berkeley.
  • Program details and free registration at /conference-2011.
  • There will be informal networking and social events pre- and post-conference.

B. LAUC-B Fall Assembly Planning (N. Robinson)

  • The LAUC-B Executive Committee discussed possible speakers and topics for the upcoming Fall and Spring Assemblies.
  • There was interest for the Assemblies to serve as discussion forums or town hall meetings for exploring the important professional issues facing LAUC-B librarians. High attendance at the recent LAUC-B brown bag discussions suggests this format may interest our members.

C. Comments on the LPTF Interim Report (N. Robinson)

IV. New Business 

A. SDC program co-sponsorship (N. Robinson)

  • The LAUC-B Committee on Professional Development will explore an opportunity to co-sponsor a Staff Development Committee program.
  • The program topic is stress management through mindfulness with a guest speaker from the CARE Services Employee Assistance at the University Health Services, Tang Center.

B. Doe Centennial participation (N. Robinson, J. Loo)

  • Jeff summarized the planning and activities underway for the Doe Library Centennial Celebration. Further details are on the Doe Library Centennial website.
  • Jeff will monitor LAUC-B activities for potential connections to the Centennial Celebration.

C. Statement on peer review standards in times of increased workload (N. Robinson)

  • In 1992, the LAUC-B Executive Committee wrote to CAPA a policy directive on peer review standards.  It was a response to concerns raised by librarians regarding the state of peer review standards in the face of increased workload, reduced revenues, and declining morale.
  • The current LAUC-B Executive Committee finds merit in this document, which is available online at  /docs/pdf/librarian_series_90s.pdf
  • Here is an excerpt that succinctly summarizes the directive:
    • [D]uring difficult periods, candidates and review initiators should explicitly acknowledge constraints inhibiting outside professional activities, and other reviewers should demonstrate requisite flexibility when evaluating professional activities beyond the primary assignment. (Additionally, there was a reminder that APM criteria are intentionally broad and flexible.)
  • With CAPAs input and review, Nick, Susan Koskinen, and Kai will draft an updated version of this policy directive. It will reiterate that LAUC-B librarians are facing times of reduced budget and increased workloads and that there is precedent and language in the APM to support flexibility when weighing the librarian review criteria.
  • Eventually, the LAUC-B Executive Committee will distribute this updated memo to LAUC-B members and to other stakeholders in the librarian review process.

D. Housekeeping (N. Robinson)

  • Nick has updated the procedures for LAUC-B budget proposal submissions. Now there will be more opportunity for the LAUC-B Chair to consult and collaborate with Kris Leonardo at Library Business Services during the budget preparation process.