LAUC-B FALL ASSEMBLY
2 December 1998
Handouts: agenda, draft minutes from LAUC-B Spring Assembly, table of contents for draft LAUC-B Policy and Procedures Manual, committee reports, proposed by-law revisionsI. Welcome
Andrea Sevetson, LAUC-B chair, welcomed the fifty-five attendees and called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m.
II. Announcements
A. Sevetson introduced four new LAUC-B members: Nick Robinson (Public Health), Beth Edinger (Law), Jean McKenzie (Engineering), and Susan Koskinen (Environmental Design).
B. Sevetson announced that the web site has a calendar listing upcoming events and their locations.C. Sevetson solicited additions to the agenda. None were suggested.D. Sevetson introduced members of the Executive Committee.E. Sevetson introduced LAUC-B committee chairs.III. SpeakersA. Gerald (Jerry) Lowell, University Librarian
Sevetson welcomed Lowell and presented him with gifts to welcome him to Berkeley. Today is his second day as UCB UL. He has been learning software and starting a program of touring campus libraries. He is reading background documents to understand current initiatives.
Lowell talked about what he wants to accomplish. In the short term, he must submit a budget to campus in January and devise a realistic general plan for the current year and for the longer term. He's alert to the dangers of staff burnout and asks that we work hard but find a balance, and cultivate dedication, loyalty, honesty, compassion, respect, and a sense of humor. Lowell is aware that everything we do affects the quality of our service to the users, and he asks that we always keep our users in mind.
During a question and answer session, Lowell asked for space to learn. He has an open door policy and enjoys receiving email from all staff. He described the planning process at UCSD: use of a small representative group as the core planners with town hall, departmental, and unit meetings for discussion so that all staff will be involved in creating the plan and thus support it. He intends to keep the external community informed about the planning process but sees it as internal, the library developing its values and beliefs. The administrative structure will no doubt change in the next few months.
In discussing the role of LAUC, Lowell stated that professional exchanges and the sharing of information is critically important in learning and growing. LAUC has an important role in continuing education.
In conclusion, Lowell said we should try to discover what works best for all of us and then do it.
B. Professor Marianne Constable, Chair of the Academic Senate Committee on Libraries (ASCL)
Constable sees librarians and teaching faculty as natural allies. The main concern of the ASCL is how campus libraries work for their users. The ASCL is interested in those functions deemed "mundane" by the Blue Ribbon Committee: accessibility, hours, correctness. The ASCL is focussing on five matters this year:
(1) follow up to the Undergraduate Task Force Report.
(2) the systemwide copyright report, a complicated issue being examined by several UCB committees. Also looking at scholarly publishing and the relationship of the UCB libraries to the California Digital Library (CDL).
(3) computing resources.
(4) budget, especially on operations: seismic strengthening, equipment replacement, new staff, student staffing and salaries.
(5) relationship between the libraries and external groups on campus, especially in integration of programmatic and space planning. Constable sees the need for librarians to serve on Academic Senate committees to help this integration. Librarians should always consider the need to educate faculty of the differences between disciplines and the ways they use library materials. Librarians should talk to faculty about library issues.
IV. Minutes of the LAUC-B Spring 1998 Assembly were approved.
V. Reports
A. Chair's Report (Sevetson)
LAUC-B
Two librarians served on the University Librarian Search Committee, Barbara Glendenning and Ginny Irving. Sevetson thanked both for representing LAUC-B and for creating opportunities for gathering input from Library staff. The Executive Committee (ExComm) interviewed the two candidates and wrote letters evaluating each of them.
LAUC-B constituted a Public Service Task Force which has sponsored two programs: "Our Users Speak" in October and Regina Minudri, former head of Berkeley Public Library and current director of San Francisco Public Library, in November.
This fall Virginia Shih, coordinator of the LAUC-B Mentoring Program, and set up four new librarians with mentors.
In November, LAUC-B sponsored the incredibly successful conference "Alternative Models of Scholarly Publishing in Higher Education." Sevetson heartily thanked the organizers--Sam Trosow, David Farrell, Diane Fortner, Margaret Phillips, and Chair Jeanne Fong--who planned the conference, arranged for co-sponsors, and followed through on many details to make the conference so worthwhile to all those in attendance. Members of the committee were applauded.
The biennial Distinguished Librarian Award is in process. Next week ExComm will be reviewing and formalizing selection criteria, and the committee will be formally appointed.
ExComm has begun work on a Policy and Procedures Manual. When completed, this manual should facilitate the work of the committees and members of ExComm by outlining what is expected of each committee and officeholder.
Sevetson is drafting a response to UL Lowell's request for a list of action priorities; members should contribute ideas by submitting them to Vice-Chair Glendenning.
LAUC Statewide
The LAUC Executive Board has spent time trying to understand the new system-wide advisory structure. In addition, the Executive Board has talked about the appointment process for the system-wide committees, how this interacts with the Exec Board, and how to plan for turn-over for these positions since all terms will expire at the same time.
LAUC directly appoints its representatives to both the Systemwide Library and Scholarly Information Advisory committee (SLASIAC) and Systemwide Operations and Planning Advisory Group (SOPAG) and submits a slate of three names for all campus committees, such as Heads of Public Services (HOPS), Heads of Technical Services (HOTS), Heads of Systems (HOS) and Collection Development Committee (CDC), all for three year terms.
The Executive Board received a proposal from LAUC-Riverside for an institute on the future of UC libraries and librarians and their collaboration with faculty on scholarly research in the ever-changing technological environment.
Discussion continues on expanding the number of steps in the librarian series. The "Many Voices of Diversity Report" has been in administrative limbo for some time. Some of the issues are outside the purview of LAUC. K. Lucas decided the best option was to file the report; filing means that the report, while not binding on LAUC, is available for information and may be considered again at any time. In addition, LAUC divisions can look at the report, formulate motions for action, or use as a background for committee charges etc. Members concerned about particular issues in the report should express their ideas.
B. Treasurer's Report (Michael Levy)
Levy has received all travel funding request forms, and next week ExComm will decide on the final amount to be distributed. Levy will send the forms to the AULs for consideration of augmentation. LAUC-B is still awaiting the figures for its budget allocation for the year.
C. CAPA (Terry Huwe, Chair)
Forty-eight librarians were up for review this year, thirty-eight from The Library and ten from The Affiliated Libraries. CAPA also covered two merit reviews and one appeal from the 1997 cycle. CAPA sponsored workshops addressing peer review and participated in ten interviews. CAPA also corresponded with the Blue Ribbon Committee and Huwe met with its External Review Committee. CAPA participated in the drafting of guidelines for internal reassignments so that librarians will have a framework for expressing interest in such opportunities.
The issue of timeliness is still an important one. Former UL Lyman maintained the schedule and LHRD was active in keeping administrative reviewers on schedule and informed CAPA of the status and location of dossiers.
D. Nominating and Elections Committee (Cris Campbell, Chair)
The Committee has to fill a vacancy on ExComm. Beth Weil agreed to stand as a candidate; there were no further nominations from the floor. The bylaws and this position will be on the upcoming ballot.
E. LAUC-B Public Services Task Force (Phyllis Bischof, Co-Chair)
In June 1998 the LAUC-B Executive Committee established a Public Service Task Force which began meeting in August. Its goal is to stimulate library-wide discussion intended to create a vision statement as well as recommendations for optimal public service throughout the library system.
Membership includes representatives from standing library committees, a representative from the Affiliated Libraries, a faculty liaison from the Academic Senate Library Committee and three student representatives. Bischof and Corliss Lee serve as co-chairs.
The Task Force presented two programs this fall. The first was a panel of library users [two graduate students, two undergrads, and two faculty] speaking on how and how well the library intersects with their teaching and research, and the second a talk by Regina Minudri, City Librarian of SFPL well known for her successful outreach and public service programming. The latter was co-sponsored with LAUC-B's Research and Professional Development Committee. The next event on December 15 will be a presentation by John Ober and Laine Farley on public service in connection with the Digital Library. Summaries of the programs, as well as relevant information on conferences attended by public service librarians and staff are posted on the web at:
http://doemo.lib.berkelye.edu/drupal5/ptsf/
Tapes of the programs are available in the Media Resources Center. A number of Task Force members submitted one-time proposals for the improvement of public service, some of these ideas having flowed from points raised in the User Panel.
Other work has included meetings with many key personnel to discuss public service issues. Task Force members have mined recent reports and planning efforts to summarize existing information on public service issues and needs and are gathering and analyzing existing studies, surveys and other data concerning users. The Task Force is exploring methods to obtain wider staff input on many of these matters.
F. LAUC-B Research and Professional Development Committee (Mari Miller, Chair)
Miller solicited ideas for future programs, especially those that address important issues such as the development and implementation of programs for training and the encouragement of cooperation on campus.
G. LAUC Committee on Professional Governance (Myrtis Cochran, LAUC-B representative)
The committee was charged to make suggestions for adding steps 6-8 to the librarian series; its report will be discussed at the LAUC Assembly. The committee had to develop criteria, make recommendations and justify restructuring the librarian series. Among the reasons for adding the steps are raising the salary levels to aid in the recruitment and retention of librarians. The committee accomplished its work by meeting one full day and doing the rest on email. The text of the report is available at:
http://laucr.ucr.edu/cpgreport/
VI. Old Business
None
VII. New Business
Sevetson recapitulated the reasons outlined in her email message of November 11 for changing the by-laws. LAUC-B members will have the opportunity to vote on the changes. Bill Benemann suggested a wording change which was incorporated.
The meeting adjourned at 10:05.