Revised March 13, 2009
The International and Area Studies New Service Model Team recommends the creation of an entity called "International and Area Studies" in the University Library. The existing units that should be included in this service point should be Africana, Asian, Global Studies, Latin American and Caribbean, Slavic including the Slavic Reference Service, and Modern Languages. It is further suggested that the services related to the European Union Center should be included in this unit. The team also came to the conclusion that the English Library, History Library, and American Bibliography of Slavic and East European Studies should not be included in this unit. The proposed mission, vision and characteristics of the new entity are in Appendix l.
We estimate that the unit would include about 12 faculty members, 12 staff members, and 12 graduate assistants with variable appointments. (See Appendix 4 for more detail)
The group strongly felt that the new International and Area Studies unit should have one unit head, with each special area of the unit retaining its own subject specialist. (Vote 9 in favor, 1 abstention.) We suggest that each of the University of Illinois International Programs and Studies units should have their own liaison. The group was less certain about the motion that the distinct identity and historical continuities of the constituent parts of the International and Area Studies unit will be explicitly preserved within that unit. (Vote 5 in favor, 2 against, 3 abstentions.)
The new unit should provide service to our users, both physically, and virtually. A web portal providing access to resources and information about each part of the new unit will provide another unifying factor for users and potential users.
The International and Area Studies unit should be located on the second floor in room 200, Slavic Library, and possibly the Advancement Office. (Vote 7 for 2nd floor, 3 for 3rd floor, 1 abstention). (See Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 for more detail). There should be a visible physical space for core reference collections for each of the University of Illinois International Programs and Studies units. (Vote 10 in favor, 1 abstention)
There should be a liaison from the new International and Area Studies unit to each of the University of Illinois International Program and Studies units. (9 in favor) We recommend that the unit cooperate, collaborate, and liaison with all library units that have international components.
We recommend that another, smaller group including some members from the original team should now take on the implementation of this proposal. (9 in favor) We recommend that when a unit head has been selected for the implementation, outside consultants may be needed to facilitate the process. (9 in favor)
Addendum prepared by Al Kagan, Merle Bowen, and Andrew Orta on March 13, 2009 after the March 11 report was submitted.
Although at least one member of the group thought that the component names should be left to the proposed smaller implementation team, there was general agreement that the team recommend the following terminology. Each component would be named starting with its current area designation with the addition of the words "Library Collections and Services" (e.g., "Latin American and Caribbean Library Collections and Services").
Appendix 1. Mission, Vision, Characteristics
Appendix 2. Physical Location of International and Area Studies
Appendix 3. Space Usage for International and Area Studies
Appendix 4. Staffing of Units as Currently Constituted
Appendix 5. Benefits of New Service Model for International and Area
Studies
Appendix 6. Challenges of New Service Model for International and Area
Studies
Appendix 7. Letter from Center Directors
Appendix 8. Answers to Scott Walter's April 4th Questions
Appendix 9. Final Report and Recommendations of the Budget Plus Group
Appendix 10. Team Charge and Membership
The mission of the International and Area Studies unit is to facilitate the pursuit of knowledge through user-focused services and collections, and to support the international strategies and programs of the University of Illinois.
The vision of the unit is to be University's gateway to the world of information and scholarship
about international, global, and area studies which are distinct and complementary scholarly
projects. The gateway will connect the knowledge that is crucial to developing global competencies
through the study of global concerns and transnational issues as well as the study of distinct
nations and regions.
We envision this new service point as one that builds upon and develops the excellence of
each of the component units, while enhancing opportunities for collaboration and coordination among
the Library's area and international studies units, and providing a single physical service point
and web presence for library users whose needs may draw upon various library collections and the
distinct expertise of area and international studies librarians.
The success of the unit will depend upon a continuing commitment to strong collections and
specialized staff.
Characteristics of the International and Area Studies unit
The Team discussed two location options: 1) the current Asian Library combined with the current English Library space on the third floor and 2) the current Slavic and East European Library possibly combined with the Library Advancement Office space and some part of room 200 (Documents/General Reference) on the second floor. The advantages for the use of one space are generally the disadvantages for using the other.
| Second Floor Advantages | Third Floor Disadvantages |
| Convenient for undergraduates | Harder to find for undergraduates |
| Service point in a grand space | Service point in an average space |
| Better visibility | Worse visibility |
| A unified space | The corridor breaks up the space |
| Proximity to Central Reference | Far from Central Reference |
| Proximity to stacks entrance | Far from stacks entrance |
| Proximity to History, Phil., News. Lib. | Far from History, Phil., News. Lib. |
| Already has conference/classroom | Lack of conference/classroom |
| Open space easily configured | Walls are preset; space is harder to configure |
| Space will be ready very soon
|
English Library might take a longer time to move |
| Easy access for people with disabilities | Disadvantages people with disabilities |
| Third Floor Advantages | Second Floor Disadvantages |
| Asian Library is connected to its stacks | Asian Library loses connection to its stacks |
| Quiet space and more comfortable | Noisy space and less comfortable |
| English has nice private spaces | Lack of private spaces if excludes Advancement Office |
| Fewer people to move
|
More people to move |
The vote was 7 for the second floor, 3 for the third floor and 1 abstention.
The Team also noted that the Asian technical services librarians and staff might have to continue to be located in the current Asian Library space, to facilitate their access to the Asian collections and because there may not be enough space on the second floor to accommodate everyone.
Below is a listing of faculty and staff related to each department as best as we can determine at this point.
Africana
1 full time librarian
1 staff member
1 graduate student (TitleVI)
Asian
5 full time librarians (one vacancy listed for Korean Studies)
3.25 FTE staff ( two are split between circulation and other duties; the other three are
primarily cataloging but perform other duties as well)
4 graduate students
Latin American and Caribbean
1/2 time librarian
1 staff member (primarily acquisitions and LABO, but also does cataloging)
Slavic and East European
part time acting head
2.5 full time librarians
1 full time staff (office manager for SRS)
1 full time staff (split between SRS reference and cataloging)
2 academic professionals (visiting research assistants)
Note: There are several other members of this unit, both faculty and staff, but our
understanding is that they will be moving to either cataloging or acquisitions.)
3 graduate assistants (Title VIII)
Global Studies
1/2 time librarian
1 graduate assistant (Title VI funded, assigned to work on specific project w/SRS)
European Union Studies
duties assumed by 1/2 time librarian as part of political science
1 graduate assistant (Title VI funded, spends most of time working in EUC with occasional
projects for library)
Modern Languages
Acting head
1 full-time librarian (Kolb-Proust Archive half time)
2 - 1/2 time librarians
1 full-time staff
2 graduate assistants
Viewing challenges as opportunities to improve services, we identify the following areas as ones that the new service model needs to confront:
Paula Kaufman
Dean of the Library
Champaign, March 4, 2009
Dear Paula,
We have been trying to keep ourselves informed about the specific proposals that the
International and Area Studies Implementation Team (IAST) chaired by Barbara Ford is developing for
the future of our libraries. While we appreciate the importance of new library services models in
this environment of economic uncertainty and rapid technological change, we and most of the faculty
members working in our areas continue to have grave concerns about the outcome of this process. The
continuing institutional existence of the area studies collections within the larger library
structure is absolutely crucial not only for continued federal funding of our programs, but also
for our campus and international missions.
As you know, most of us welcome the creation of a "hub," "center" or "commons" for
International and Area Studies Libraries, and any efficiencies it might bring in the delivery of
core services will be welcome. At the same time, we would like to reiterate that we consider three
principles to be absolutely essential for the success of our libraries:
We very much hope that the Area Centers' input will inform the implementation committee's
decisions. We look forward to continue working with you and the implementation committee on the
creation of a new delivery model for international and area studies library services that builds on
the strength we have all worked so hard to achieve for this university.
Sincerely,
Merle Bowen, Director, Center for African Studies
Hadi Esfahani, Director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Poshek Fu, Director, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies
Nils Jacobsen, Director, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Richard Tempest, Director, Russian, East European and Eurasian Center
1. does the group envision the "Linguistics" aspect of ML&L being part of the new service
program?
Theoretical linguistics should be part of ESSL and linguistics which is part of language
studies and dictionaries should be included in the new unit.
2. does the group have any vision for the integration of aligned service programs whose primary
home will remain in other units, e.g., International Documents, EU Documents?
We do not recommend integration at this time but recommend strong liaison and cooperative
relations.
3. what is meant by use of the phrase "special area of the unit," i.e., are you referring to
a program area that should continue to retain the services of an identified subject specialist, or
are you referring to a physical space that is designated within the IAL as being focused on
individual program areas (Africana, Slavic, etc.)?
"Special area of the unit" is each of the University of Illinois International Programs and
Studies units (program area).
4. Are European Union Studies currently supported solely in an "embedded" mode similar to
Global Studies, or is there a physical unit (e.g., ESSL) that should be alerted to this proposal
before it becomes part of the open discussion?
Work is shared between the law library and ESSL.
5. How does this plan for the future of International and Area Studies public service align
with the recommendations already accepted and under way in terms of consolidating and coordinating
technical services programs in the current Area Studies units?
One of our initial assumptions was that the technical services recommendations would be
implemented.
6. How do the recommendations regarding staffing for the new unit reflect both the changes
related to technical services and the opportunity to identify potential re-allocations of staff
positions? Surely, there are economies of scale to be found in a single unit coming together from
multiple current units. While we share your commitment to subject specialists to provide
professional expertise related to the use of international materials, as well as your commitment to
sustaining the Slavic Reference Service as a highlight of the IAS program, we assume that there are
opportunities to achieve savings in areas such as student wage budgets and staff positions (that
may be re-deployed to other critical Library needs, in whole or in part).
We do not feel able to answer this question at this point. The current levels of
staffing do not reflect the needs, i.e. lack of Latin American and Caribbean, European, and Korean
specialists. Unit heads and others will need to be consulted before this question can be
answered.
7. Does the team have any suggestions for timeline or staging? Can this move be staged in any
way, or is the sense of the group that the entire move must be completed at once? I can imagine,
for example, a relatively painless "closure" of LACL in May, and the transfer of the locus for LAC
support to Modern Languages until the new space is ready for the new unit (esp. as there is no
collection to move). Staging will definitely be part of the Action Plan, so we urge you to give
some thought to this question.
When the administration decides on the space that will be available and appoints a unit
head this can move forward.
Regarding others specifics in your recommendations, we offer the following:
Regarding the proposal to incorporate the Modern Languages & Linguistics Library into the
new unit, we note that there is an overarching direction toward looking anew at the stewardship of
special collections across the Library, and there is an opportunity here to bring Kolb-Proust
together with like special collections units as part of this new service model.
We agree that Kolb-Proust should be part of special collections and understand the
conversation has already begun.
Regarding the proposal to locate the IAL on the 2nd floor, we note that the space currently
occupied by Library Advancement cannot be moved until suitable alternative space is found on either
the 1st or 2nd floor of the Library. It is imperative that we maintain an appropriate and
accessible space for this critical Library function. This may require us to "phase into" the full
vision for the new unit and its programs.
Regarding the description of service programs and needs, we note that the Main Library
already houses a brand-new instructional facility in 314 Library. It is highly unlikely that we
would look to re-invent that resource in a unit within the Main Library. In general, it would be
helpful to see how IAL programs would integrate or take advantage of centrally-supported resources,
as opposed to focusing on supporting all service program needs within the boundaries of the new
unit.
In regard to the question of "vision" noted above, we would again challenge the group to
articulate a bold vision for the future of Library services related to international and area
studies materials and programs that sets a new course for the future, rather than being limited to
articulating how the current service programs might move into new physical (and virtual) spaces.
How would this nexus of expertise in the use of international materials complement subject
expertise in other units that also support the study of the world outside U.S. borders, and how
would it complement broader Library service programs that demonstrate the Illinois commitment to
global competence and international engagement, e.g., the Mortenson Center, outreach programs aimed
at international students?
See
Appendix I for Vision and Mission. Recommend cooperation,
collaboration, and liaison with all library units that have international components. For
example, the Mortenson Center might continue as the library's liaison to International Engagement
and Protocol, a role they currently fill, and work closely with the new unit on these
activities.
As we are recommending to all units considered for integration, we would like to see the unit
that would come from following this recommendation to be a true International and Area Studies
Library that challenges us to re-commit to this area of Library excellence for the 21st century,
rather than one that simply brings forward the vision of international and area studies
librarianship from the 20th. Based on our experiences with NSM programs to date, we see this as a
critical starting point for truly re-envisioning Library service programs in units evolving to
encompass a greater scope, and we see this as something that definitely needs to be pursued should
any/all of the proposals contained in your document be implemented.
Please share this feedback with your team members. In order to maintain momentum toward the
completion of the initial draft of the Action Plan, we ask that you provide any response to the
above questions to me by March 12, 2009. The recommendations that go into the initial Action Plan
related to International and Area Studies programs will be the subject of a Library Forum later
this month; we look forward to your participation.
(Taken from Library website)
16. Create a "Languages and Linguistics Library" to be located in 225 Library
The English Library and the Modern Languages and Linguistics Library provide complementary collections and expertise in areas related to the study of world languages, literatures, and linguistics. Likewise complementary are certain collections and services of the Latin American & Caribbean Library, which, like Modern Languages & Linguistics, collects materials published in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese. The Budget Group Plus recommends combining the complementary collection and service programs of the English Library, the Modern Languages & Linguistics Library, and the Latin American & Caribbean Library to create a "Languages and Linguistics Library" that will provide a robust service point focused on resources related to the study of languages, literatures, and cultures, and that will build on pre-existing collaborations between the faculty currently housed in the English, Modern Languages & Linguistics, and Latin American & Caribbean libraries.
17. Create an "Area and International Studies Library" to be located in 321/325 Library
The Area Studies represent a historic area of strength, both in collections and public service, for the University Library, and the Library's area studies faculty and staff provide complementary services to campus units and across campus units. Access to many of those collections and services, however, is limited by the demands involved in operating multiple area studies units within the Main Library facility. Recognizing both the strengths and the limitations of the current model, the Budget Group Plus recommends establishing an "Area and International Studies Library" that will provide a robust service point focused on resources related to the study of defined regions of the world and allow for more effective integration of resources collected in vernacular languages into broader service programs. The Budget Group Plus recommends establishing this unit in the co-located space of 321 Library (to house the collections and services currently housed in the Slavic & East European Library and Africana Library Unit, as well as complementary collections and programs of the current Latin American & Caribbean Library) and 325 Library (to remain the Asian Library). Finally, pursuant to Proposal No. 10, the Budget Group Plus recommends that technical service operations in the area studies units consolidate with complementary Central Technical Services operations.
The International and Area Studies Team will:
The group had wide ranging discussions from many perspectives and an intensive series of meetings between December 2008 and March 2009. We particularly appreciated expert input from William Brustein, Ruth Watkins, Ann Mester, and Matthew Tomaszewski.
The membership of the team was:
University LibraryFor comments on this page contact: NSM Coordinator
Last modified by: Michelle Chronister on 3/16/09
