Library Office Notes

Present:  Paula Kaufman, Chair; Bob Burger, Bill Brockman, Marianna Choldin, Tina Chrzastowski, Bart Clark, Alan Conrad, Barbara Henigman, Deloris Holiman, Janis Johnston, Barbara Jones, Lyn Jones, Al Kagan, Mary Mallory (for Betsy Kruger), Nancy O’Brien, Sara Randall, Diane Schmidt, Karen Schmidt, Paula Watson, Joyce Wright

Absent:  Cindy Kelly

1.  Dealing with "Pornographic" Materials (Clark)

Bart Clark led a discussion regarding users who bring up "pornographic" or other offensive materials on the web.  AC confirmed patrons’ rights to privacy.   Barbara Jones, Marianna Choldin, Barbara Henigman, and Nancy O’Brien volunteered to study the problem, review Library user policies, draft language for addressing the situation when it does comes up, and report back to AC.

2.  Sending CDs from Books through Shipping (Chrzastowski)

Tina Chrzastowski reported that CDs that come in books need more protection in shipping, both on campus and off.  As they age, CDs will be more difficult to replace.  In the spring, the Library began using jewel cases for shipping individual CDs, which helps alleviate the problem of cracking during shipping.  A supply of jewel cases will be purchased for each circulation desk.  Libraries will be encouraged to use them, place them in padded envelopes, and stamp the envelopes "Fragile."  Shipping has been alerted to watch for Fragile items.

3.  Main Library Reconfiguration Update (Clark)

Bart Clark reported on the Main Library Reconfiguration project.  Plans are progressing again after months of silence and are reasonably on track.  By early December, planning documents should be 100% ready.  The project manual states that work will start February 5, 2001.  The first construction phase (basement) should be complete by the end of the summer of 2001, with the second construction phase (second floor) complete by the summer of 2002.  Some implementation schedule changes will require close coordination in the Spring.  The Reconfiguration Committee will begin meeting again soon.

4.  Standardized Academic Professional Work Week (Clark)

The question of a standard work week for Academic Professionals has risen.  Units within the University use either 37.5 or 40 hours/weekly, although all recognize that Academic Professionals generally work until the job is completed, often well beyond the hours of a "standard work week."  The Library’s standard work week for Academic Professionals is 37.5 hours, with the expectation that most will often work longer hours.

5.  Phone Tree

When a Phone Tree call is initiated, the caller should announce that "this is a phone tree call;" no voice mail messages should be left.  A follow-up LibNews message is very helpful.  The numbers to call should be near the phone for quick and easy reference.  Systems will have a call list to use when libraries are open but the Telephone Center is closed.  If an emergency occurs in the middle of the night, there is no way to deal with it until staff arrives in the morning.  Training would be helpful to prevent false alarms.  Systems will work on developing a status page where problems can be posted and updated for easy reference.

6.  Communications (Kaufman)

Paula asked Unit Heads to let her know when they receive a gift so she has a point of reference when gifts are mentioned in conversation.  Also, if patrons with problems are being sent to Paula, it would be helpful to her if someone will phone ahead or e-mail to advise her about the problem.

7.  Updates, Announcements

Bob Burger sent out the Unit Head description for discussion in the Divisions.   This will be on the Agenda for the next AC meeting. 

Paula will be away from the Library October 16 and October 30.  If necessary, she will schedule an AC meeting at another time. 

There has been some difficulty in moving along in the recruiting process and filling positions.  Some searches have gone very well, and some have not.  It will help when Human Resources expands their office staff to include another person who will make sure all mechanics and communication steps are taken care of.  The role of FRC and P & T was discussed and clarified; these committees have a policy and an outline for points to cover with candidates and should not go beyond them.  It was pointed out that we need to look at candidates’ qualifications in a flexible way, especially when evaluating service and publications.  Promoting the Library is also important to the recruiting process; any recognition or tidbits our librarians can get into Friendscripts or the national press will help develop name and institution recognition so candidates are drawn to this Library.  Upon request, Paula will be happy to call candidates to promote the Library and prepare them for their visits.

The GAs will have an informational picket Wednesday (Oct. 4) with a rally at noon.

Bart asked for a moment to remember the passing of Bali Balachandran who was a dear friend and a member of AC for many years.

Paula and Lyn Jones reported on the very successful luncheon for about 100 people to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Undergrad Library during Foundation Weekend (Sept. 23).   The luncheon was followed by a tour of the new ACES Library, still under construction.

Bart is pursuing the possibility of having a coffee truck in the area between Undergrad and the tunnel.

Remote Storage is inching along.  There is a meeting tomorrow.

Tina Chrzastowski reported that the Research and Publication Committee will be 30 years old in the spring.  Marianna Choldin was a founding member.  The Library will fund an event to celebrate the anniversary. 

Marianna was featured in an excellent interview in the October issue of American Libraries.

The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Present:  Paula Kaufman (chair), Margaret Chaplan, Tim Cole, Richard Griscom, Beth Sandore, Sue Searing, Mary Stuart, Leslie Troutman, Beth Woodard

I.  Approval of the Past Meeting Minutes

The minutes of the September 25, 2000, meeting were approved as corrected.

II.  Old Business

A.  EC Meetings

With the exception of November 6, when the meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m., EC meetings for 2000-2001 will be held from 1:30-3:00 p.m. in 428 Library.

B.  Proposal to Create Permanent Faculty Position of Kolb-Proust Librarian

The proposal to create a permanent tenure-track position of Kolb-Proust Librarian was discussed.  A temporary position, funded over the past years from various grant sources, will cease at the end of this academic year because of University appointment rules.  The formal request submitted by the head of the Modern Languages Library has been supported by the Arts & Humanities Division as well as some individuals.  A lengthy discussion of the proposal covered such issues as the importance of the work for the library and the campus, alternative ways of continuing the project, the appropriateness of the library's operating a research center, the advantage for the library of the technical expertise being gained during the digitization work, and the international visibility afforded the library through the project.

Three options were presented:  (1) urge Paula to try to find money to fill the position right away; (2) ask the Division if they are willing to defer filling current vacant lines, such as the Cinema Studies position, to fill this position right away; and (3) since the library is currently engaged in developing budget requests for FY02, this position could be requested and prioritized as part of a regular budget request process, in which case it might or might not be funded in the next fiscal year.  EC voted seven to one in favor of option #2, with option #1 as an alternative.

C.  Request to Fill the South and West Asian Position

EC discussed a request to fill the South and West Asian Librarian position.  The committee unanimously approved filling this position, but they also agreed that the position as described in the request is too broad.  Paula will talk to Karen Wei about redefining the requested position.

D.  Review of AULs and Other Senior Administrators

Currently, AULs do not participate in the faculty review process.  There was a consensus among EC members that, under the Bylaws, it is the obligation of EC, as a representative of the faculty, to provide input into the evaluation process of AULs and other senior administrators.  Kaufman described the procedures she has instituted this year in her reviews, and the committee discussed various means for contributing input into this process.  Paula will write a summary of the procedures to use in this evaluation for EC review.

E.  Job description for Division Coordinators

Because the Division Coordinator position is established in the Bylaws, there was a concern that the proposed job description drafted by the Administrative Council might require a change in the Bylaws.  Of particular concern in the draft was what appeared to be an expansion of the traditional role of the Division Coordinators from what it has been in the past.  EC asked for clarification of some specific wording in the document.  EC voted seven to one that a Division Coordinator should normally be a Unit Head, but this is not a requirement.  EC asked that the document be referred to the AC subcommittee that drafted it and come back to EC before being sent to the Bylaws Committee for review.

III.  New Business

A.  Selection of Four Full Professors to Represent FRC and Six Full Professors to Represent PTA for an Upcoming Promotion Case

The FRC membership includes the four full professors needed for an upcoming promotion to full professor.  In addition to the one full professor currently on the PTA committee, five others are needed to represent PTA.  Paula Kaufman will contact those professors who were recommended by the EC.

B.  Roles of the EC and the AC in the Upcoming Budget Process

Because time was running out, this agenda item will be carried over to the next meeting.

C.  Sabbatical Request Timetable and Procedures

In view of upcoming deadlines for sabbatical applications, the EC pointed out the need to send out appropriate notifications to library faculty.  Paula will ask Bob Burger to send out the proper notices and forms.

The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Present:  P. Kaufman (Chair), M. Chaplan, T. Cole, R. Griscom, B. Sandore, S. Searing, M. Stuart, L. Troutman, B. Woodard

I.  Approval of the Past Meeting Minutes

The minutes of the October 12, 2000, meeting were approved as revised.

II.  Question Time

A.  Announcing names of search committee members in LON

The Committee asked that the personnel office be reminded to do this.

B.  Status of the spousal hire the EC discussed in September

P. Kaufman has tried unsuccessfully to reach the candidate via telephone, so no action has been taken on this issue. She will send a letter.

C.  Search committee for the Southwest Asian Librarian position

There was discussion of a concern raised regarding the balance of discipline coverage in the composition of the search committee.  Also discussed was whether the search should begin before Karen Wei returns from her sabbatical or be postponed until she can chair the search.

III.  Old Business

A.  Roles of the Executive Committee and the Administrative Council in the upcoming budget process

Paula outlined the submission process.  The deadline for budget requests to be submitted to B. Clark is 11/09/00.  It was also noted that units need to submit requests for new academic positions separately, using the EC form.  At the joint budget meeting on Nov. 17, the Division Coordinators and committee chairs who submit budget requests will have approximately five minutes to give a presentation outlining their budget submission.

The EC and AC will meet separately thereafter and make recommendations regarding budget priorities.  A meeting for EC will need to be set for the week after the December 4, 2000, meeting. P. Kaufman reported that she had not heard from campus regarding the budget submission materials (the information had been promised 11/01/00), but she understands that it is supposed to be a shorter process this year.

P. Kaufman stated she wants feedback from EC members on how to make budget preparation a more open process.  The EC also requested that the drafts of the budget narrative be distributed as early as possible.

B.  Cataloging Policy Committee Charge

The EC reviewed the revised CPC charge.  M. Stuart raised the issue of representation on the committee.  Units that do a lot of original cataloging, such as Slavic and Rare Books, for example, are not represented.  After discussion, the EC approved the CPC charge, with a few editorial changes.  The structure and operation of the CPC will be evaluated after a year, and language to that effect will be included in the charge.  It will be the responsibility of the CPC to gather the necessary documentation to support retaining the structure as proposed.

IV.  New Business

A.  Faculty Excellence Positions

P. Kaufman stressed the need to hire more females in faculty excellence positions, and she described a current proposal underway.  The EC encouraged Paula to go ahead with this.

B.  Policy on Releasing Unit Annual Reports

The EC discussed units publishing annual reports beyond those required by the library.   This led to a general discussion of the nature of the library's annual report and the posting of departmental library annual reports on a web site, as well as distribution campus-wide.

C.  Election Timing for the Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee

Currently, the PTA election is held in mid-March.  L. Troutman reported that the PTA and FRC want to move the date forward to December or January so the new members can be integrated into the work at the beginning of the tenure review process.  It was determined that changing the election was not a bylaws issue, so the EC agreed to move the election to December.  The PTA and the FRC will draft a new promotion and tenure calendar.

D.  Discussion of New Online Integrated System Selection Process

The EC discussed how best to provide input into the decision making process for selecting the new online integrated system.  The committee is concerned that the needs of ILCSO do not supersede determining what's best for UIUC.  Questions like what do we want this system to do, both now and for the future?  what are the general system requirements?  what should the RFP look like? are all of significance.   The EC agreed to ask S. Randall to come to EC and talk about the selection process time, resources it's going to take, any major concerns she may have.  M. Chaplan will invite her to the 11/20/00 meeting.

E.  E-mail Signatures

This item will be carried over to the next meeting.

Present:  Paula Kaufman (chair), Margaret Chaplan, Richard Griscom, Beth Sandore, Sue Searing, Mary Stuart, Leslie Troutman, Beth Woodard

Absent:  Tim Cole

I.  Approval of the Past Meeting Minutes

The minutes of the November 6, 2000, meeting were not ready for approval.

II.  Question time

A.  What is the status of the Director of Services search?

(Sue Searing left the room.)  It was agreed that the search for the Director of Services has gone beyond a reasonable amount of time.  Paula explained that demand on the search committee chair's time and circumstances in the Personnel Office which have added to the delays will be corrected soon.

B.  What is the next step in the budget process?

EC will devote its next regular meeting to a discussion of the budget.  A separate meeting to discuss the budget with Bart Clark will be scheduled for later that week.   The EC's brief discussion of the budget presentations at the joint AC-EC meeting on Nov. 17 raised the following points:  (1) There are many overlapping digital projects in the Library divisions; perhaps there should be some creative thinking to look at consolidating projects.  (2) Evaluating the need for increased staffing is difficult without some notion of minimum staffing levels.  Paula explained that formulas don't work in every situation; looking at each request and making a specific judgement call is more successful.  (3) It was decided to wait until after the budget meeting on December 4 and the ILCSO meeting on December 8 to invite Sara Randall to come to an EC meeting to discuss the current status of the ILCSO RFP and online catalog software issues.

III.  Old Business

Chaplan inquired whether the Library should establish some policy about wording in signatures attached to e-mail messages.  When she sent her report on the Public Safety Advisory Committee meeting to libnews-l, she received a number of responses with a variety of signatures containing personal slogans or quotations, some of which seemed inappropriate.  While freedom of expression without censorship is important, it is also important to use UIUC e-mail within UIUC guidelines.  Beth Sandore will check with the UIUC Webmaster and let EC know if there are any official guidelines regarding the content of e-mail signatures.

IV.  New Business

A.  Recruitment of a faculty excellence prospect

Paula reported that she has campus permission to move ahead on a faculty excellence prospect.  A job description is being prepared, and Paula will contact the prospect after the Thanksgiving holiday.  A screening committee will then be appointed.

It was also mentioned that the library has submitted a proposal to the campus for money for a biotechnology librarian position and materials funds.  The total campus money available to units in this program is $1.2 million next year, with in excess of $2 million later.

B.  Visiting Committee appointments

Names were recommended for a Visiting Committee for Kevin Butterfield, who will be joining the Law Library as Head of Technical Services on December 4; Paula will contact the persons proposed.

A recommendation was also made for a replacement for Chris Prom's Visiting Committee, and Paula will follow up on it.

C.  Report and recommendations of the Recruitment Task Force

The Recruitment Task Force consisting of Bob Burger, Janis Johnston, Chris Prom, Sue Searing, and Cindy Kelly, submitted a draft of their report.  Among EC suggestions for additions and revisions were

· create a perception in the field that this is an exciting place to work (this can be done through ads, enthusiasm at meetings away from campus, and published articles about the good things going on here),

· informally and discreetly contact librarians and library directors to see how they perceive the UIUC Library and find out why we are not receiving the expected number of candidates for open positions,

· include the name of the search committee chair in the ads so potential candidates have someone they can contact with pre-application questions,

· add a time line to our search committee procedures to guide the searches,

· have a debriefing session with the search committee chair, possibly with Cindy Kelly, when the search is completed,

· create a database of people who might be good candidates,

· develop better ways to deal with tenure and publication questions.

The issues are ready to be discussed at a Faculty meeting.  Richard Griscom will put it on the agenda for December or January.

D.  PTA election

Terms of PTA committee members were altered to coincide with the calendar year.   Troutman distributed a draft promotion and tenure calendar.  She discussed the importance of lining up potential paper preparers for the group coming up for promotion and tenure next year.  Paula will contact those who were suggested so they will be forewarned about running for FRC.  The issue of who will edit these papers was also discussed.

V.  Other Business

Margaret Chaplan shared information she found in an article in the Springfield newspaper saying that the State of Illinois has negotiated a new retirement plan for state employees with AFCSME Council 31.  Under the new plan, if your age plus years of service equal 85 or more, you can retire with a full pension.  She wondered whether the University was contemplating such a move. 

Paula reported that her draft of procedures for evaluation of Administrators is almost completed and will be ready for the EC meeting following the budget meetings.

Since Paula will not be here, the EC meeting scheduled for December 18 will be rescheduled later in the week.  A second meeting the week of December 4 will be scheduled to discuss the budget with Bart Clark.  For the meeting with Bart Clark, EC is asking for budget items to be sorted into rough categories and into recurring and non-recurring items.

The meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.