April 6, 2020 Meeting of Executive Committee

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

AGENDA

April 6, 2020

1:30-3:00pm

428 Library

1. Approve minutes – March 23
2. Question Time
3. AULs updates
4. Discuss of two searches –
   1. E-Resources Management Librarian/Metadata Librarian
   2. Cataloging Coordinator
5. Marketing Associate position description/search committee
6. Prioritization of positions

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes

April 6, 2020

1:30-3:00pm

Skype Conference Call

 

Attendees: John Wilkin (Chair); David Ward (Vice-Chair); Paula Carns; William Maher; William Mischo; Mara Thacker; Jennifer Teper; Lynne Thomas; and Lynne Rudasill (Secretary); Lucretia Williams, Recording

 

Guest AUL’s: Heidi Imker, Chris Prom, Cherié Weible, and Tom Teper.

 

1. Minutes of the March 23, 2020 meeting were approved with changes upon the motion by Lynne Rudasill and seconded by Bill Maher.

 

2. Question Time – In response to a member’s concern, EC discussed the implications of how the Library’s extending services beyond online-only resources might require people having to come to perform work onsite. In response to these concerns, the Dean discussed the strategy that has guided us: extending necessary and appropriate library services to our faculty and students to ensure continuity of instruction while taking steps to protect the health and safety of our employees. The guidance he has given to the Continuity of Instruction working group is that when those services are deployed, they should be limited and deployed, only after every effort has been made to determine whether remotely delivered alternatives are available. This is a strategy that the Dean has coordinated with University leadership and is consistent with the Governor’s order, which exempts Educational institutions “for purposes of facilitating distance learning, performing critical research, or performing essential functions, provided that social distancing of six-feet per person is maintained to the greatest extent possible.” Activities for such onsite work might include clearing book drops; monitoring environmental systems; contributing to campus efforts to use 3D printing of protective devices, such as face masks; and (where necessary when an alternative is not available) scanning library materials for University of Illinois faculty and students in support of ongoing research and instruction. EC stressed that these activities should not be performed unless the appropriate personal protective equipment is available to individuals engaged in retrieval and processing. After discussion the sense of the meeting was that the extension of services could be tightly controlled to minimize risk.

 

Dean Wilkin extended his gratitude to the Continuity Team for the work that they’ve been doing. They worked tirelessly to put together a proposed plan for limited circulation of printed materials. Archives is also implicated in limited services.

 

The Dean noted that there is a meeting on April 23^rd with the Chancellor’s Capital Review Committee to seek approval for proceeding with the next steps of the Library Building Project.

 

3. Agenda for AULs – 4/13– The AUL’s discussed all the proposed positions and have also talked with the various Unit Heads that submitted the proposed positions. The proposed positions were ranked from Tier 1 -Tier 4 based on the need.

 

4. Discussion of two searches – EC supports the recommendations for the E-Resources Management Librarian/Metadata Librarian position and Cataloging Coordinator position and the suggestions for search committee members, and EC agreed to continue with the process.

 

5. Marketing Associate position description/search committee – This is a Civil Service position and doesn’t need EC approval, but was brought to the group’s attention for feedback. The search committee appointment and process will proceed through the Budget Group. Dean Wilkin explained that when Civil Service Professional positions have a library wide role it is appropriate to let EC know who the members of the search committee are.

 

6. Prioritization of positions – EC reviewed/discussed a comprehensive list of all the positions that EC has authorized, including those where the search process has already been initiated. Dean Wilkin confirmed that there is no hiring freeze, and we have not yet been given any indication that we will be given a reduction, nor have we been given any indication that we will have a give-back. However, all these things are possible. Provost Cangellaris has asked that we prioritize our searches so that we fill those positions first that are most important in case we need to postpone others indefinitely. All positions that were proposed are still on the table, however.

 

EC will continue examining the prioritized list at its next meeting.