August 8, 2014 Meeting of Area Studies

Agenda not yet available.

August 8, 2014

IAS Library Staff Meeting Notes

Time: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Location: Room 428

Present: Lynne Rudasill, Steve Witt, Mara Thacker, Jan Adamczyk, Antonio Sotomayor, Laila Hussein, Joe Lenkart, Urszula Lechtenberg, Xioaping Xi, and Kit Condill

Absent: Shuyong Jiang, Atoma Batoma, Lisa Renee Kemplin, Dimitry Tartakovsky, and Larry Miller.

Announcements:

In conjunction with the 2014 International Federation of Library Associations Conference in Lyon, France, Steve will be embarking on a research trip to the archives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris.  In addition to this conference in Lyon, Laila will be attending a conference in Nice, France.

Discussion Highlights:

“What’s in a Name Exhibit” [Antonio Sotomayor]

Antonio sought firm commitments from the various satraps of IAS Library.  So far Laila, Mara, and Atoma (absent) have committed themselves to this exhibit.  Due to other commitments and obligations, Steve and Joe are unable to participate. The exhibit set up is scheduled take place on September 2 at 1:00 pm.  The deadline to send posters and images to Antonio is August 22, 2014 – by 5:00 pm.  For directions and specific information regarding this exhibit, everyone is encouraged to contact Antonio [Note: text and poster samples have been sent to IAS staff and faculty]

IAS Annual Report

Statistics and section narratives are due on August 25th, 2014[Note: a template attachment was sent to IAS subject specialists].   Types of statistical data: courses taught, individual research consultations, reference inquiries, group instruction and training sessions.

IAS Desk Tracker Forms  / Desks and Statistics

Steve brought up the need for a single Desk Tracker form for all the sections within the IAS Library.  Joe will work with Jen-chien Yu to develop a demo form for IAS staff and faculty.  A follow discussion will take place.

Reports

1. Antonio Sotomayor

Antonio was invited to participate in a K-12 workshop on Sports and Latin America.  This workshop was hosted by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.   According to Antonio this workshop facilitated networking opportunities with other historians and researchers working on Sports Studies.  In addition to the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies workshop, Antonio also conducted field research in Puerto Rico.  Specifically, he visited the Evangelical Church Archive.

2. Reference and User Services Working Group

The new working group composition is set.  The members are: Antonio Sotomayor, Sabrina Jaszi, Lisa Renee Kemplin, Steve Witt, Jung-Wong Suh, Urszula Biegaj, and Joe Lenkart.

3. Teaching and Engagement Committee

The inaugural meeting is going to be held on August 19^th.  A series of moderated panel discussions will take place.  IAS subject specialists and staff are encourage to volunteer ideas.

4. International Buying Trips Working Group

Steve briefed the group on recent developments.  There is an application form for faculty and APs.  All applicants should give a rationale for the trip.  There is no deadline attached to this process.  Potential travelers can apply year-round for funding.

Other Discussions:

IAS Library Reference Collection – LC / Dewey Classification and Arrangement:

This discussion focused on call number conversion for the IAS’s reference materials.  Lynne advocated for patron accessibility.   She remembered how hard it was for her to find an item in the old Asian Library.  A single arrangement unifying all sections was suggested by Mara, Lynne, and Steve.  Kit indicated that this single arrangement via LC classification and conversion would produce shelves of hundreds of bibliographies.  Kit commented on how the reference staff learns and relies on sources by section.  Moreover, Kit also pointed out how users and staff usually research a particular issue/topic on a particular country, rather than across several countries.  Joe called for this plan to be tested before moving on to the conversion phase.  Remaining questions are: What patron groups and staff are using the IAS materials? What impact this move will have on our reference services?  This is an ongoing discussion.  Lynne will speak with Mary Laskowski about this possibility.