February 28, 2019 Meeting of Library Staff Support Committee

1. Approve Jan. Meeting Minutes
2. Can a Substitute Vote?
3. Liaison Reports and Updates
4. Consultant’s Report (Tony)
5. Change / Stress Management – Possible collaboration with SDTC (Angie)
6. Professional Development Opportunities For Staff
   1. Developing a Travel Fund? (Angie)
7. Reaching Forward South
8. ALA
9. Staff Lounge Update and LSSC’s Role Going Forward

Erik Chapman (Life Sciences)
Lonnie E. Clark (Central Public Services)
Angie Gruendl (Physical Sciences & Engineering)
Kim Hutcherson (Administrative Services)
Tony Hynes (Special Collections)
Cristina-Maria Kuhn (Technical Services)
Ben Riegler (Central Public Services)
Gennye Varvel (Social Sciences)
Shoshana Vegh-Gaynor (Arts & Humanities)
Courtney Horry -Visiting from Mortenson Center

 

Updates: Courtney attended the meeting to see if she wants to serve on the committee. Tammie Redenbaugh will be unable to continue serving on the committee.

Approve Jan. Meeting Minutes: Approved.

Can a Substitute Vote?: Per LSSC bylaws substitutes cannot vote. Erik would like to look at this issue. It would make sense, in certain instances, to allow a substitute to vote. Allowing the vote would provide more flexibility and allow for a nimbler process when decisions need to be made. LSSC would need to change the bylaws. To do that would need to come up with language and send it out to the staff. This could be done as part of a review of the bylaws. There is not a definition of substitute in the bylaws. Long term substitute versus one-time substitute needs to be defined. The discussion was tabled until March so we can look at the bylaws at the next meeting. To prepare for the meeting, we can look at other committees’ bylaws to see if they have language regarding voting.

Liaison Reports and Updates:

Administrative Services: The performance evaluation system is up and running. Training is taking place. April 15th is the deadline for evaluations.

Area Studies: Selectors were encouraged the use of gift fund accounts.

Arts & Humanities: Talked about the building project. Discussed, if/how the division should collaborate on larger purchases. Looked at collection budgets. Search for new head of Ricker Art and Architecture closed.

Central Public Services: Talked about looking at the strategic plan. Undergraduate Library (UGL) will be celebrating 50 years. UGL is holding a graphic design contest to celebrate the anniversary. April 19the is the deadline for submissions. Tech items are now have a 10 day loan period with no renewal (previously one week). Jim Hahn is working on a virtual tour. Talked about what happened at Administrative Council, what libraries should be on the gateway page. Looking at libraries that are not part of the Library unit (e.g., Law, Illinois Fire Service Institute Library). linois Fire Service Institute Library may be moved. Discussed closing for weather related issues. Library Administration was looking for direction from Campus Administration and that information came later. Cherié is the point person for creating a more formal process moving forward.

Life Sciences: Nothing was discussed that specifically pertained to LSSC. Discussed how to prepare for the effects of Library Building project. If UGL is closed, undergraduates may seek space at ACES or Grainger. How do you make more space but keep the same amount of material? If materials are deduplicated, how to ensure that last copy exists. Fourth floor compact shelving project, Erik is looking at the space available in the shelving. Melody Allison spoke about the Reference Universal trial. Also looking at how other BTAA libraries use their websites to connect to subject specialist.

Physical Sciences and Engineering: An email discussing budgeting by division went out. A PSED supervisor asked about dress policies for student. ACES and SSHEL have policies. Gennye and Erik will share the policies. Ben stated that Stacks’ policy is if you would wear it to class, it is okay to work. HR has been asked and there is not a library wide policy. It is left up to the unit. There are many factors to think about around the issue of the dress policy.

Social Sciences: Has not met. SSHEL – three candidates for the Visiting Information Sciences Librarian position will be presenting the week of March 11. Ongoing search for Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library, the Social Sciences Research Librarian position. Collection Working Group meeting – criteria for what will be in the new space.

Special Collections: Tom Teper was a guest at the meeting. Discussed where the project is going. Discussed the Kiesling report. Concern that if centralized reference services, what will become of Student Life and Culture Archives / Archives Research Center. Talked about the public exhibit space on the third floor, and while there is support for it within the division it is unclear how it figures into the plans of the administration. Concern about where collections are going. The report proposed that Sousa should stay in the current location. The issue with the Map Library remains. There is a circulating collection of the Maps Library that Jenny Johnson, Map Librarian, feels is important.

Technical Services: Has not met.

Administrative Council: Met but Cristina was out sick. Minutes can be found at https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/agenda/february-18-2019-meeting-of-administrative-council/#uofi_library_committee_meeting_elements. Agenda included web directory inclusion policy and library closure/reporting policy.

Faculty Meeting: Library fell from 15th to 20th in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) rankings. This was due in part to state budget impasse. Alex Cabada and Bill Mischo presented on the Health Maker Lab network. The Health Make-a-Thon is a competition for makers, citizen scientists, and anyone in Champaign County with ideas for improving human health. A panel of experts from the University of Illinois and beyond will review submissions and choose the best. Finalists will pitch their ideas for a chance to win $10,000 in Health Maker Lab resources to create a real prototype of their idea. https://healthmakerlab.medicine.illinois.edu/competition/

Consultant’s Report (Tony): https://www.library.illinois.edu/library-building-project/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2019/02/UIUC-Consultants-Report-Special-CollectionsFINAL.pdf

Change / Stress Management – Possible collaboration with SDTC (Angie): What do we want our role to be?

Professional Development Opportunities for Staff:

Developing a Travel Fund? (Angie): Angie spoke with Zoe Revell. LSSC will need to write a proposal for the Executive Committee (EC). We decided the first step will be to attend EC open office hours and see if it would be a possibility. Cristina volunteered and we can coordinate via email to see if anyone else can attend once EC open office hours are announced.

Reaching Forward South: Sessions/speakers are not posted at this time, but Erik would like to send the email out to the staff today or tomorrow. Erik has been working with Jake MacGregor and Zoe. Erik asked about the option to stay overnight. This will not be an option. There was a question on whether to use LIBNEWS versus LIBSTAFF to disseminate the information. Erik will ask about mileage reimbursement.

ALA: There is documentation on the Google drive account. Erik will begin the process to establish that there is the money to send candidates.

Staff Lounge Update and LSSC’s Role Going Forward: A request about the microwave came through the LSSC form. Meet with new facilities person once hired to discuss staff lounge responsibilities.