May 27, 2021 Meeting of Library Staff Support Committee

LSSC Meeting Agenda 05-27-21

1. LSSC elections – June
2. LCAP memo update:
   1. Working definition distinction between Civil Service Employees (CSEs) & Civil Service Professionals (CSPs): CSPs = exempt (salaried) & non-union represented
   2. Bylaws update in light of CSP & CSE distinctions – admin liaison role clarity

• Talk with the Dean, 11:30-12:30

1. Other questions/topics
   1. Approve March Minutes (via email before meeting)
   2. Liaison & Committee Reports (shared via email before meeting) – discuss
   3. Drop-in hours for LSSC
   4. S.S.C. Comment Form
   5. Conference CSE support
      1. Reaching Forward commenced (we sent 5 for 2021, will need to update website)
         1. Sarah Bial, Michelle Self-Ballard, Wendy Wolter (need to confirm), Dulcie Vermillion & Johna Von Behrens
      2. Conference awardees from last year for virtual ALA June 23-29th
         1. Michelle Self-Ballard & Jenifer Vargo Hauser
         2. Reach out about brown bag options

• Working group volunteers to help with logistics in drafting a budget document

1. C. meeting (05-24-21)
   1. DEIA task force draft – shared document discussion
   2. Plans/ideas for Monday, June 28, 2021, 2pm
      1. Shared topics for EC:
         1. Questions? Agenda topics?
      2. Susan Breakenridge – open to meeting with LSSC
      3. LCAP and Skype Arseneau – open to meeting with LSSC to answer any questions following up the memorandum document LCAP drafted and shared
      4. DEIA director interviews (last one was 5/26)
      5. other

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kim Hutcherson (Administration)
Jan Adamczyk (Area Studies)
Karen Huck (Arts & Humanities)
Kristen Blankenship (Central Public Services)
Michelle Self-Ballard (Central Public Services)
Jessica Sommers (Law)
Erik Chapman (Life Sciences)
Bernadette Braun (Physical Sciences)
Tony Hynes (Special Collections)
Rachael Johns (Technical Services)

Minutes for May 27, 2021 meeting

Approved April Minutes: Approved with minimal corrections.

Liaison Reports and Updates:

Administration: No updates

Administrative Council:  Did not meet.

 

Area Studies:  Discussed the upcoming changes resulting from the reconstruction of the UGL, and the impact it will have on space redistribution.  Also ties to Mortenson Center were discussed, as well as issues connected to the Title VI grant.

There was also a joint meeting held with Arts and Humanities.  It centered around the discussion in the senate about the library reconfiguration.  In this context, there was brainstorming about improving ties with the campus unit heads and faculty who may be concerned about drop in library services due to the impending changes.

Arts & Humanities:  Guest:  Chris Prom.  Lots of talk specific to tenure-seeking librarians about newer DEIA requirements and how that will affect folks.  Also talk about what was driving the anti-building project movement, and it was proposed that the directors set up a few meetings where librarians will collect information about what they can do to best support faculty during the UGL integration and that interim time before the rest of the building project can be completed.  That has been well-received by the administration and 2 forums have been set up for late June.

Central Public Services:  much of the meeting was utilized to discuss possible purchase options for the Desiderata list to propose for purchase.

Becky Smith proposed that the team promote purchasing the data axel historical profiles (historical business data). This would be permanently purchasing a data set that the university/Library would own and that would have no download restrictions. It includes GEO Codes and information about use case scenarios, transportation, food services, etc. It would likely be placed in a Box folder for access and could be used by one patron at a time; covers dates 2014-2017 and would help fill in gaps in current data. The group also discussed how patrons would know it is available and access it. It was agreed upon that the purchase request could be added to the Desiderata list. The group also asked for other request suggestions to be sent by last Friday.  Round Robin:  Ideas for online intensive teaching programs were discussed

There was brief discussion about how libraries were opening up services over the summer, including the summer services the residence hall libraries are providing.  There was discussion about the move to Canvas and who had experience with the program.  There was a brief discussion about suggestions for supporting faculty/staff completing summer research   Spencer Keralis shared his article that just published:

https://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/classroom-timeline-projects/

Collaborative Digital Projects in the Undergraduate Humanities Classroom: Case Studies with TimelineJS About the Authors. Spencer D. C. Keralis, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Digital Humanities Librarian with the University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They are Founder and Executive Director of Digital Frontiers, a non-profit organization that brings together the makers and users of digital resources for humanities research, teaching, and scholarly communication. jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu

 

Central Access Service: Locker pickup services in the Marshall Gallery are continuing into Summer 1/until further notice. CAS has taken over locker pickup duties at the Main Library completely (as opposed to our previous schedule that included rotating unit l staff). We no longer have a dedicated Library WSA, so Main has been provided with a campus WSA during open hours (like UGL and Grainger have).

Law:  Law Tech Services met to discuss the upcoming retirement of a staff member and how to divide his responsibilities among the remaining staff, since he will not be replaced. We may be able to hire a GA to take on some of the workload. We also discussed the ongoing problems we’ve been having with Alma cataloging and acquisitions. A meeting with the Alma Squad has been set up for next week to resolve these issues

Life Sciences:  Focused principally on the summer and fall re-opening plans.  ACES will be become a physical material pick-up point for the Summer II semester, at present this will be 2 hour slots, 2 days per week, and is planning to be open daily (hours intended to align with UGL and Grainger) in the fall.  There was discussion on the WSA program and how that role might be filled if it is required, but not supported by campus – staff have been asked to complete the current WSA online training and a GA has been identified to work in the WSA role if needed.  There are some points yet to be worked out between the library-owned portions of the ACES building and the college owned portion.

Physical Sciences:   Did not meet.

Math/Grainger: Grainger is continuing to offer in-person study space and book pickups this summer.  Math and Chemistry won’t be opening this summer, but both units are planning to be open for the Fall semester.

Special Collections: Guest:  Chris Prom.  No new building planning update. Still waiting on campus and the paperwork.  There was an open discussion with AUL Chris Prom from which “reopening planning” was raised. However, he had nothing specific to add beyond recent communication. On the issue of non-UIUC affiliated visitors to the library he said that it still to be sorted out at campus level and they were waiting on something from them

Technical Services:  Did not meet

Preservation: Background services and library support update: The new buttons for patron material requests is live in Primo and include: Request Physical Item, Request Digitization of Entire Work, DocExpress Scan a Chapter/Portion, DocExpress Scan an Article. We continue digitizing works patron indicate digital preferred access, that can be, to continue support for this service.   Staffing update: Johna Von Behrens officially moved from Oak Street Library to Preservation Services on May 17th, she is working in Digitization Services on this patron driven digitization workflow, she had been, since August last year, a temporary transfer to help digitize materials in response to need for alternative access models due to necessary precautions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the electronic first strategy implemented during that time (along with Diane Griswell, who returned to the Communications Library on May 4th).

Agenda Items Discussed:        

• LSSC elections – June
  1. What do you all think about using a Webtools Survey to vote?
  2. Who votes for the liaisons, is it LSSC members, the division constituents the nominee represents or all CSE library folk? I had assumed it was LSSC members, as that seemed to be the process for chair, vice-chair and secretary, but does anyone know?
  3. Do you all think we still need to identify an HR member to be present when two committee members access the results?
  4. Revisit our by-laws to clarify administrative role as well as identify quarterly administrative representative.

• LCAP memo update:

1. Working definition distinction between Civil Service Employees (CSEs) & Civil Service Professionals (CSPs): CSPs = exempt (salaried) & non-union represented
2. Bylaws update in light of CSP & CSE distinctions – admin liaison role clarity

• Other
  1. To mask or not to mask?
     • Heather murphy sent out an email
     • All Library users/patrons will be required to wear facial coverings and social distance in our study space areas…
       In order to provide robust services that adapt to the changing circumstances and the evolving university guidance, and being mindful of individual comfort levels, we’ve expanded the definition of study spaces to include library service points and/or areas where Library staff interact with users/patrons. This means that vaccinated Library staff should wear face coverings when interacting with users/patrons.
     • Update: we are working to make sure that Library practices for mask wearing are in keeping with campus policy as well as responsive to the predominance of input from our front line Library employees. The basic message is that we will be asking all patrons as a courtesy (regardless of vaccination status) to wear a mask when interacting with Library personnel. Printable signage will be available soon.

Question Time with Dean Wilkin

Dean Wilkin met with LSSC on May 27.

Q:  Future vision of leadership in the library and where LSSC fits in.

A:  LSSC’s role is to represent constituents; conduit for information, communicate.  Be available to share information if have information, but more importantly to answer questions that you have; collaborative, encouraged with the EC LCAP/LSSC Governance

Q:  Do we need to identify with a new AUL or preference?

A:  Dean Wilkin will meet with LSSC on a quarterly basis as our administrative representative.

Q:  DEIA Efforts and Inclusivity in the library: open discussion. Not all employees can attend the hangouts due to their schedules.  Some have said that inclusion, is effective when people are involved and when it matters.  However, decisions are being made without those people being involved.

A:  This is a priority.  Climate is around race, but also about class and the whole body of who we are.

Q: UGL:   site & staff rearrangement for Special Collections, are there things we need to prepare for or know?

A:  EC will get the final reports very soon.  After they have had a chance to review, it will be sent to Library folks.   Encourage you to read, study, engage.

Q: from Dean Wilkin   –  Communication updates

A:  LSSC has recently held a drop-in hour to collect feedback from employees and has been seeing feedback from our comment form as well.

 

 

Next LSSC Zoom Meeting: June 24, 2021