Library Office Notes

NOVEMBER 2001 LIBRARY EXHIBITS

The Sun-Earth Connection
Government Documents Library, Main Hall Wall Cases

Vascos en America Latina
Latin American Library Display

Faculty Accomplishments
Main Cases in the Main First Floor Hall

This was their Land:  Native American Indians in the U. S.
Map and Geography Library

2001 Nobel Prize in Literature: 
V. S. Naipaul ... a colonial without a past, without ancestors
Modern Languages and Linguistics Library

Community-Planning-Development
Mueller Case, East Foyer

ACES Library
Rare Book Room

Movie Quotes Contest
Undergraduate Library

University of Illinois Library Office of Development and Public Affairs

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Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
October 8, 2001

Present:  Paula Kaufman (chair), Janis Johnston, Bill Maher, Beth Sandore, Sue Searing, Beth Woodard, Greg Youngen

1. Minutes of the last meeting were not available for approval.

2. Question Time

There was a question about the by-laws.  The By-laws Committee has met, and one of the issues is the definition of the faculty in the by-laws, which needs to be revised to satisfy a request from the Provost Office that a unit's definition of faculty match that in the statutes.  It's unclear from the Provost's office exactly what language in our Bylaws needs revision, but it may be that we still base the definition on a clause of "rank of instructor or above."  The Committee's immediate question however was whether the Bylaws still needed to include a clause for voting and committee rights for those with appointments of less than full-time.  The consensus of the Executive Committee was that there were still people at less than 100 percent who should have certain faculty privileges so the Bylaws clause on that provision also has to have its language updated to deal with the problematic "instructor" terminology.

What is the status of the Chancellor's gender equity memorandum that Paula shared with the committee in August?  It will be included on the list of future agenda items.

3. Systems Needs

The committee discussed a draft list of improvements they would like the Systems Office to implement.  The aim is to articulate things that Systems could be doing that would make work easier for faculty and staff.  Paula will discuss this list with John Weible to determine which of the items Systems is already working on, their plans and priorities, and the obstacles and budget constraints they face.  John will be invited to attend the next Executive Committee meeting.

4. Search Approval

The committee approved a new academic professional position that combined two half-time research programmer positions that were allocated to DIMTI and the Library Information Technology Committee. I t was decided that it makes more sense to hire one fulltime person, given the overlap in responsibilities and required skills.  The goal in both cases is to provide centralized technology support for library projects.  Both positions are permanent and neither are occupied right now.  Search committee members were recommended.

5. FRC/PTA Participation in Library Faculty Interviews

The committee considered a proposal to have a single person represent both the Faculty Review Committee and the Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee during interviews.   This suggestion reflects the increased burden on FRC and PTA members due to the large number of searches this year.  It would be necessary to make sure the one person adequately covered both aspects.  The committee's opinions were mixed, but the majority favored continuing with two representatives.

6. Planning for Discussion of Communication #21

FRC will meet on October 9 to discuss Communication 21 from the Office of the Provost, which addresses "Annual Faculty Review."  It will also be on the agenda of the next Library Faculty Meeting.  Three major issues need to be covered:   annual evaluation and feedback, post-tenure review, and the grievance process.   Paula is still waiting for guidelines about the full review option.  She noted that a full review cannot be asked for every year.  The By-Laws Committee is working on the grievance matter and will bring to the Executive Committee for discussion later; therefore, it will not be on the agenda of the October Faculty Meeting.  There is a need to determine if existing Library processes are in compliance with the spirit of Communication 21, especially as regards the connection between annual evaluations and unit-level goals and expectations.  The type of feedback provided to individuals also needs to be examined.  EC concluded that an in-depth discussion with the full faculty might not be profitable right now, but distributing Communication 21 and answering basic questions will be useful.  The next step will be to draft a document that interprets Communication 21 for the Library, and then take that to the faculty for discussion.   The initial discussion at the October Faculty Meeting will help to shape that document.  FRC will solicit written suggestions and recommendations, then present the document at the November Faculty Meeting.

7. Cataloging Policy Committee Report

When the streamlined Cataloging Policy Committee replaced the former Cataloging Policy Advisory Committee, EC and AC requested that a report evaluating the new committee structure be prepared after the first year.  The report as submitted is more factual than evaluative, so Paula will ask the committee to provide a more evaluative report that assesses whether the communications on cataloging practices in the Library have improved, what the committee thinks is (or isn’t) working well under the new structure, and whether they achieved what they hoped to achieve.  There may be merits in canvassing the people who were part of the former committee. Paula will also ask for input from the divisions via the Administrative Council.

8. Exit Interviews

There are obvious reasons for exit interviews, for example, with people who are going to "greener pastures."  Paula conducts such interviews regularly.   Exit interviews with people who are moving from one departmental library to another would also be informative, but they are not routinely conducted.  EC recommended that Paula interview people who are exiting Library units as well as exiting the Library.   Further, it was suggested that a sampling of interviews with graduating Graduate Assistants might be useful, or perhaps a follow-up interview a year after they leave the Library.  This could lead to guidelines of minimum expectations for graduate assistant positions.

9. Identifying Issues from this Meeting to be Communicated to the Faculty

Communication 21 is the major topic on which EC and other groups need to communicate with the faculty at large and seek input.  See no. 6, above.

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Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
October 22, 2001

Present:  Paula Kaufman, chair, Dick Griscom, Janis Johnston, Bill Maher, Beth Sandore, Leslie Troutman, Beth Woodard, Greg Youngen

Absent:  Sue Searing

1.  Minutes of the September 24 and October 8, 2001, meetings were approved

2.  Question Time

How will the Sunday afternoon Bears games in Champaign next season impact the Library? There are concerns about parking and security.   Paula will contact Charles Colbert to find out what the university is planning.

3.  Request to fill a Vacancy in the Law Library

The committee approved the filling of the vacant reference position formerly held by Peter Hook and recommended membership for the search committee.

4.  Review of a library faculty member's progress toward promotion and tenure

The case was discussed and will be considered further at the next meeting.

5.  Choice of topics for librarian candidate presentations

Recent search committees have asked candidates to speak on the general topic of current issues in their area of librarianship.  EC discussed the purpose of these candidate presentations and the possible benefits of assigning topics that are more focused.  The committee agreed, however, that if candidates were asked to concentrate on local issues, internal candidates would be given a distinct advantage.  Paula will ask Bernice Harrington how best to communicate to the search committees that presentation topics should be more precisely defined.

6. Appointment of untenured faculty to unit head positions

Paula clarified that although all faculty members are encouraged to volunteer for interim appointments, progress toward tenure will be considered when evaluating candidates.  Often tenured faculty are preferred for interim appointments because of the unusual demands typically placed on interim unit heads.  Similar consideration of progress toward tenure should be a part of the evaluation process used by search committees when screening candidates for permanent appointment to vacant unit head positions.

7.  Plans for a general staffing study

Will be moved to the agenda for the next meeting.

8.  Staffing support for the selection process for the Oak St. storage facility

For certain libraries and selectors, the identification of materials for the storage facility will require considerable work as they examine materials, pull them from the stacks, and prepare them for transfer.   Dick asked whether divisions were expected to request staffing support as a part of the budget request process or whether system-wide support would be provided from the library administration.  Leslie mentioned that the barcoding project was a similar system-wide effort for which the library administration provided additional staff support.   Paula will ask Karen Schmidt whether she plans to request a central pool for staff assistance.

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Library Staff Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
October 31, 2001

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Support Staff Positions Open

Library Clerk II, 50%, Circulation
Library Clerk II, 100%, Law Library
Library Clerk III, 50%, Asian Library
Library Clerk III, 100%, Education & SS Library
Security Guard, 100%, Business Office, 3 positions

Support Staff Positions Filled

Lea Howard, Library Technical Assistant, Government Documents Library

(J. Lowder)

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