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KULSS Exec

Meeting Minutes

Thursday, Sep. 21, 2006
Art Library – 10-11:30 am

Present: Monica Claassen-Wilson (FY07 Chair), Angie Rathmel (Secretary), Denise Swartz (Group 1), Kevin Fussell (Group 2), Nishon Hawkins (Group 3), Robert Szabo (Group 4)

Absent: Jill Becker (FY07 Vice-Chair)

Approval of previous meeting’s Sep. 7th minutes
DONE

Approval of previous meeting’s action items

WHO?          BY WHEN? WHAT?

1. Group Reps

Next meeting

Bring a list of people in your groups hired in the last year for General Meeting DONE

2. Angie

 

Get with Monica to learn about updating the website ONGOING

3. KULSS

Next Meeting

Plan FALL GENERAL MEETING! DONE

Group Reports

Group 1

  • Completing interviews this week for Library Assistant in Acquisitions
  • Advertisement posted in paper for Dean’s Assistant position (Barbara Gorman’s position)

Group 2

  • Joel Boggess hired as a Library Assistant in Special Projects Maps Unit.
  • Calling references for second Library Assistant position in Special Projects.

Group 3

  • Lending Library Assistant 2nd round search interviewing this week.
  • Completing 2nd round interviews for Night/Wknd Circ Supervisor search as well.

Group 4
ANSCHUTZ (via Robert Szabo):

  • Holly Mercer to move Scott Walter’s old office pending phone transfer.
  • Scott Walter’s memory book is now in Anschutz for staff/faculty/students to sign.

ANNEX (via Robert Szabo):

  • Keeping way ahead of the 1000 unit/day goal.  Plan to empty Annex #2 by Christmas.

SPENCER (via email Mary Ann Baker):

  • Society of American Archivists holding a workshop in Spencer Library, Oct. 12-13 on “The Art of Processing Manuscript Collections”.  Spencer Processing Dept. Manuscripts Unit will be attending.  
  • Kathy Lafferty will be helping as Dean’s assistant ant through at least mid-October. 
  • Rick Clement is teaching a “History of the Book” class this semester.
  • Becky Schulte is returning from International Council of Archives seminar in Iceland.
  • Spencer Library will be requiring researchers to use Spencer library pencils in the Reading Room starting in 2007.
  • Karen Cook wants to switch out the computer chair in the staff room.

MUSIC (via Nancy Hawkins):

  • Not much to report here, except we have mice.  And these aren’t you’re ordinary mice, but super (evolved) mice!  We’ve set traps with food, but the little buggers steal the food and the trap remains unsprung.  Friday, I bring in my cat!

ENGINEERING (via email Jeff McAdams):

  • No big staff news going on in Spahr.  However, recently a panel of library experts reported that Spahr Engineering Library was “the greatest library on Earth”.  Jim and I were a bit surprised, but who’s going to argue with experts.  We continue to plug along, even though we are at the apex of librarydom.

ART&ARCHITECHTURE (via email Heather Howard):

  • Heather Howard is now on KU’s Textbook Taskforce.  This taskforce has been created to study the recent confusion and price increases associated with the textbook ordering process.   The taskforce will work with instructors, students and the KU Bookstore to streamline and improve the process.
  • We are almost completely caught up on our entire Reserve and E-reserve request.
  • Academic Computing Services is planning to replace 2 of our non-scanning workstations with scanning workstations due to increased demand.
  • In general things are running smoothly, no problems to report.

Committee Reports

  • Management Council (Wednesday, Sep 20th, 2006, 1:30-2:30pm)

Lorraine's Observations/Ideas for moving forward, based on conversations with staff during both formal and informal meetings (donuts with the Dean, etc.)  She noted that donuts with the Dean had very good turnouts, and that they will be continued throughout the semester.

  • Concern over a lack of community; the need for building community
    • Will be looking to Management Council for strategies to address this
  • Sentiments in favor of a supervisors forum - Stems from a need/desire to have a better sense of how various groups (faculty, unclassified. professionals, support staff) supervise their staff
    • This may affect professional/staff development (Donna's area)
  • Concern over what's going on at the desks, mainly in terms of traditional reference
    • Need to ensure service excellence at all service desks, but most concern for Watson and Anschutz desks
    • Will take a hard look at vacant positions, including Scott Walter's position, to focus on addressing quality of service
    • Importance of having permanent staff; thinking about how Tier 3 backups are called upon and used.
  • Confusion/concern regarding how outreach is defined
    • Redrafting Bill Myers' position to address this: focusing on providing internal support for units to do outreach both internally and externally, and working with potential donors (50/50 split)
    • Question from the group about whether the position will require MLS: This would help, but may exclude people who have expertise that would benefit us most.
  • Accessibility, especially for International Programs (East Asian, Slavic, etc.) and Instructional spaces
    • Anschutz 4th floor and Watson 5th floor are on the radar for possible reconfiguration
    • Desire to keep instructional spaces in the libraries
    • Provide space for graduate students
    • Re-carpet 5th floor to make it more attractive
  • New directions in Collection Development
    • Digital collections are becoming increasingly necessary, both from accessibility and preservation standpoints
    • Needs to be an integrated part of collection development, not a separate piece (includes collection development, preservation, digital initiatives)
    • May help to define Richard Fyffe's position

Libraries Update (Mary/Kent)
Annex - review of movement of materials

  • Currently processing 600s, 800s, 900s
  • Bit of nervousness about keeping up with the pace the Annex folks are setting
  • Considering strategies for repurposing spaces and moving materials
    • Q, R, S Serials possibly in the next round of materials to be evaluated for reclass, as well as Art items
    • May need to allocate more resources to record processing (more staff)

Outsourcing

  • Shelf list for Chinese, Japanese, and some Korean will be sent to OCLC Oct. 1; expecting 10 months to completion

General

  • IS Strategic Plan
    • Recently discussed at IS management council
    • 14 strategic issues identified to focus on; various individuals have taken sponsorship, and they have been charged with looking for people to help and defining what can be done in the next 18 months
      • Content & Delivery (Lorraine, Kent, Mary, Deb, Susanne)
      • Funding (Lorraine) - crafting language related to funding sources, both assigned and external
      • Collaboration
      • Space
      • Etc.
  • Big Three Questions
    • When these are brought back to the Provost, he has asked deans to come up with broad development goals (by October) related to facilities, collections, services, and endowed positions.
      • Goals will likely be integrated into a development campaign in the next few years (e.g. cost to fully renovate Watson and Spencer)
      • Think about how and what you might be doing 5 years from now: How would it be different?  Think outside the box; what will users need and how will we change to meet those needs?
  • Parents Campaign
    • Students exceeded their goal, and raised $180,000
    • Lorraine, Kent and Mary will be asking Management Council for ideas on what to do with the money
  • Libraries All-Staff Picnic, September 30, 5-8 pm, Broken Arrow Park
    • Table service will be provided; bring food to share
  • September 27, 9-10 am: There will be a discussion of the new tenure document
  • Senate Committee on Libraries (SCL) - Nancy Hawkins
    • No report
  • University Support Staff Senate/) - Mary Ann Baker
  • Diversity Committee (DC) – Erin Kidwell
    • No report
  • Staff Development Committee – Donna Brewer
    • No report
  • Planning & Resources Committee

 

Fall General Meeting Planning

  • Denise: food and beverages
  • Welcome
  • Introduce KULSS Exec
  • KULSS Group reps introduce/announce new staff
  • Monica: announce staff with 5+ yrs of service
  • Announce SSEYA
  • Words from the Dean
  • KULSS Goals: staff development, IS-wide committee participation (Assessment Council deadline 9/29/06)
  • Reminder of Staff Picnic: Angie/Nishon Top 10 list, pass out maps

Plan for next steps after General Meeting

  • Keep informed of status of staff workshop
  • Support staff hiring procedures clarification
  • Progress on Orientation
  • Progress on staff development
    • Suggested asking LFA if they have people interested in serving, get those names and USS names and give to Donna to get a committee started.

 

Discuss with the Dean

  • Progress on staff development
    • Suggested asking LFA if they have people interested in serving, get those names and USS names and give to Donna to get a committee started.

Action Items for next meeting:


WHO?

BY WHEN?

WHAT?

1. KULSS

Next meeting

Review/approve/add charges to PRC

2. Kevin

Next meeting

Confirm PRC volunteer from Cataloging

3. Nishon/Angie

Monday, Sep 25th

Create a Top 10 Reason to go to the Faculty/Staff Picnic for Fall Meeting

4. Nishon

Monday, Sep 25th

Ask Amanda to possible email re: her interest in BBQ grilling for picnic

5. Denise

Sep. 28th Fall Meeting

Create a document of what refreshments she usually buy for General Meetings (incl cost and who to go to for funding). Save to G: Committees/CCEB/General Meeting Issues.

6. Monica

ASAP

 Follow up on scheduling monthly meeting with the Dean.

PARKING LOT