DEAN'S OFFICE

Library Advisory Board
Minutes

2001

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September 17, 2001

Present: Dean Jim Williams, Greg Robl (chair), Helene McHendry, Martha Jo Sani, Carl Stewart, Laura Wright (acting secretary)

Next meeting: Oct. 8, 9:30 AM

NEW/ONGOING BUSINESS

1) All Libraries Meeting:

The meeting will be November 14 from 8:30-11:30 in N410. The afternoon before, the room is available for us to set up. Carl will look at the chair situation (how many are there, how many more might we need). Laura & Helene will take care of food orders. Menu will be similar to last time, with some substitutions (bread and fruit for some of the sweet stuff) and more coffee. Greg will send a call for questions to all libraries employees around Oct. 1 and again around Oct. 15. Laura will send a reminder around Nov.1 (as Greg will be away).

2) Oct. meetings:

Greg will be in town for these meetings after all.

3) Cleaning tables in staff lounge (Suggestion box item):

According to Dan Davidson, the custodial staff are responsible for emptying trash and vacuuming the staff lounge every Monday and Wednesday. Cleaning tables is not part of their assigned duties. Anyone using these tables, therefore, is responsible for cleaning up after themselves. LAB members will get some 409 from the supply room and Greg will draft a memo to the Norlin List to let everyone know there are cleaning supplies available. Refrigerator and microwave cleaning are also the responsibility of those who use the appliances. LAB will post a sign reminding those using the staff lounge to clean up after themselves. This information should also be included in the LAB's FAQ. As LAB is not responsible for the staff lounge, anyone asking questions about the lounge will simply be referred to the FAQ and/or Administrative Services staff lounge policy in future.

4) Security, signage, evacuation procedures:

LAB asserts that, institutionally, we need to be more sensitized toward emergencies. We discussed the following issues: There are now emergency evacuation routes posted. The Libraries have no control over the size of these signs or the text on them. The Emergency Handbook still needs to be updated. Jim will query Scott about the handbook's status. Both new and continuing employees need to be informed/reminded of basic evacuation procedures and rendez-vous points for departments. These procedures need to be reviewed regularly. Jim will ask Scott to put this on the Library Council agenda.

We have not, to our knowledge, had a fire or emergency drill in the past year. Do evacuations such as the one for the gas leak last spring count as drills? Jim will ask Scott when the last drill was. Distinction between fire drills vs. disaster drills: is it possible to have a simulation? If we cannot do this in cooperation with the fire dept. and security, we should consider running our own disaster simulation.

Other concerns: the committee on emergencies needs to be reactivated. Carl mentioned that the emergency supply closet is in bad shape (not being restocked, space being usurped by facilities). His understanding is that it is not Preservation's responsibility.

Ric Johnson (head of security) is going to division meetings to introduce himself, as requested.

5) Welcome Banner:

Dan did put in a work order, well in advance, for FacMan to put up the banner, but it was not hung. Dan is investigating why. Martha Jo will do follow-up.

6) Cross-training:

LAB's part in this is complete. Jim will again mention the form and encourage people to look for cross-training opportunities at the All Libraries Meeting.

7) Zhijia's resignation from LAB:

The Faculty Elections Committee chair is working on a replacement.

8) Libraries closing recorded message:

Complaint about deteriorating quality of recording. The message is unclear is some parts of the building. This means any other messages might be unclear as well. LAB will report this concern to Scott.

9) Security issues with computers in Tech Services (Suggestion box item):

Systems is now leaving notes when they do any work on a computer in the absence of its regular user. If any settings on your computer have been changed and there is no note from systems, this should be reported to security. In TS, Janet would like to be notified as well. General security issues, especially in TS, need to be addressed, particularly in light of BCR working and propping doors open after hours and on weekends.

10) Ongoing training for new and continuing employees:

Can the libraries offer training, such as how to conduct meetings, what should be done at meetings, more library-specific issues, etc. beyond the new employee orientation, on an ongoing basis? LAB has referred this to the Faculty Staff Development Committee.

11) Getting regular feedback from students:

This idea came out of recent focus groups done through the Core Planning Committee. The idea is to offer students pizza and pop on the front steps of the library (or some similarly informal setting) in return for some informal feedback about the libraries (what do they like? what do they not like? what services do they or don't they use? how could we serve them better? etc.) several times a year. Questions could be taken from the focus group scripts and modified if necessary. This idea will be raised in Strategic Planning during the appropriate phase. Helene will follow up on this.

12) Supervisor evaluations:

Evaluations now occur at the same time for all faculty (end of calendar year) and for all staff (spring). The message soliciting letters with comments on both faculty and staff supervisors will be revised in light of this change and sent out again each year.

13) Willmaker:

Willmaker has been installed in Engineering.

NO ITEMS IN "THE BIN"

Respectfully submitted by Laura Wright on behalf of the 2001 LAB: Greg Robl, David Fagerstrom, Helene McHendry, Martha Jo Sani, Carl Stewart, Sue Williams, Laura Wright