159 Ellis Library

Present: Members: June DeWeese,  Laura Buck, Suzy Bent, Stephen Clayton, Stephen Stanton, Gary Cox, Mark Ellis, Bette Stuart (chair), PT Martin*. Ex-officio: Deb Ward (LMT), Ann Riley (LMT),  Jim Cogswell (Director), PT Martin (SRC Chair)*.  Guest: Shannon Cary.  Absent: Matt Stottle, Erin Zeller.

*listed twice – as department and SRC representative

Ø  Agenda(as emailed out 2/21/11):

o   Communications Committee (Shannon Cary)

o   Staff Web group report (June DeWeese and Laura Buck)

o   Discussion item: MU Libraries Values Statement

o   Announcements from  Assembly representatives and the Director

o   Agenda items for next meeting on March 22^nd

Ø  Communications Committee (Shannon Cary, MU Libraries Communications Officer)

o   Shannon started by describing her position: it is (50% fund raising support/ 50% Marketing/Public Relations/Media Contact).

§  Promotes Library events.

• Works with coordinators to determine:

o   Who is the audience?

o   What is the best way to target audience?

• Coordinates the use of promotional outlets:

o   Flyers, pamphlets, posters, mass email.

o   Facebook, Twitter, MU Library website.

o   KBIA, Mizzou Weekly, Maneater, papers, etc.

o   She also works with news bureau to get info items out.

§  For example:   Archives’ St. Louis World’s Fair exhibit press release will go out nationally.

• She supervises a student-designer to help make promotional material.
• MU Libraries Media Contact

o   Flyers, posters, postcards, bookmarks, etc.

o   The Communications Committee – Shannon is the convener and an ex-officio member.

§  Purpose: to advise on all aspects of MU Libraries and communications/ process.

§  Started as a taskforce to make an MU Libraries “communications plan”.

§  Continued as an advisory group.

§  Website:http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/staff/committees/communications/communications.htm

• The website contains:  Objectives, members, communications plan and communications information.

o   Such as how to use MUL logo, suggestions for contact with the media.

o   Questions:

§  Q. What relationship does communications have with web committee

• A.  Shannon serves on web committee as an ex- officio member.  She helps keep consistency and standards on the web page.

§  Q. How could employees help (promote Libraries)? Would she like to attend department meetings?

• A. employee could share info and events with her.  Some avenues of communications (like twitter) need almost a constant “feeding” of material (or so it is recommended).  It would be helpful to have assistance gathering appropriately tweet-able material.  She would be happy to attend meetings or develop a process to get MU Libraries information out.

§  Q. Do you (Shannon) need more staff members on the committee?

• A. Yes, she would actually like to have more members who could, beyond advising, volunteer to help with outlets like a digital kiosk, or (as mentioned before) Twitter.  Many communication tools (like digital kiosks) are easy to set up but hard to maintain effectively.  (Keep up-to-date, interesting and fresh).

o   MU Libraries will soon try a web-based free trial of a digital kiosk software.

§  This is in preparation for a full digital kiosk that is under consideration.

§  Like many things, digital kiosks are ideas that seem easy/simple, but are actually quite complex and time-consuming to do effectively.

Ø  Staff Web group report (June DeWeese and Laura Buck)

o   Recommendations were sent out with the agenda (2/21/11).

§  June presented report and took a moment to point out some areas of concern/suggestions:

• 1. Library policies – The ones on the staff web are very out of date.

o   The subgroup has reasons to believe that revisions to some policies exist but are not the copy posted.

o   Recommends that the individuals named on each policy (as  sponsors) be contacted to update.

o   A “document about the document” may be needed so sponsors know exactly how to update policies.

• 2. Subgroup suggests that a specific someone (or a few specific people) be designated to update the staff web (when sponsors make changes).

o   The subgroup suggests, as an example, Judy and Shannon could be the ones in charge of updating the page.

• 3. Someone (or a group) needs to be identified to regularly check the links/stay in contact with questions of what is still needed.

o   June highlighted student corner as an example of a site that could either go away or be kept in archives.

§  In this case she contacted Mark Ellis to see if still in use.  She is still waiting for an answer. Items like this will need follow-up.

• 4. Perhaps a person or group could determine if SharePoint would be a better destination for some of the material kept on Staff Web.

o   I.e. Historical/Archival and of interest for staff only.

• 5. News Notes: June suggests a survey (perhaps using survey monkey) to inquire if/how often employees are reading News Notes in current format.

o   Would other formats be better (non blog)?  Could current blog be reorganized?

o   Subgroup asks “what is next step” for this assignment and the subgroup?

o   All agreed that the Staff Web Subgroup did a great thorough job.

o   Jim C. suggests asking the Web Group to stay on as a continuous monitor (if they are willing, perhaps with new or more members).

§   Jim further suggests that as they move forward, they consult:

• Shannon for consistency.
• Judy Maseles for technical help.
• Those responsible for links/material for authority.

o   Sometimes this will be LMT – especially when it comes to things like the policies.

3/8/11 – Clarification after email discussion: No further charge or task was officially assigned to the subgroup at the meeting. Suggestions by Jim Cogswell may be considered by the Library Assembly the next time the topic is discussed.  Jim will take the process of updating the Library Policies (which are posted on the Staff Web Page) to discuss at LMT.

Ø  Time was up and meeting needed to be adjourned.

o   Next meeting:  take up the agenda item that the assembly didn’t get to today:

§  Discussion item: MU Libraries Values Statement

Ø  Announcement/Reports:

o   Deb – date for HSL 25^th Anniversary Celebration set as September 28

§  VIPs:  Dr. Lindberg, Joyce Mitchell, others.

o   Chair Bette Stuart – Next Library Assembly meeting will be on March 22^nd

Submitted by Mark Ellis

3/4/11

Attachment A.

Recommendations for Library Staff Webpage

1.      Update the format.

2.      Reorganize the headings.  Ones that get used most should be more prominent on page.

3.      Make the web page searchable.

4.      Make staff directory sortable by department.

5.      Assign someone to be responsible for checking the links on a regular basis for broken and outdated ones.

6.      Designate one or two persons (only) to add things to the website

7.      Determine the types of things to be added to the website and have a group to be responsible for what will and will not be added and to suggest alternative locations for items

8.      Determine a method by which policies are revised and a method by which the revisions are then added to the website

9.      Discuss what belongs and what really does not belong on the website—survey monkey survey for all library employees?

10.  Would LibGuide format work better for some things?

11.  Remove headings for things that are no longer available

12.  Pages not updated, once notification/request is given to the person or department responsible, within a reasonable amount of time will be removed or archived.