Attending: Jim Cogswell, Deb Ward, Ann Riley, Mike Holland Guests: MULAC Executive Committee; Rhonda Whithaus, Kate Anderson and Gwen Gray; Support: Mark Ellis
INFORMATION ITEM: LMT Retreat will take place June 20-21. Jeannette Pierce will be in attendance. She will be invited to MULSA Picnic.
INFORMATION ITEM: Heiddi Davis will attend the August all staff meeting to discuss Renew Mizzou project and how it affects MU Libraries.
ACTION ITEM: LMT approved updated Policy 21: Recruitment and hiring of Librarians/Archivists and revisions of the Charge for the Digitization Advisory Committee. New copies will be posted on the policy and procedure website.
INFORMATION ITEM: Announcements:
–Jim – the Renew Mizzou project will be using both 202 Ellis Library and 114 Ellis Library (Jim was initially under the impression that only one of the two would be used.) Many details still to be worked out at a campus planning level.
— Deb – HSL has hired a new Administrative Assistant, Mandi Davis.
— Ann – ACTS division meetings were held to discuss planning for the future.
INFORMATIONAL: MULAC presented a document to LMT prior to the meeting that reflected feedback on the three topics that Jim announced would be discussed at the LMT retreat: the upcoming MU Capital Campaign, Staffing Priorities, and Space Concerns. Highlights of the document discussion:
MULAC included these among their points:
o Urged campaign to include all Libraries.
o Suggested open meetings to discuss centennial book acquisition.
o Requested descriptions of the positions on future staffing priority lists or explanations of why each position is a priority.
o It is important to make document delivery services equitable among all branches and open to all university and Library departments.
o MULAC fears Library LTS is overburdened.
o MULAC emphatically suggests further and open discussions about space and how it could be utilized.
LMT included these points in their immediate reaction to the document:
- MU Libraries Capital Campaign will include all the Libraries.
- Centennial of Ellis Library should be seen as a celebration of all MU Libraries and services.
- Jim is not insistent that the St John’s Bible be the centennial book purchase, but disagrees that it isn’t consistent with some of the strengths of Special Collections.
- Targets for collection endowments are helpful, but they are entirely donor-driven. Not all targets will be funded in the course of the campaign.LMT agrees open discussions about space are important.
- Renew Mizzou is a case where we knew barely 48 hours before it was publicly announced.
Topics that were discussed further:
• Document Delivery – steps have already been taken and some other options will be explored to make this service more consistent across all the libraries.
• Instructional Design Librarian – clarification of what that means is needed from MULAC.
• Special Collections low placement in MULAC priorities is regrettable.
o Jim feels Special Collections are a “hallmark” of any research Library and a magnet for donor support.
o MULAC urges more explanation of priority positions and brief descriptions of new positions as they are listed.
• MULAC requests more timely communication of LMT notes.
Both MULAC and LMT seek to improve communication before and after LMT retreats in the future, and both see the importance of including input from all staff. (Perhaps further assisted by department, SRC or Library Assembly discussions.)