Hello everyone,
At yesterday’s MOBIUS membership meeting, the MERLIN cluster (the four UM campus libraries, at Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis and Rolla) made an important announcement in regards to our approach to MOBIUS. We made a strong statement of support for MOBIUS, and we affirmed our intention to participate in this important consortium. However, we also stated that our ability to pay more than market rate for an ILS has ended. A final decision regarding the transition of MERLIN to a stand-alone cluster has not been made. We will be working closely with MOBIUS in order to determine how best to move forward. A few months ago, I sent out a message to all of you about this, telling you that MERLIN was going to be renegotiating with MOBIUS, as you probably remember, as a response to our financial issues and to be good stewards of university funds.
I have heard through the MOBIUS rumor mill that an announcement was made yesterday that MERLIN will be withdrawing from MOBIUS. This, of course, was not what was said, but I predicted some people might jump to that incorrect conclusion. So please help stop this rumor if someone repeats it to you. MERLIN remains committed to state-wide cooperation and fully participation in MOBIUS. MOBIUS may have to change and update itself a bit more, just as all its members do.
Thankfully summer appears to be starting peacefully otherwise. So far our Collections Steering Committee (CSC) has been working hard on plans for our big cuts in acquisitions of both serials and monographs in this coming fiscal year that starts in July. We owe the CSC a big round of thanks for the very difficult work they have undertaken. This work will help us avoid further staff reductions, so thank them (Jeannette, Corrie, Rhonda, Anne B., Diane J. and Alla) if you get a chance. They are also working to communicate with faculty and get as much input as possible to help us make decisions.
In exciting news, renovations to the Bookmark Café and painting (not behind the books) in Room 202 should be starting soon. Also, some replacement carpet has been laid on the third floor walkway overlooking 201, and few more spots may get some sprucing up, too.
LMT meets for part 2 of our retreat soon, and Library Assembly meets next week to ponder its future and consider how best to keep trying to improve the Libraries’ internal communication. One way to improve communication is of course to communicate with others around you, and people whose work may be affected by yours. We can all work together to improve communication, and really, that’s the only thing that works in the long run.
Ann