Priorities in budget planning, 2017/18, University Libraries materials were handed out.

65 staff members were present

Welcome to Provost and Interim Chancellor, Garnett Stokes by Interim Director of University Libraries, Ann Campion Riley.

Ann reviewed Priorities in Budget Planning submissions that University Libraries made to the Provost’s office. The following points were addressed and commented on by Interim Chancellor Stokes.

1. University Libraries’ first priority is to the students and the Student Enhancement Fee will assist us in providing better services for students.
2. Library Management Team and Ann Riley decided to retain as many employees as possible and this resulted in loss of one staff member.
3. University Libraries needed 10 million dollars to bring us up to par with peer university libraries. Instead, we were asked to cut 5 million dollars. We are requesting reinvestment in the libraries to give back to our collections, specifically electronic resources.
4. Our move to Merlin Standalone will give us better control of our resources.
5. ARL membership is at stake if our budget decreases significantly. ARL membership depends on a matrix of staffing, budget, enrollment etc. Interim Chancellor Stokes understands the real concern for loosing our ARL membership and thinks we should set up a plan to maintain membership. She is glad to see our new Administration is committed to supporting University Libraries and research resources for Mizzou students. Maintaining a sustainable support structure for University Libraries is essential.
6. Interim Chancellor Stokes would like to plan for the annual increase in journals as an unavoidable expense like utilities. In historical budget models, revenue increases and cuts were given proportionally.
7. President Choi is looking to find better efficiencies at both the system level and MU campus. Mizzou will undergo an administration review to as one solution to this goal.
8. Discovery is a core value to the University and University Libraries have the mission to support students in this core value.
9. Many colleges and departments on campus are in the same situation as we are with lack of available revenue streams such as class enrollment, alumni etc. Moving to more online programs and requiring supplemental fees are creative ways some departments on campus have found to make the 12% cut.
10. University Libraries and the Collee of Arts and Science are two units that Interim Chancellor Stokes sees as needing a new approach within the new budget model.
11. The system and the other 3 campuses did not cut 12%, nor are they affected by enrollment decreases that MU is facing. The system has had a reduction last year that they had hoped to reinstall but have not been able to retrieve. Therefore, they will continue to restructure HR, IT and finance departments.
12. Requesting that units on campus cut 12% does allow for a cushion for reinvestment in key areas as well as to withstand against possible future state budget cuts.
13. Marketing and Communications have been cut at system and campus level to allow for strategic implementation of a unified marketing plan. To increase enrollment we need to focus on our branding to support Enrollment Management. We will have a national marketing firm to help us manage our complex branding situation.
14. Some reinvestments have already been arranged, such as Grad student stipend, Grad student health insurance, inclusion and diversity, center for teaching and learning. Stokes is waiting to see what the governor will do with the future budget to determine one time and reoccurring reinvestments.
15. Chancellor Alex Cartwright will start August 1 and will need to be part of reinvestment conversations.
16. Choi recognizes the importance to keep MU the flagship institution.
17. Provost Stokes is implementing a taskforce charged with examining each program and evaluating it for investment, consolidation or elimination.
18. It was brought up that we simply no longer have the staffing to be a professional resource for the State and to collaborate innovatively with organizations outside of the University for the advancement and wellbeing of its citizens.
19. Interim Chancellor Stokes is not able to comment on the search for the Director of Libraries today, but will be able to do so by July 1.
20. Interim Chancellor Stokes agrees that a title change needs to be made and, in researching peer institutions, is specifically looking at what that structure should become.

In Attendance: Kathy Peters, Earnest Shaw, Anslem Huelsbergen, Pat Jones, Jeannette Pierce, Jacqueline Rash, Corrie Hutchinson, Ann Riley, Sheryl Cullina

Agenda Items

SPEC items in catalog –

• Corrie mentioned the need to review the scope for searching Special Collections items.Two possibilities include allowing full or limited access to search solely for Special Collections items.Special Collections at UMLD/II will be Library Use Only. The new system is that items from UMLD will be brought straight up to SPEC and not go through Circulation.

Action: Corrie will post this question to ARL list serve to see how other libraries scope for these types of searches. 

Student Worker Budget –

• LMT is ready to proceed with flat budget for FY18. Flat budget is acceptable as long as management can move the funds within their areas.HR determines wage levels and raise guidelines and we won’t know yet if we can offer student workers raises.

Action: Kathy will get division levels out to management. 

Bobeen Student Worker Library Endowment –

• – Jeanette Bobeen has made another donation to the endowment. For FY18, we will have $2,400 available.

   

  • For FY17, we awarded one $500 prize to an outstanding student worker.
  • For FY18, do we want to do the same type of prize or use the funding for another purpose?

Endowment Description:

Funds shall be used for the costs associated with the employment of student workers at the MU Libraries on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus.
Funds may be used for, but not limited to, salaries, supplies, training materials, stipends, and/or scholarships.

• The problem is that when we offer a scholarship it will reduce the financial aid package for the student.

Decision:  We will use this money for funding digitization student workers instead of individual scholarships. 

Giving button-

• Request to add a giving button to Gov. Docs page: Marie would like to add an opportunity to support gov docs to a web page that has received 50,000+ hits since she uploaded documents regarding historical wage information.
• Discussion ensued about this being a possible slippery slope for all departments to request giving buttons.

Decision: We will keep giving options on the giving page.

New Items:

Planning for retreat–

• 10-12 Problem solving, 12-1 Lunch, 1-2 use as needed, 2-4 Goals update
• Management is encouraged to prepare desired departmental goals for FY18.
• Jeannette mentioned that Librarian reviews don’t coincide well with timing with the goals.MyVita may help by reporting by semester.

Exit doors-

• We are in the process of changing the card system.
• We would like to be able to update the crashbars on the doors to allow us to exit the building when the library is closed and the door will lock again upon exit.
• We will add security camera to monitor this door.

Action: Ann will send the reminder to all staff to close the doors behind you and not to let others in when the library is closed.

Budget forum w/ Provost-

Action: Jacqueline will send out a reminder to all staff for this meeting.

HR Changes organizational tree-                                                      

• HR considers the library one department.Sheryl proposed that we split out to be 5 departments.This will help us identify seniority within department in light of recent layoffs.This will not affect budget or funding or the ability to move people across departments.It will formalize the department chair structure.

Discussion: ensued as to if we would be charged more for qualtrics if we were considered 5 different departments instead of one division.  It was suggested that users access through Admin.

Building Improvements-

• Caulking and was completed on rattling windows throughout the library.
• ’87 addition roof had pooling problems due to clogged water spouts,

Action: Campus facilities will look for funds to replace the membrane.

• Pat requested blinds to be placed in all windows of Ellis.
• North door will be stained this summer to repair from leaks this winter.

Annual reviews and annual report-

You will need to submit employee reviews soon. We will do another annual report.  Think about highlights in specific areas and goals for next year.

Birds-

The auction house doesn’t think we will make enough money on the birds to make it worth the cost of auctioning them.

Pete-

Pete hopes to return late July.

Friends fundraiser-

We have 88 RSVPs at this time including Interim Provost Stokes.

Merlin coordinator:

Corrie will be Site Coordinator for MU going forward.  Her being on LMT and the head of Technical Services will facilitate communication with MOBIUS.

Mobius Standalone:

Action: Corrie will send out a communication plan.

Steam pipe project:

Workers will enter the library basement area in early July, move through café area and historical society and be done with Ellis by end of July.