Notable meetings from the calendar of Jim Cogswell, Director of MU Libraries

Wednesday, October 19^th
10: 00 AM Open Access Event – Speaker A. Townsend Peterson, Ellis Library Colonnade

11:00 AM Open Access Event – MU Panel Discussion, Ellis Library Colonnade

2:30 PM Meet Director of Library Development Candidate Ellen McClain, 4F51A Ellis Library

3:00 PM Meeting with LMT and Director of Development Candidate, 4F51A Ellis Library

4:00 PM Open Presentation and Q&A meeting – MU Libraries and Ellen McClain, 4F51A Ellis Library

Wednesday, October 5^th, 12:00 Noon – 2:00 pm

Annual MU/Missouri Community College Association Presidents and Chancellors Council Luncheon, Student Center,  MU Campus

 

Friday, October 7, 2011

8:00 – 9:00 am – Breakfast with Candidate for the Director of Development position Kirsten Johnson, TBD

9:00 – 10:30 am – LMT and Kirsten Johnson, TBD

11-12 Noon – Open Presentation and Q&A meeting – MU Libraries and Kirsten Johnson, 4F51A Ellis Library

3:30 -4:30 pm – Interview of Director of Development Candidate, at Development Office with Ron Kelley, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Development

LMT members in attendance:  Jim Cogswell, Ann Riley, Deb Ward, Mike Holland

Support: Mark Ellis

Informational Item:  LMT discussed the Email sent to MU Library employees regarding salary increases.

Informational Item:  LMT recommended up to 2% increases for returning students based in merit at the discretion of the student supervisor.

Informational Item:  Jim C. will present LMT’s Staffing Strategy to MU Libraries employees during the All-Staff Meeting taking place 8/18/11, 2-3:30 pm, in Ellis Auditorium.

Informational Item:  Along with the staffing strategy, LMT discussed topics related to that subject such as:

• Career Step-down strategies – How to help employees who are considering retirement ease into the transition:
  • Offering reduced FTE.
  • Assuring employees that their position will not be eliminated as a result of retirement.
  • Balancing between openly helping employees make retirement decisions while not offending them or making them feel rushed or unwelcomed to stay.
  • Enlisting potential retirees to train/orient replacement staff and to benefit from their valuable experience.
  • “Receding services” – some staff members have said that, as MU Libraries respond to demands for new services, some lower priority functions will need to be reduced or eliminated.
    • What are these receding service functions?
      • Print acquisitions
      • Binding
• Changing the nature of certain services:
  • Shift from print Reserves to e-reserves.
  • Patron photocopying changing to personal digitization.
    • Microfilm/fiche digitization rather than print.
    • Personal library tours reduced.
    • Reference desk staffing (shared more by GLA’s, other students,).
    • Expanded access (beyond books and journals).
      • Digital nature of library resources.
• We need to shift our capacities to other functions rather than reduce our workforce
  • Staffing Plans should reflect meaningful input from staff.
  • LMT to review notes of 7/21 All Staff Forum and Mark will send out to all staff.

LMT will meet on August 16 to review Staffing Strategy and All Staff Meeting material.

2-4 pm, 159 Ellis Library

Attendees:  Jim Cogswell, Deb Ward, Mike Holland, Ann Riley,

Guest: Kate Anderson, Lee Anne Litzsinger, Carolyn Hamilton, Rebecca Moser

Support: Mark Ellis

Information Item:  Update of Mizzou Advantage activity – Kate Anderson.  Mizzou Advantage is “wrapping-up” first round of grants. Poster session of all First round grants: April 27, 4-6 pm. Reports will be due May 2nd. Mizzou Advantage is a centerpiece in new Campus Strategic Plan due out soon.   A spreadsheet that tracks who at MU Libraries is doing what with Mizzou Advantage will be out soon.  There has been positive and growing sense of collaboration. Librarians have been noticed at many Mizzou Advantage discussions.

Kate Anderson left meeting.

INFORMATION ITEM:  LMT Retreat will be Thursday and Friday, June 16-17. Topic Suggestions so far: Succession Planning, A new ORTF?  – Organizational Review Task Force – Is it time to pull together a team to look at some broad issues again? Topics and suggestions will continue to be discussed.

INFORMATION ITEM:  Jim has assigned Mike Holland the task of developing a process to review and update the Library Policy.  Mike Holland predicts a need for a policy on policies. It will include: a.) where policy/changes can be proposed/generated, b.) a path that leads eventually to hearing/approval by LMT.  c.) Possible vetting through deliberative bodies such as MULAC and/or Library Assembly. d.) Final approval will remain in LMT.

Jim would like to Archives to be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date copy of official MU Libraries Policies.

INFROMATION ITEM:  Jim asks for recommendations from LMT for annual MU Libraries’ Top Ten Accomplishments list FY 2011.

INFROMATION ITEM:  Ellis Library Reference is considering a policy on Social Media. In light of previous discussion on policy review process, Deb and Ellis Library Reference will review proposal and prepare to submit at a later time.

INFROMATION/ACTION ITEM:  Digital Scriptorium is changing from a contributory organization to a membership organization. Each member will be asked to pay an annual maintenance fee. MU Libraries Tier 1 Membership fee will be $1,750 per year. LMT resolved to pay fee. Discussion ensued about how to treat expense now and for future budget planning.

Attendees:  Jim Cogswell, Ann Riley, Mike Holland, Deb Ward
Support:  Mark Ellis

ACTION ITEM:  LMT endorses a request from MULAC to change the Librarian annual performance review schedule to align with the academic year instead of a calendar year.

INFORMATION ITEM:  LSO Reorganization – Electronic Resources Procurement and Software Support functions of the UM Library Systems Office (LSO) will be placed under MU Libraries management in an agreement similar to the current model used for the UM Library Depository (UMLD). Supervision of personnel, use of office space, management of budgets, etc. will be handled within the MU Libraries while the positions continue to serve the 4 campus libraries system. Jim is in discussions with State Historical Society and the other UM campuses to resolve how to manage the Digitization functions that LSO currently performs.

INFORMATION ITEM: Jim has been in discussion with Central Development about the MU Libraries Development Director position.  No firm posting date has been established.

INFORMATION ITEM:  Math Library update – the Math Faculty have sent a letter to the Provost asking that the Math Library position be exempt from the hiring freeze and that the services at the Math Library continue as they have in the past. Further meetings and discussions will take place in the near future concerning this topic.

ACTION ITEM:  In response to an inquiry by the Collection Steering Committee regarding a pilot program to cover Open Access Fees for scholars at MU as an incentive to use Open Access publications, LMT requests a formal proposal that can be submitted to the Provost and discussed with other audiences.

Information/Action Items from Library Management Team meeting 12/7/10

Attendees:  Jim Cogswell, Ann Riley, Mike Holland, Deb Ward,

Guests: Leo Agnew, James Hunter

Support:  Mark Ellis

Ø  INFORMATIONAL:  Guest James Hunter, Director of the MU Employee Assistance Program (EAP),  discussed “Reflective Spaces”.   (Leo Agnew in attendance.)

o   ”Reflective spaces” is a tool/service developed by the EAP that can help organizations discuss and approach change.  Overall goal: create a learning organization.

o   After open discussion period, Leo and Director Hunter left the meeting.

Ø  INFORMATIONAL: Ellen Blair and Jim C. met with the Provost and his budget team last week (Tuesday, November 30^th).

o   Discussed Library scenarios that would embrace two different possible funding cuts from the state to MU.

§  Scenario one: 10% reduction in state funding over the next three years.

§  Scenario two:  25% reduction in state funding over the next three years.

o   At this time, it is believed the cut to Higher Education will be somewhere between 13-15%.

§  Translates to a likely a 4-6% decrease to Library funding for the next three years.

o   Discussion ensued regarding how to address budget decrease.

§  Current savings from hiring freeze will help – But salary savings cannot cover anticipated cuts after fiscal year 2012.

§  University still expecting to try a salary increase of some kind.

• Funding for any increase will need to come from within University departments, not from central funding.

§  Ongoing discussions will take place at future meetings and incorporating input of Faculty and Staff.

Ø  INFORMATIONAL:  MU Libraries All-Staff meeting will be: January 13,  2:00 – 3:30 pm

o   Along with a Budget updates and other reports, Jim would like to present MU Library Staffing data and projections assembled by Leo Agnew –(draft shared).

o   To be discussed further as we approach all staff meeting.

Attendees: Jim Cogswell, Mike Holland, Ann Riley, Deb Ward
Guest: Ellen Blair
Support: Mark Ellis

INFORMATION ITEM – Jim Cogswell: LMT Invited to the Library Committee meeting scheduled for December 2^nd, 2 pm, 159 Ellis Library.  Current Chair Noah Heringman is trying to emphasize collaboration and communication between the Library Committee and MU Libraries.

• In October the Library Committee met with Kate Anderson to discuss Mizzou Advantage and MU Libraries.
• In November, the Library Committee met with a panel of subject specialist librarians to learn more about their job and roles.  Panel: Judy Maseles, Gwen Gray, Anne Barker.
• In December, Noah would like to invite LMT to make up a panel for a description of each member’s role and to answer questions.
• On December 9, the Library Committee would like to take a tour of the MU Libraries following the “life of a book”.  (Similar to the tour given to LDAC last spring.)

INFORMATION ITEM – Jim Cogswell: Jim attended Deans retreat in Springfield, MO, November 8 and 9.

• Discussions: Springfield, MO,  community support of higher education, MU Budget, Discussions about “low” performing programs, the merging of MU-Direct and CDIS.

INFORMATION ITEM – Jim Cogswell: James Hunter will meet for the first part of the LMT meeting on Dec 7^th.  James Hunter is director of EAP.  Topic: “reflective spaces.”

ACTION ITEM – Deb Ward: The Library Instruction Committee drafted a revision to the MU Libraries Mission Statement that included a mention of instruction in the text of the mission.  The full text would read:

In support of the instruction, research, service and economic development programs of the University, the MU Libraries acquire, preserve, make accessible and provide instruction on scholarly resources; develop innovative services; and apply new information technologies to achieve a single overarching purpose: To serve the needs of our users.

RESOLUTION:  LMT accepted the inserted text and instructed Mark Ellis to work with Shannon Cary to change the statement on the MU Library website.

INFORMATION ITEM:  LMT and Library Fiscal Officer Ellen Blair further considered and discussed budget scenarios for the next 3 Fiscal years.  This is in preparation for the upcoming meeting that Jim and Ellen will be having with Provost Foster and his budget staff on November 30, 2010.

INFORMATION ITEM:  Open Access Week  – Ann Riley reminded LMT of the Open Access events:

Open Access University Repositories, Paul Thirion, Tuesday, October 19^th, 2 pm – RJI 100

Open Access Textbook Solutions, Eric Frank, Thursday, October 21^st, 2 pm – Jesse Wrench Aud.

Jim Cogswell announced that, in honor of Open Access Week, he has been invited to Faculty Council by Chair Leona Rubin to discuss Open Access with Faculty Council members.  The meeting will take place Thursday, October 21^st, around 4 pm.

DISCUSSION ITEM:  LMT discussed formation and charge of an Ellis Library Space Planning Committee; more information and Announcements to follow.

DISCUSSION ITEM:  LMT discussed the formation and charge of a library Assessment committee; more information and Announcements to follow.

Present: Jim Cogswell, Mike Holland, Ann Riley, Deb Ward

Guest: Kate Anderson

Support: Mark Ellis

INFORMATION ITEM:  LMT discussed the Mizzou Advantage All-staff Open Meeting which was scheduled for the following day, May 19^th, 1-2:30 pm.  Kate Anderson, the Mizzou Advantage Libraries Liaison will facilitate the meeting.  She had distributed a draft agenda for the open meeting and a PowerPoint to LMT members prior to the meeting.

INFORMATION ITEM: LMT decided to expand the Donor/Honoree Index in MERLIN to include individual book donations, material bought by endowment and any material for which a bookplate (physical or electronic) would be attached.

• The decision will impact indexing from this point forward.
  • Retro indexing will only be considered for special circumstances.
  • Progress will be monitored and the subject will be revisited if the practice becomes a significant burden or time factor.

ACTION ITEM: Ann will draft an introduction to the Donor/Honoree Index that will outline what material will be included.  She will send a draft to LMT and to Gena Scott, MU Libraries Director of Development.

INFORMATION ITEM: LMT was pleased to notice that in the recently distributed initial budget allotment for FY2011, the MU Libraries Acquisitions budget was not reduced.

ACTION ITEM: Jim Cogswell will write and send a note to the Provost thanking him for the preservation of the Acquisitions budget.  He will copy the note to the Library Committee.

• INFORMATION ITEM:  LMT is looking into planning a program for Open Access Week, October 18-24, 2010.
• INFORMATION ITEM: LMT felt the Library Planning Meeting was very useful and gives a lot of material for them to take into the LMT retreat in July.
  • ACTION ITEM: Mark Ellis will post to the staff web page this week:
    • Jim’s Power Point that he used during the meeting.
    • Notes by IMLS students
    • Transcribed list of items written on index cards during the “Library of Excellence” exercise.
    • Notification to staff will be sent by all staff email and news notes.
  • ACTION ITEM: Further suggestions and comments will be requested with notification that the meeting material was posted.
    • Library staff will be invited to comment by email or by using the anonymous suggestion form linked from the library staff Web page.
• ACTION ITEM: Mark Ellis will work with Jim Cogswell to compile past “top ten” lists as an ongoing record of library wide accomplishments and related events.
• INFORMATION ITEM: MOBIUS Executive Council approved charging for services and products provided for a single institutions or cluster.  Implications for MU Libraries are still being identified.
• INFORMATION ITEM: Even though MOspace has been promoted by announcements and in the press, LMT and other Library employees continue to find many opportunities to promote and explain what it is and how it can be of service to individuals and organizations associated with MU.
  • Promotion of this service will need to be considered an on-going task.