Attending:  Kate Anderson, Jack Batterson, Rachel Brekhus, Laura Buck(chair), Jim Cogswell, Deb Ward, June DeWeese, Anselm Huelsbergen, Libby Myre, Ashley Nelson and Ann Riley

Kate Anderson gave an update on what is happening with Mizzou Advantage.

• There are now 4 areas instead of 5 with a focus on collaborative networks
• Instead of the more formal proposals there are currently lightning round pitches for $25,000 in funds.
• Recently funded proposals are the Science Communication Network for speakers and faculty training.  Digital Humanities received funding for graduate students,
• Mizzou Advantage has also provided funds for the hiring of Chris Elsik in Animal Sciences.
• Provided partial funding for a position of Historian of Modern Life Science.  Rest of funding provided from various departments.
• Undergrad research teams
• Digital storytelling major almost approved (teaching classes)
• New courses and certificates have been developed
• In March, there will be a Symposium on “Zoobiquity” (a layperson’s book on the impact of animal health on humans)
• June asked if there was someone responsible for getting library-related events to Shannon and asked for more heads-up for staff on events of possible interest.
  • Concerns that branch library events aren’t publicized  as well under the current system
  • Rachel mentioned it would be helpful to have separate ways to promote mainly externally-focused events and events that might have more internal-interest
  • Agreement on trying to better publicize events.

• Anne Barker has done a lot with digital humanities. The last symposium this year will be Dec 11^th, and then they will continue in the spring.
  • From a shared handout: “The digital Humanities Initiative is an interdisciplinary community of MU faculty, staff, and students interested in exploring and developing the ‘digital humanities,’ broadly construed as the intersection of humanities disciplines and computing. To join the exploration and hear of upcoming events, please join our discussion list: dighumanities-l. Send an email to listserv@po.missouri.edu with the text: subscribe dighumanities-l <your name>.”
• Mizzou Advantage has boosted the library’s profile by hosting seminars & exhibits in the library i.e. the exhibit Alla currently has in the Colonnade.
• Has provided funding for librarians to go to conferences
• The funding opportunities for development will be more widely publicized, including examples of past awards.

Director’s Announcements:

• Thank you to everyone for their “patience and fortitude” over Monday’s closure. Jim expressed his “sincere appreciation” to all staff that helped make this possible and hoped there was minimum disruption for staff. The lights are still out in parts of Ellis, including  Gov. Docs.
• The library will house a Martin Luther King, Jr. maquette (a model used to make the sculpture) of the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue on the main mall in D.C. It will be housed in the West-end of the atrium. That space will also be used by the Chancellor’s office to advertise diversity initiative events. The maquette was donated by Ty Christian, a Mizzou alum who fundraised for the sculpture in Washington D.C. There will be a more permanent base made for the maquette.
• The St. John’s Bible was here (1 of the 7 volumes). They donated a coffee table edition of the volume that visited, and Jim wants to eventually add it to the collection. The purchase of the 100^th full set for the library’s centennial is contingent on private funding.
• Development Officer search (Jim and Ron Kelley are on the search committee). One candidate Melanie Mercer has visited for an interview. There are two other candidates being considered, at least one of which will be invited to campus. Jim will solicit feedback on candidates.
• Digital Curator for Journalism – search committee met this morning, and the position is posted. As far as Jim knew, none of the $31 million gifted to the journalism school was going to the Journalism Library.
• Ann reported that the (RAIS) Associate Director for Research and Information Services search committee has met and are reviewing applications. The position will be open until filled and they are working on preliminary Skype interviews for December and hope to have campus interviews in January.
• Deb reported that the HR position has 4 candidates visiting (Nov.29^th and 30^th, and December 6^th and 7^th). Mark will email out the information about all candidates out in one email. Everyone will also later get a “dos and don’ts” email about the interviews. The candidates will give a 10-15 min talk on a topic of their choice and how it relates to higher education and libraries at their open forums. The evaluation forms will be due to Deb by Dec 10^th.

Departmental Announcements:

• June:  promoted the January 30^th Martin Luther King, Jr. event with Judge Glenda Hatchett. The 3 to midnight circulation shift will also open up, as the current person leaves on December 11^th. Ellis is having more and more videos on reserve, and the videos are heavily used.
• Libby: voiced a concern brought up to her about the lack of staff involvement in the process, meetings, etc. of ROWE (results-oriented work environment)
  • Rachel explained that the most recent meeting was for supervisors only, including for supervisors of staff, and that meeting was purposely tailored for and advertised to them. She discussed how MOREnet is in a pilot program at MU that still has aprx.1 more year to run. The MULAC ROWE committee (Rachel, Goodie, Jackie) are still in the information-gathering phase, but Rachel has been trying to share the information that is being gathered staff-wide through email. Jim agreed that information should be shared. He also said the “at the moment, there isn’t any concerted effort to move in that direction [ROWE.]” Rachel reported that questions remain as to how this would affect exempt/non-exempt staff if ever implemented. The MULAC ROWE group will not meet again until January, and Rachel was open to the idea of a staff member on this committee.
• Kate: MULAC is going to meet and look at library policy 21: recruitment and hiring of librarians and archivists
• Rachel: Government Documents are still without lights, but they have found computers to use in the meantime and are using flashlights for item retrieval.
• Ann: there will be a RDA workshop on the Amigos Network on December 11^th. Elaine Huntsucker has married and is now Elaine Nelson. Terry Austin is retiring in February, and there will be a reception for her in January.
• Laura: Vet Med has been busy moving materials to open up space and have their own recycling dumpsters now. They will look into the possibility of an open house, possibly a MULSA March one.
• Deb: gave her proposal to ITC (MU Information Technology Committee) about the e-learning librarian.  It was enthusiastically received, but there were questions about continuing funding. They will not make a decision until around spring. HSL hosted the Health Science school’s research day. At the research day, HSL shared their 1^st floor renovation plans, which currently has some funding questions.

There will be no December meeting of Library Assembly due to the holiday.