The meeting was convened by Dr. Alan Grant, chair, at 4:00 p.m. in the McAfee Tower Conference Room.
 

Present:  Melanie Burns, Mahmood Butt, Steve Davis, Alan Grant, Richard Jacques, Newton Key, Allen Lanham, Marilyn Lisowski, Peter Loewen, Matthew Monippallil, Charles Phillips

Excused: Rosemary Buck

Absent:  Jeff Stowell, John Weber
 

I. Approval of Minutes

 The minutes of the October 18, 2000 meeting were approved.

II. Communications

A. Communication was received by Dr. Grant from Rosemary Buck notifying him of her inability to attend the     November 18 meeting.

B. Faculty Senate Appointments
Dr. Grant received official notice from the Faculty Senate appointing Marylin Lisowski to the LAB.  The report indicated that the Faculty Senate had completed their appointments to the board; however, there still remains a vacant alternate position for the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences.  Dr. Grant communicated this to the Faculty Senate and is awaiting reply.

III. Old Business
 

A. Book Drop Off and Pick Up
Dr. Grant asked about the possibility of providing a service for collecting library items to be returned to the library in a similar fashion as the existing service that has library personnel delivering materials across campus. If the service wasn�t feasible, he had another suggestion to add more drop boxes at the south end of campus. Dr. Lanham had discussed this issue at the Library Faculty meeting prior to the LAB meeting.  Although the library faculty can appreciate the obstacle course all the construction has provided for the faculty housed on the south end of campus, the library�s concern with providing a service like this is with the difficulty of terminating such a service once the construction is complete.  The current delivery service has been successful because the secretaries sign for the deliveries.  No materials are ever left without being received by someone.  Once materials are requested, they are charged to the faculty member.   To have the same scenario work in reverse, the secretaries would have to document what items were returned to the courier and this becomes a logistical nightmare.  The library faculty also wanted to remind everyone that using the circle drive area on the west side of McAfee to access the drop box located at the southwest corner of McAfee is a convenient way of returning books.   Another suggestion from the library faculty was the use of graduate assistants or student workers from their departmental offices to return the materials to the library.

Although the drop boxes would be a solution to the inconvenience of returning books, they are primarily provided for the return of books after hours.  The drop boxes are provided even though they have been proven to be contrary to the preservation of library materials. Drop boxes are helpful, however, in retrieving books from students who are leaving campus and realize they have a library book they failed to return. Typically, the drop boxes are used most heavily at the conclusion of the semesters.  Dean Lanham suggested for any extenuating circumstance, professors can call the dean�s office (6061), and someone from the library would be sent to retrieve the materials. The return of library materials is the obligation of the loaner regardless of the method in which the library materials have been returned.  Materials checked out from the Media collections are retrieved by Media Services due to the increased likelihood of the materials being damaged in the drop box. A drop box has been provided in the renovated library.

IV. New Business
 

A. Spring LAB Meetings
The spring meetings for the Library Advisory Board will be on February 21, March 21 and April 18.
Dr. Grant requested committee members wanting an item on the agenda for a LAB meeting send the request to him either by campus mail, e-mail or by calling him prior to the meeting.

B. Dean�s Report

1. Human Resources Issues
Lori Tolppanen has been hired as a temporary reference librarian and archival assistant.  She began her duties on October 16.  She spends 20 hours per week at the Reference Desk, with the remainder of her time being dedicated to University Archives.  This is a temporary appointment for a faculty member (Pamela Waldrep) who is currently on leave.

Interviews were conducted during the week of November 13 for the reference librarian position vacated when Virginia Baldwin left to go to the University of Nebraska as head of their engineering library.  This position will also serve as the science bibliographer.  The candidate selected is expected to begin on January 2.

2. Budgetary Issues
FY02 Student Technology Fee Proposals
The library presented three proposals totaling $171,000 for funding through the FY02 Student Technology Fee.  Funding for two in-house projects for the new building have been requested.  The first is for the 54-computer bay which will reside near the Reference Desk at the north end of Booth Library; and the second is for the 25-computer training facility which will reside on the 4000 level of the renovated library.  The library�s requests are justified and are crucial in terms of the success of the new library.  It is hoped the new library will be a state-of-the-art, highly technological facility.  The third proposal was from Media Services for computer carts used to convert poorly fitted classrooms into technologically useful teaching sites.  The carts are utilized a great deal, and would be a significant addition to enhance the services provided by Media Services to students and faculty.

Dean Lanham received the FY02 Student Technology Fee list of proposals from across campus totaling nearly $760,000.  The amount of student fee money available for distribution is approximately $250,000.  The library has no representation on the subcommittee for ATAC responsible for recommending the funding of these requests to ATAC.

FY01 Book and Materials budget
The FY01 Book and Materials budget was revisited.  Dean Lanham asked for the board to accept the budget or to provide suggestions for modification to the budget.  Before the meeting concluded, a vote was taken and the FY01 Book and Materials Budget was unanimously endorsed by the board.

3. Planning
Dean Lanham visited the renovated library prior to the board meeting.  The construction of the new addition located on the south end of Booth has begun.  It appears the new addition will be enclosed before winter. The walkway on the west side has been poured and is raised to the level of the existing building.

The interior design team from Holabird and Root is coming Monday, November 20 to meet with several of the library�s unit heads regarding furnishings for the renovated building. They will return in December to conclude the meetings. Dr. Butt raised concerns about whether the furniture contract was under the control of the contractor, or whether the library has any control over the type of furniture to be purchased. Dean Lanham explained that the interior design contract was awarded to the same architectural company responsible for the renovation. Dr. Butt also felt money could be saved if personnel from EIU handled the furniture choice rather than paying for an interior design team.  In addition, Dr. Butt felt interior designers sometimes are more concerned with how something looks rather than how it relates to a function.   Dr. Lanham agreed with the need to make sure the choices are functional and fit well with the library�s mission.

During the renovation on the west side, the 1968 time capsule was unearthed.  Plans are to unite the 1968 time capsule with the one from 1950 era.  A ceremony will be planned for the replanting of the time capsules when the cornerstone for the 2001 addition is placed.

Homecoming 2001
The library faculty and staff are considering doing a float or some kind of activity in the homecoming parade next fall.  The activity is being planned as a way to thank the faculty, staff, and alumni for their understanding during our renovation and to thank the citizens of Illinois for the taxes that helped to pay for the renovation.

Technology Enhanced and Delivered Education
Dean Lanham is a member of the Technology Enhanced and Delivered Education (TEDE) committee which concerns an initiative the IBHE requested of Dr. Surles.  President Surles charged the Dean�s Council with the responsibility of developing a plan and later appointed a steering committee for the project.  The $500,000 earmarked for this project is to support the technological enhancements of our regular courses here at EIU or those offered through distance learning formats. Announcements regarding a series of grant opportunities for faculty will be forthcoming around the end of the month and are expected to support faculty members who want to develop better skills as they approach delivery of courses in different formats.  Dean Lanham along with Bill Gibbs and Steve McCann are currently working on a model to be proposed to the committee regarding the administrative structure that will support TEDE.

4. Other
Dean Lanham sent a memorandum to Dr. Barbara Lawrence, Chair of the Council on Faculty Research requesting a new seat on the council representing the areas of information and technology.   The council currently is represented by subject area�and not departments�and does not have representation for information/technology.

Booth Library Standing Committee rosters for FY01 were shared with the board.  A Grants Development Committee, chaired by Dr. Gibbs, is a new committee whose charge is to enhance financial opportunities in the form of grants for initiatives important to Library Services. The Public Services Committee, a long-standing committee in the library, was terminated because the issues typically handled by this committee overlap those issues being brought to the attention of the Library Services Council.

 Adjournment
 

Meeting adjourned at 4:52 p.m.

Next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 21 at 4:00 p.m. in the Tower Conference Room.

Peggy Manley, Acting Recording Secretary