MINUTES OF THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD

March 10, 2004

The meeting was convened by Dr. Chris Hanlon, Chair, at 4:02 p.m. in the Library Conference Room.

Present: Kathryn Bulver, Harrison Green, Chris Hanlon, Olivet Jagusah, Scott Meiners, Frances Murphy, Charles Phillips, Leslie Rios, and Dawn Van Gunten

Excused: Olaf Hoerschelmann, Stacey Ruholl, Mukti Upadhyay, and Eric Hake

Absent: Steve Davis, Tom Moncada, and John Stimac

I. Welcome and Comments

Chris Hanlon reminded the board that the next and last meeting of the semester is April 28.

The minutes from the February 11, 2004 meeting were approved as submitted.

II. Communications

Communications were received from Olaf Hoerschelmann, Stacey Ruholl, Mukti Upadhyay and Eric Hake regarding their inability to attend today’s meeting. Chris Hanlon received communication from John Stimac that he would be late.

III. Old Business

One Book/One University Ideas. Chris Hanlon distributed a handout listing the proposed titles in rank order that the Board had recommended at the last meeting. Allen Lanham advised that we could obtain any of these books for under ten dollars. Dean Lanham had also spoken at the Faculty Senate Forum about this topic in general. Each faculty member there had their own favorite book. It was suggested that we look at a topic rather than one specific book. However, they were quite supportive of this project. The process of choosing one title will include the Library Advisory Board, library faculty, Dean and Provost.

A motion was made by Scott Meiners and seconded by Olivet Jagushah to discuss and recommend three titles from this list of five. The discussion ensued about getting students interested in and reading classics and the difficulty of getting students to read outside the required coursework. All five titles were discussed: Guns, Germs and Steel; Invisible Man; Nickel and Dimed; Reading Lolita in Tehran; and Walden. Kathryn Bulver moved that we recommend three acceptable titles: Reading Lolita in Tehran: a Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously by the Board.

Book and Materials Budget. The desirability of a resolution for presentation to the campus administration was discussed. Chris Hanlon suggested a subcommittee be formed, consisting of two persons to design language for the resolution (or statement of concern). Harrison Green and Olivet Jagushah agreed to be the subcommittee.

IV. New Business

Other

• Chris Hanlon reminded the board that at our next meeting it would be time to elect the chair and vice chair of the Board for 2004-2005. Nominations can be e-mailed to the current chair, Chris Hanlon, by April 21, one week prior to the last meeting when elections will be held. He reminded the members that only continuing members presently serving on the Board and alternates who will be members the following year can be nominated.

Dean’s Report

Personnel Issues

• There are still five staff vacant positions. Departments are sharing personnel to keep work moving in the building. The library is planning to hire an annually contracted librarian for a night and weekend position.
  
  
• Civil service classifications used in libraries are being reviewed statewide and will probably result in change for the entire library series. Dean Lanham is on the committee working with the state office on this matter.

Service Issues

• Regarding electronic resources, Lanham discussed financial difficulties in subscribing to e-resources. The library is suffering due to the financial restraints statewide.

Planning Issues

• FY2005 Library calendar draft: Regarding the status of the draft Booth Library calendar for July 2004 through June 2005, Dean Lanham advised that no changes had been received. He mentioned that the President had forwarded a student request that the library stay open until 1:00 am, but the library has no means to hire additional staff. The library faculty and staff have reviewed the document.
  
  
• Elizabeth I Exhibit program activities: The library has more than twenty activities scheduled during the Elizabeth I exhibit. The opening reception on March 4 was attended by 250 people. Dean Lanham named several events happening in the upcoming week and noted that the activities have been well attended and well received thus far. He extended an offer to have extra programs delivered to board members who wanted to distribute them in their classes and asked that the Board members discuss these activities with their students.
  
• PIE Grant op for FY2005: CATS has announced a new process for grants. Booth Library will participate in an area grant to include honors, graduate school, continuing education, academic affairs and the library. The group will share a grant proposal of $30,000 per year for the next three years.
  
  
• Planning cycle FY2006: Dean Lanham handed out the library’s 2006 PC Planning Initiative Worksheet showing the library’s objectives for that fiscal year. The library is asking money for collections and technology, and a release of funds for civil service positions (graphic design and preservation).

Other

• During Legislative Days, 85 people from Eastern, include Booth Library faculty, went to Springfield. On April 21, librarians will again go to the capital to talk to senators and representatives to discuss legislation important to libraries. Dean Lanham invited Board members to join the librarians in Springfield.
  
  
• On March 19 Dean Lanham will be in Paris to meet with the governor’s staff about a children’s book project with the Dollywood Foundation. There are no new dollars for libraries but the governor hopes to spend $26 million for children’s books to be delivered to their homes versus having those children brought to libraries.
  
  
• Dean Lanham expressed his thanks for the Board agreeing to change the meeting date from March 24 to March 10. He has a conflict as he is a mentor for the Illinois State Library SYNGERY group, an institute for tomorrow’s library leaders.

V. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 4:56 pm.

Respectfully submitted by:

Christine Derrickson, Recording Secretary