MINUTES OF THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD

February 28, 2007

 

Dr. Chris Mitchell, Chair, convened the meeting at 4:05 p.m., in Dean�s Conference Room, 4515.

 

Present:Mary Claire Browne, Terri Fredrick, Linda Ghent, Sam Guccione, Peggy Holmes Layman, Karla Kennedy-Hagen, Chris Mitchell, Frances Murphy, Tom Nelson, Brent Walker and Dean Lanham

 

Not Present:Jose Deustua, Ann Fritz, Linda Loy, and Marina Marjanovic

 

I.Welcome and Comments

The minutes from the January 24, 2007 meeting were approved as submitted.

 

II.Communications

Communications were received from Monty Bennett, Jose R. Deustua and Ann Fritz regarding their inability to attend today�s meeting. ��

 

III. Old Business

A book for the One Book, One University program needs to be chosen for implementation in 2008.Dr. Lanham informed the Board about a new program on campus called �Eastern Reads!� which is a program designed to create a shared experience for the incoming freshman students, while introducing them to the academic expectations of college.  All incoming students will be given a copy of the book when they come to campus in the spring or summer for orientation.  When they arrive on campus in the fall, they will participate in book discussion groups led by faculty members before the start of classes. This group has chosen the book, �A Hope in the Unseen� by Ron Suskind to launch the program.Upon approval from the Board of Trustees, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Student Affairs plan to underwrite the costs for these books.The program will have help from 65 faculty/staff/administrators who will lead reading circles.In addition, it is planned that the book will be incorporated into the University Foundations courses and, hopefully, English courses.Also, activities revolving around the book will be held during Parents Weekend.This particular book has been used by other campuses with success and Eastern Illinois University is hoping to achieve the same results.

 

Dr. Lanham suggested that this program would hopefully provide a larger audience for future One Book, One University programs.An option is to tie the One Book, One University book into the �Great Beginnings� theme.

 

IV. New Business

 

Dean�s Report

Welcome

A presentation was made by Dean Lanham and Nackil Sung, Head of Library Technology Services about the Art & Architecture in Illinois Libraries grant.The grant was an LSTA grant from the Illinois State Library, using federal monies that are available to libraries and museums.It is a very competitive grant process in which the library has to justify the project need and come up with a sound plan to address that need.The purpose of the Art & Architecture grant was to develop an online database showing the resources of art and architecture in Illinois academic and public libraries.Two teams, consisting of three to four persons, spent this past summer traveling and collecting information from over 600 libraries, amassing over 14,000 photographic images.In addition, a traveling exhibition was prepared to share some of the images and information collected, and this exhibit is being hosted by 65 libraries around the state during 2007.The hosting libraries were given the freedom to plan their own programming around the theme of the exhibit, perhaps using local artists or other events in the community to promote the exhibit and the theme of art and architecture in Illinois.In addition, funds were given to the hosting libraries to assist in this endeavor.Dean Lanham showed the Board samples of the exhibit panels, as well as the accompanying book which was prepared showing art and architectural terms with accompanying pictures taken from the various hosting libraries.Dr. Lanham estimates that approximately 250 additional libraries need to be visited and it is expected that another grant will be applied for and received by spring 2008 to complete this part of the project.Nackil Sung showed the online website for this project with samples of how the database will be accessed and viewed when completed.This grant has been featured at the Illinois Library Association and the American Library Association annual conferences and has been considered one of the best LSTA projects of 2007.This is a good avenue to increase awareness to libraries and cities around the state of what is happening at Eastern Illinois University. It has the added benefit of encouraging people to take a look at our University, which could have an impact on future student enrollment.

 

This project has propelled the postcard collection at Booth Library, increasing the size from 1000 to 4000.Dean Lanham has recently submitted a grant to digitize the postcard collection.

 

Service Issues

A draft of the 2007-2008 library calendar was reviewed.After review, the Board was asked to let the Administration office know of any additions or corrections before the next meeting of the Board in April.��

 

The traveling exhibit, Farm Life: A Century of Change for Farm Families and Their Neighbors: NEH on the Road, while not promoted on the grand scale of the Frankenstein and Elizabeth exhibits, it has been felt this exhibit was a success and is in its final week of activities, ending March 10, 2007.

 

Dr. Lanham advised the Board that he received a notice from the Graduate Student Council asking the Circulation Policy Committee to revisit the Circulation Policy with regard to the length of time graduate students may check out books.Currently, they have the same checkout period as undergraduates-a period of four weeks.Faculty has 16 weeks, and graduate students want eight weeks.

 

Collections Issues

Six Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) grant proposals have been submitted for:Popular Expressions of the Arts; Indigenous Populations; Impact of Technology on Higher Education; Music Education: Jazz; Health Sciences: Nursing, Special Education; and Communication Disorders.If all of these grants are funded it would mean $20,000 to $25,000 of new monies to increase our collection. This is just another way Booth Library seeks to enhance the available appropriated budget for collection development.

 

Planning Issues

Booth Library�s Planning Goals and Objectives for FY09 were distributed.Dean Lanham advised that these goals are the same as last year due to the fact that Eastern will have a new president during fiscal year 2009, and it is expected that the new president may have a different planning goal for the University.

 

The Library Periodical and Standing Order Review process has begun. On February 4, 2007, the periodical list was provided to the Departmental Library Coordinators for review and comment.This process will end the first week of March.Dr. Lanham stressed that the Library is not just canceling journals; this process is just a scholarly review of journal lists for each department to decide which journals they wish to continue receiving.The Acquisition Services department will post the list of journals being cancelled on the Library�s website in case another department wishes to pick up the cost of maintaining a particular journal, or, perhaps joining with another department and sharing the cost to continue the subscription.

 

Other

Dean Lanham invited Board members to attend the library day rally in Springfield, on April 19, 2007.

 

At the next meeting, Ann Brownson, Reference Librarian who oversees the Ballenger Teachers Center, will make a presentation to the Board.Our next meeting date is April 4, 2007.

 

V. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted by:

Christine Derrickson, Recording Secretary