September 23, 1998
The meeting was convened
by Dr. Robert (Bud) Fischer, Chair, at 4:00 p.m. in the Dean's Conference
Room of Booth Library.
I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
None.
II. COMMUNICATIONS
a. Introduction of Members
Dr. Fischer welcomed everyone to the meeting. The group introduced themselves
around the room. Dr. Fischer mentioned that Fern Kory, Scott Crawford,
and Joyce Higgins have all resigned from LAB due to scheduling conflicts;
he has asked Student Government to name representatives but no names have
come forward.
b. Dr. Fischer asked if anyone
had any communications; he had heard from several people, including students,
about the problems of slow access to the computer system in the library.
Dr. Lanham reported on the upgrades by Information Technology Services
to the campus infrastructure and the changes brought about by the migration
of ILLINET Online to DRA. He said Booth�s computer response time suffers
because of our Internet connection. He has been assured by Info Tech Services
that this problem will soon be under control. Dr. Key asked about access
to new books; Dr. Lanham replied that ILSCO libraries stopped putting catalog
information on newly-arrived books/materials during the IO transition;
within days this will be fixed and all materials will be in the catalog.
III. NEW BUSINESS
a. Funding Dr. Fischer
noted the Collection Development Policy handout. He spoke of LAB�s role
in advising how funding is allocated.
b. Role of Library Advisory
Board Chair Fischer spoke of the role of LAB as stated in the bylaws;
some earlier conversations with Dr. Lankford Walker have prompted Dr. Fischer
to ask that LAB revisit its Purpose and perhaps revise it.
c. Library Move This
item was to be included in the Dean�s Report.
d. Dean�s Report Dr.
Lanham welcomed everyone to the Board; four handouts were distributed:
(1) the Library Services Organizational Chart; (2) Library Services Faculty
and Staff Directory; (3) Subject Librarian List; and (4) Departmental Library
Coordinator List. The Departmental Library Coordinators and Subject Librarians
shepherd issues for each discipline and provide effective links between
the library and academic departments.
*Human Resources issues
since last meeting included the retirement of one faculty and two civil
service members, and the resignation of one faculty and two civil service
members. Now vacant are 3.5 faculty positions and two civil service positions.
Plans to fill the positions but are hampered by accrued leave/sick leave
payout sums to retirees and people who resigned.
*Budgetary issues
were discussed; Dr. Lanham explained the Book and Materials Budget handout.
Booth Library received a 10% increase to the book and materials budget
for FY99, adding $99,200. The handout presented all the current allocations
for each discipline fund. Three adjustment categories recommended by the
Collection Development Committee were noted: (1) across the board increases
of 8.61% ($80,700) for all funds except Library Fellows, (2) binding increase
of $7,500 due to the expiration of the contract with one vendor and the
lowest bid from another firm, and (3) the establishment of a new fund account
of $11,000 for interdisciplinary electronic journals.
Discussion ensued on the
new account for electronic journals, specifically how IDEAL (Academic Press)
and MUSE (Johns Hopkins University Press) print titles were paid for by
each discipline�s fund account versus how the electronic subscriptions
are billed. The Acquisitions Department needed a better way to account
for the details of these products and therefore requested the Collection
Development Committee to consider a separate account. In order to keep
sufficient funds in the account to pay for the electronic product, the
various discipline accounts were relieved of the responsibility of paying
for the print titles, and the funds allocated for those titles were moved
into the new account. Subscriptions of both print and electonic formats
are paid from the new account. Fifteen fund accounts were billed a total
of $24,300 that they had been using to pay for print titles covered in
IDEAL. Additional funds were needed, and $11,000 of new FY99 monies were
placed in the account.
Dr. Comerford was concerned
that in the future electronic journal choices would change and that departments
may not get their funds returned. Dr. Lanham stated that Acquisitions knows
from where the funds were collected and would later know where to return
the funds if IDEAL and MUSE were canceled. Dr. Comerford asked if it was
time to revise the accounting system to reflect hard copies and electronic
ones or have academic departments provide input in the purchase of electronic
journals. Dr. Lanham stated that it might be easier to have one journal
account rather than the 35 that we currently use. The dean said that perhaps
the LAB needs to have a new mental picture concerning electronic journals;
it is now a more cooperative venture than was the case with print titles.
Karen Whisler spoke about
the merits of electronic journal products for libraries such as Booth.
Dr. Benedict asked if the library had a tracking system for journal use.
Lanham replied it depended on the electronic vendor for each product, but
we have a reasonable system for print titles and for some of the electronic
products.
Dr. Fischer requested the
FY98 book and materials budget sheets and also the change in journal prices
from one year to the next for each discipline. Karen Whisler stated that
the latter was too time consuming to have quickly. Dean Lanham said the
national data covered no specific library and was therefore previously
dismissed by faculty members studying the issue. Dr. Fischer stated the
budget needed to have a little play in it to account for journal price
increases. The dean mentioned a national movement entitled SPARC (Scholarly
Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition), a catalyst for change through
the creation of a more competitive marketplace for research information
which could eventually bring about more reasonable prices for academic
journals.
Dr. Fischer wishes to revisit
the budget at the next meeting.
*Planning Dean Lanham
informed the group that the Booth renovation project is currently $1 million
over budget. During the past year, he and others have worked with the architects.
Now we need to balance the budget to proceed. He showed preliminary sketches
to the LAB and noted the new South entrance and central Atrium; the design
is still tentative. Our desire is to open up the library to lots of light
and to be able to see all the levels to the north and the south from the
middle of the building. The temporary housing quarters for the library
are less well-known at this time. We plan to continue to provide services
for the two years during renovation; five or six different locations on
and off campus are being considered for our temporary home. More than one-half
the collection will be held off-campus with a system of closed stacks and
a 2-3 hour retrieval time. Student and study spaces will be diminished.
We will vacate the building the end of May 1999 after graduation and return
the summer of 2001. Ted Weidner spoke of the architects having 2-3 months�
additional design time beyond our moving out. It could be more than a year
from now until the renovation begins. Karen Ketler asked about disruption
of nearby classes; could we prepare the students? Weidner noted that the
newspaper has been positive about EIU�s changes.
*DRA Opportunities and
Requirements Better patron services are being offered by our new catalog.
With social security number and PIN, items can be checked out, overdues
can be noted and renewals can be made. Required changes are minor; some
loan periods, for instance, have changed. These changes will be submitted
to President�s Council for approval.
*Media Services Equipment
Policy has been adopted with no further changes since May 1998; it
was reviewed again by the Council of Deans at the Provost�s request.
*The Panther Card
has presented challenging questions and opportunities for the library.
Patrons can add money to their cards at the Library, use them in the copy
machines and on all microform reader printers (installation is now in progress),
pay small fines with them, and purchase laser print cards in the SMC. Earlier,
the dean spearheaded an effort to get a bar code on the card but was denied.
To use the Panther Cards in other libraries, use your SS number.
*Performance of the Internet
on campus has already been discussed.
There were no further questions.
It was agreed to meet again on 10/14/98 at 4 pm in the Dean�s Conference
Room.
Dr. Fischer requested copies
of the Media Services Equipment Policy and the FY98 Book and Materials
budget fund allocations. The role of LAB will be discussed and funding
issues will again be on the agenda next month.
The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
Ellen Shupe, Recording Secretary