Library Directors Council meeting 14 November 2005 2 PM in Goldberg Conference Room
Agenda 14 November 2005
- Announcements and updates (20 minutes)
- Discussion of Circulation and Access Committee and Research Services Committee agendas? (20 minutes)
- Brainstorming Council agenda for the coming months (20 minutes)
Meeting Summary
Announcements
- The Dean in Owen has expressed interest in investigating the use of compact shelving in the Management Library to free up more space for users. David was interested in what others knew about such usage. The discussion identified the need for more floor loading than may exist on the second floor of the Management Library. In other places where compact shelving is used in public use areas, the reaction has been positive with few if any problems noted. Where it's not been used, there are significant concerns about having it in public areas.
- Bill Hook will be meeting with potential contractors for the Divinity Library renovation project and for the redo of the library entrance steps and ramp.
- There was curiosity about whether we had considered volunteering for the Yahoo!, Microsoft book digitization projects; many of our peers seem to be included.
- Sharon continues her service on the Peabody committee on the Freshman Commons.
- Peabody will be holding a Library Leadership Institute this summer, July 9 13, a week long program for academic library leadership. It will be based in part on the book that Gordon Gee and Pat Breivik have written.
- During November, Peabody will be conducting a survey of users of the Library. Survey forms will be distributed during randomly selected hours and collected at the service desk. Users will be asked their Vanderbilt and departmental affiliation, and their purpose in coming to the library. Date and time will be recorded.
CAC and RSC agendas
The library directors reviewed the developing agendas for these two committees. Training for students and service were viewed as high priorities. Use of students in the libraries varies based on the complexity of the work involved and based on the perceived positive or negative views of users toward interacting with peers vs. staff/librarians.
Library Directors agenda
The group coalesced around focusing on service expectations, training, and focus. We need to look at how we provide service; we should think about saying to users, "Just tell us what you want and we'll figure out how to get it to you." We need to explore what people need down to the item level and then develop ways of providing it.