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Governance Minutes ArchiveMarch 7, 1990
These minutes were approved as submitted at the ULC meeting on April 4, 1990. UNIVERSITY LIBRARY COMMITTEE MINUTES March 7, 1990 PRESENT: Sharon Brusic, GSA Michael Vorster, Engineering Norman Dodl, Education Jane Wentworth, Human Resources J. D. Duke, Faculty Senate David West, Arts and Science Paul Gherman, Library Roderick Young, Agr. & Life Sci. Arthur Keown, Business GUESTS: Bela Foltin, Library Linda Richardson, Library Frances Painter, Library ABSENT: John Bowen, Vet Medicine Michael Kainer, SGA E. Carson, Provost Representative J. Scott Poole, Architecture MEETING SUMMARY: The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. Minutes of the February 7, 1990, meeting were approved as submitted. Issues pertaining to library budget, the ULC resolution on branch libraries, GSA Resolution 90 - 1, and circulation policy to faculty were discussed. A motion to endorse GSA Resolution 90-1 was tabled until the April 4 meeting of the ULC. REPORTS I. LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENTS (PMG): A. Budget P. Gherman reported to the committee on the library's 3, 5, and 7% reversion plans which were submitted to Dr. Heterick. B. Resolution on Branch Libraries The ULC Resolution on Branch Libraries was brought up for a vote in University Council on February 26. It was not voted on, but returned to the University Library Committee for clarification. The Committee is to clarify whether the resolution supports additional branch libraries if funds were made available, or whether the philosophy is to have a centralized library system and additional branch libraries are not wanted. The request from the University Council will be on the agenda for the next meeting. NEW BUSINESS I. GSA RESOLUTION (S. Brusic): Resolution 90 - 1, approved by the Delegate Assembly of the Graduate Student Assembly, was presented to the University Library Committee, and the motion made and seconded that it be endorsed by the Committee. The resolution calls for an off-site book drop depository to be installed in the Perry Street commuter lot or near the curb by the library plaza, and for 3 or 4 ten-minute parking spaces to be designated next to the library plaza. P. Gherman responded that the library recognizes the problem and for the past year and a half has been asking the Parking Committee to create short-term term parking space. That was finally done during the past two weeks, and there are 10-minute spaces designated. The spaces are located at the end of the block in front of the bus stop area. On the issue of unmanned drop-off sites, the library staff members present expressed that these have been tried in the past and are very subject to vandalism. When full, books are left stacked outside the box and are thus subject to theft and damage due to weather. At present, books may be returned to any of the 3 campus branches, in Vet Med, Derring, and Cowgill Halls, even if the books were checked out at Newman. There was discussion of a possible alternative of manned book-drop sites. This would incur additional expense. The ULC can endorse or fail to endorse the request for off-site drop boxes. In either event, the Resolution will be passed on to the library administration. It is unlikely that the library will approve off-site drop boxes. However, the suggestion of additional manned drop-off sites deserves further study and cost analysis. The Committee consensus was that since the short-term parking has already been established most of the problem has been alleviated. The motion to endorse the resolution was tabled until the next meeting, when information will be provided by the library on the feasibility of manned drop-off sites. II. REVIEW OF FACULTY CIRCULATION POLICIES (J. Duke): A straw poll was taken in the Faculty Senate to see how many favored a policy which would allow the library to release the name of the faculty member who had a needed book checked out. The poll was heavily in favor of the idea. It would work on the basis of written consent by a faculty member that his/her name could be released. The Senate asked that Dr. Duke present the idea to the Committee. In the discussion which followed some committee members opposed the idea on the principles of confidentiality, civil liberties, and privacy rights, which libraries have traditionally upheld. If done on the suggested basis of an individual faculty member waiving privacy rights, several management problems remain. A new field would need to be added in the computer program to flag the patron record. Verification of the identity as a faculty member for persons seeking access to circulation records could also pose problems. A case in point occurred in Texas when the State's Bureau of Investigation asked for the circulation records showing all long-term delinquent faculty. The library there successfully denied access to these records. Complete waivers to privacy by some faculty and no waivers from others poses major problems in such a case. Under present library policy, if a book is recalled, it is supposed to be returned within 14 days. There is no penalty for non-compliance. Two years ago, the committee discussed a similar issue. A study showed 10% of the faculty population had overdue books. The library felt there were actions that could be taken (such as notifying department heads about faculty who were uncooperative in honoring library policy), rather than imposing fines. P. Gherman stated that an impending new release of VTLS is going to precipitate a number of changes in the circulation and fines policy. The library requests that review of these changes be an agenda item for the next meeting, and perhaps the whole circulation system might be discussed at that time. The Committee agreed to table the discussion until the next meeting. III. PROGRESS REPORT ON SERIALS (B. Foltin): B. Foltin distributed handouts concerning: 1988-89 ARL Statistics showing median rankings of ARL libraries, VPI's rankings in ARL statistics, and a listing of one week's current periodicals reshelving statistics for a sample of three call-number categories. The library is tracking every use of current periodicals from now until the end of the semester to obtain better information on periodicals use. The handout represents only three pages from the lengthy report being generated each week until the end of the semester. Although the ULC acknowledged a lack of precision which is associated with the methodology being used, members of the committee were generally pleased that some information was now being collected. The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m. The next meeting will be on April 4.
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