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Governance Minutes ArchiveFebruary 6, 1991
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY COMMITTEE MINUTES February 6, 1991 PRESENT: John Bowen, Vet Med Kara Goldberg, SGA Carol Burch-Brown, Provost's OfficeArthur Keown, Business Norman Dodl, Education Ken McCleary, Human Resources Holly Ferguson, CSAC J. Scott Poole, Architecture Edward Fox, Arts & Sciences Michael Vorster, Engineering Paul Gherman, Library Rod Young, Ag. & Life Sciences GUESTS: Shirley Glazener, Library Paul Metz, Library Frances Painter, Library John Straw, Library ABSENT: J. D. Stahl, Faculty Senate Karen Watson, GSA MEETING SUMMARY: The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. The January meeting minutes were approved with editorial corrections which will be incorporated in the version of the minutes sent to Faculty Senate and placed online. A motion was made and tabled to create a task force to study current computer capabilities and to investigate alternatives to existing services for accessing library holdings and services. REPORTS LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. SUSAN JUROW VISIT (P. Gherman): Management consultants were in the library in mid-January to hear staff concerns about internal library communications, decision making, goals and priorities, etc. S. Jurow felt it would be better to wait until after these management concerns had been addressed before conducting the focus groups on the library's future. She will return to campus after the consultants have reported their findings. Since the consultant's final report is not expected for a month or more, Ms. Jurow's next visit may be in late spring, but could be delayed as late as next fall. This will put back the schedule for the strategic planning effort by perhaps as much as a year. 2. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE (S. Glazener): An erosion of performance by the Libraries' Hewlett- Packard 3000, Series 950 computer has become apparent. This is most clearly demonstrated in delayed response time between the hours of 10 AM - 5 PM on most workdays. A primary bottleneck appears to be main memory, although CPU utilization is also high. Analysis of system utilization data collected over the past week is in process. It is anticipated that this will pinpoint problem performance areas. When analysis is complete, we'll take action to resolve performance problems. Experience has shown that performance of HP Precision- based architecture systems degrade suddenly when capacity is reached, rather than gradually as capacity is approached. After some discussion about the system, Ed Fox moved that the committee establish a task force to investigate alternative solutions to access to library catalog data. During discussion following the motion, members were reminded that the Self Study advocated that the relationship between VTLS, Inc. and the library be studied, a part of the study being an investigation of the suitability of VTLS for this library, as compared to other systems. Two years ago a task force was established for that purpose. The task force, which is currently in abeyance, looked at other systems via the internet, but did not make site visits. However, until our library brings up VTLS acquisitions and serials check-in modules, the reserve module, and key word searching a proper comparison of systems cannot be accomplished. It was also pointed out that the current fiscal climate makes it unlikely that a switch to another system could be made even if it were found to be desirable. The market place is volatile and changes and advances in these systems come so rapidly that further study undertaken now would be out- of-date by the time the financial situation eases. There is an interim report summarizing the task force's findings up to this point. After further discussion the committee directed that the task force's interim report be attached to the minutes for members to read before the next meeting and they then voted to table the motion on the floor until that time. 3. SERIALS REVIEW PROJECT (P. Metz): The only change from the report delivered to the committee in November is that the schedule has been put back two weeks. The departmental library representatives will receive the lists on February 22, and will have a month to respond in the initial round of reviews. Meanwhile, the library is looking at alternative solutions to ameliorate the problems caused by coming serials cancellations, such as document delivery services. These services are faster than interlibrary loan, and they take care of the copyright problem by paying royalties. They are more expensive than the copyright clearing house, which is another alternative. 4. SGA RESOLUTION (K. Goldberg): K. Goldberg presented a resolution at SGA supporting tentative library plans to institute fines for students who are in violation of the ban on food and drink in the library. At its second reading compromises were suggested and the resolution was tabled, but it will be presented again as first read at the SGA meeting on the evening of February 6, 1991. A copy of the resolution is attached, and the result of the SGA vote willbe reported next month. NEW BUSINESS 1. OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY PLANNING PAPER: PROVIDING ADEQUATE LIBRARY FACILITIES AT VIRGINIA TECH The ULC Chair asked the committee to discuss a paper which was circulated on campus too late to be formally included in the agenda. The paper is titled Providing Adequate Library Facilities at Virginia Tech: Analysis and Recommendations of the Office of University Planning, dated January 18, 1991. The ensuing discussion raised the question of whether the document represents library needs in an acceptable time frame. P. Gherman expressed a preliminary reaction that, were the library to get both the storage building and the book store building, space needs might be met for the next 10 to 20 years. It is not a perfect solution, in that the library would still be short of study and carrel space and have too much in storage, but he is pleased that the library is high on the university's priority list. However, several committee members felt that the planning document should make clear that the present book store building will be used primarily for various patron service spaces. Concern was also expressed that the ULC and the library faculty did not participate in preliminary discussions of the concept before it was announced to the general university community. In defense, C. Burch-Brown pointed out that the planning process is very complex, and that there has been an effort to be inclusive of as many people as possible in the process. Comment on the plan has been solicited, yet the proposal has already gone to Richmond. Part of the problem is that Richmond advanced by a month the timetable for submission of the plan. Committee members discussed whether it would be useful for the committee to spend time on a considered response to the plan at this time, or whether they should confine comment to an expression of concern about the planning process. It was decided that the ULC Chair should invite Wayland Winstead to meet with the committee at their next meeting. OLD BUSINESS Because of time limitations the continuing discussion of Information Systems Issues and Goals for 1991-96 was postponed until the next meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m. The next meeting will be on March 6, 1991.
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