|
University Archives of Virginia Tech |
Virginia Tech
Governance Minutes ArchiveNovember 13, 1991
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY COMMITTEE MINUTES November 13, 1991 PRESENT: Norm Dodl, Education Mark Smith, Veterinary Medicine Paul Gherman, Library Cortney Vargo, GSA Gerald Luttrell, Engineering James Yardley, Business Ken McCleary, Human Resources Rod Young, Ag. & Life Sciences Martha Rose, CSAC GUESTS: Earving Blythe, Interim Vice President Buddy Litchfield, Library for Information Systems Paul Metz, Library Joanne Eustis, Library Bruce Obenhaus, Library ABSENT: Carol Burch-Brown, Provost's Office Megan Hilt, SGA Darrell Clowes, Faculty Senate J. Scott Poole, Architecture Edward Fox, Arts & Sciences MEETING SUMMARY: The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. The October minutes were approved as submitted. An item was added to the agenda pertaining to the ULC minutes as they are submitted to the University Council. The proposed policy resolution on archiving University publications was discussed and tabled until the next meeting. Guidelines on library selection and treatment of erotic/controversial material were endorsed by unanimous vote. There was preliminary discussion about the library's reporting structure within the university. ADDED AGENDA ITEM: FORWARDING OF ULC MINUTES TO UNIVERSITY COUNCIL (N. Dodl): At University Council it was requested from the floor that attachments be included when our minutes are submitted to the University Council. It does not appear that other committees and commissions presently send to the University Council attachments to their minutes. It was the consensus of ULC that unless the University Council requires the attachments as a matter of policy for all committees and commissions, we would continue to submit them without attachments. OLD BUSINESS 1. PROPOSED POLICY CONCERNING UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS (P. Metz): A draft resolution pertaining to university publications was distributed. It was moved and seconded that the policy be adopted and forwarded to the University Council. The proposal has been discussed in the library committees of some colleges, and their representatives to ULC shared the questions that had been raised by their colleagues. P. Gherman explained that there were no penalties that would be applied if the policy were not complied with; it is a way of encouraging campus units to be aware of the need and a way of requesting compliance. He suggested that the policy would be in the best interest of the departments, since the cataloged documents would become part of a national database. It is also good for the university's image, since a request to the library for a document which is unknown, leaves an impression of disorganization among university units. Discussion consensus was that the resolution be rewritten in university policy format, with a cover letter, which could then be discussed in comparison with the resolution document. A motion to table until the next meeting was passed. 2. SELECTION AND TREATMENT OF EROTIC OR CONTROVERSIAL MATERIALS IN THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES (P. Metz): Library staff believe that the library should have an explicit statement of operational policy on the selection and treatment of erotic or controversial materials, which has been reviewed and endorsed by the University Library Committee, and which would be available as an explanation of the selection and treatment practices of the library. Briefly stated, such materials will be placed in the stacks in their normal call number position. The decision to send selected materials to reserve would be made not to restrict access, but rather to protect the materials from mutilation or theft. The library does not censor what is available to any user, including minors. New parental consent signature cards have been printed (but are not yet in use) with an explanation that control of the subject matter of items checked-out by minors is the responsibility of the parent. The University Library Committee voted unanimously to endorse the erotic/controversial operational policy statement. NEW BUSINESS 1. REASSESS REPORTING STRUCTURE OF THE LIBRARY WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY (N. Dodl): The vice president of the University Senate contacted N. Dodl and indicated that the Faculty Senate would like for ULC to look again at the issue of the reporting structure of the library within the university, both in terms of the governance system and particularly in terms of where the library should report. The library currently reports to the Vice President for Information Systems, who in turn reports to the Provost and the President. The library's mission and function are seen by some as being quite different from that of the Computing Center, CNS, or the other units that report to Information Systems. Among the 119 research libraries that would be considered peer institutions, about 60% report directly to the Provost, another percentage report to a Vice Provost, and a growing percentage to a Vice President for Information Systems. From a historical perspective, it is worth noting that the library reported to John Wilson when he was provost. During that time library faculty status was changed from having the right to tenure to one of continued appointment status. Sometime after that occurred, and while V. Chachra was vice president, the library reporting structure was changed. Some library faculty members perceive that they have lost status and certain benefits in the process, vis-a-vis the teaching faculty, whose colleges report to the provost in a more normal academic structure. On the other hand, there may be benefits to being closely allied with the Computing Center. The library computer is now scheduled to be moved to the Computing Center. There is a natural alliance between the work of the Computing Center and electronic access to information, electronic publishing, etc. It was suggested that N. Dodl and perhaps one other committee member meet with the provost, and with three or four of the deans, to hear opinions from other administration sources on this issue, and then report back to ULC. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 pm. The next meeting will be on December 11, 1991.
VT History | Digital Library and Archives | Special Collections | University Archives
Send questions or comments to:
Tamara Kennelly, University Archivist
University Libraries
Virginia Tech
P.O. Box 90001
Blacksburg, VA, 24062-9001URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/minutes/ulc/1991/November+13++1991.html
Last modified on: Tuesday, 25-Sep-2001 13:57:52 EDT