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Virginia Tech
Governance Minutes ArchiveMarch 18, 1992
These minutes were approved as submitted at the ULC meeting on April 8, 1992. UNIVERSITY LIBRARY COMMITTEE MINUTES March 18, 1992 PRESENT: Darrell Clowes, Faculty Senate Mike Mankosa, Engr.(for G.Luttrell) Norm Dodl, Education Martha Rose, CSAC Joanne Eustis, Library Cortney Vargo, GSA Megan Hilt, SGA Rodney Young, Ag. & Life Sciences Werner Kohler, Arts & Sciences (for E. Fox) GUESTS: Buddy Litchfiled, Library Frances Painter, Library Bruce Obenhaus, Library ABSENT: Carol Burch-Brown, Provost's Off. J. Scott Poole, Architecture Edward Fox, Arts & Sciences Mark Smith, Veterinary Medicine Gerald Luttrell, Engineering James Yardley, Business Ken McCleary, Human Resources MEETING SUMMARY: The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. The February minutes were approved as submitted. LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENTS (J. Eustis): The library will conduct a user survey this spring. The survey form will be sent to all faculty during the week of March 23 and randomly distributed in the library during the following week. The questionnaire and comment sheet will help the library determine how well it is serving its patrons, and how it might improve. A good response rate is very important to the library and committee members were encouraged to ask for the cooperation of their colleagues. OLD BUSINESS DISCUSSION OF LIBRARY FINE RATES/LOST BOOK CHARGES (J. Eustis): J. Eustis was asked to summarize the consensus of the last meeting on this issue. At the last ULC meeting the committee agreed with the task force recommendation to increase the overdue charge from 10 to 25 cents per day; however, Ms. Eustis has decided not to do so at this time. The task force recommended that the fine for failure to return a recalled book be increased to a dollar a day for all patrons, up to a maximum of $20.00. Some ULC members expressed concern, but it was explained that a patron is always entitled to keep a book for two weeks (with an additional eight-day grace period) before the fine would begin to be levied. The committee also agreed with the task force recommendation that the charge for out-of- print lost books should be raised from the current $50 to $65, and the binding fee for damaged items needing repair from $5 to $10. These proposals will not be implemented until the beginning of the next fiscal year, allowing time for publicity before the changes are made. Modifications to VTLS software will be necessary to implement the increased recall fine. The committee is on record as having endorsed these changes. REPORT TWELVE-MONTH PLAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES (J. Eustis): J. Eustis outlined for the committee the four part agenda agreed to with the Interim Vice President for Information Services when she was appointed Interim University Librarian and her plans for achieving these objectives. The first area of concern is the working environment in the library, with the specific objective of improving morale. Plans for meeting the first part of this objective include maintaining a consultative management style; redefining the library's organizational structure to include representation from each functional area on the management team; making members of the management team department heads rather than administrators so that they might participate in the Library Faculty Association; emphasizing/coordinating the libraries' mission and goals with the university plan/college plans; charging the Library Faculty Association to investigate, debate and report on the way faculty are evaluated, rewarded and recognized. The second concern is the perception which faculty members have of the University Libraries, with the specific objective of strengthening the library's role as a critical resource for all academic activity. Plans include consulting with the academic deans regarding the needs of their colleges for library support and to generally increase linkages between the colleges and the library; formulating a plan for library development over the next five years, in consonance with the university plan/college plans; stressing and rewarding efforts of library faculty members in teaching and participating in collaborative research or public service efforts and university governance work; re- establishing a science reference department; formulating a proposal to reinforce the library's position with the university administration; and investigating organizational possibilities for research libraries which might serve the campus better than the present arrangement. The third concern is to stop the library's decline in ARL rankings, with the objective of improving the library's standings in ARL ranks. Plans include lobbying for additional funds; working with the Development Office on funding efforts; studying the reasons for the library's decline in rank, and the degree to which the criteria that determine ARL rankings are applicable or compatible with current directions in information technology. The fourth concern is to enhance support for equipment and personnel resources, with the specific objective of insuring adequate resources to maintain library operations. Plans include working to increase operational support with the university administration. The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. The next meeting will be on April 8, 1992.
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Last modified on: Tuesday, 25-Sep-2001 13:57:52 EDT