Draft Minutes Librarian's Meeting Tuesday, November 16, 1999

Present:

Marj Beary  Stephanie Brenenson  Sherry Carillo  Toni Downs  Valerie Edwards  David Goldsmith  Andy Grof  Doug Hasty

Mirtha Hernandez  Nancy Hershoff  Scott Kass  Heidi Lowry  Cathy Marsicek  Bob Mead-Donaldson  Laurence Miller  Salvador Miranda

Steve Morris  Sherry Mosley  Mayra Nemeth  George Pearson  John Radencich  Mercy Sanchez  Vicki Silvera  Suzanne Stemler  Susan Weiss

Amendment of Agenda - Dr. Miller

• A Report on the Florida Heritage Project will be added to the Agenda. It will be reported as Item 3, with the remainder of the Agenda changed accordingly.

1. World AIDS Day Observance - Scott Kass

• The Library has submitted two grants for a South Florida HIV study. Several librarians are working to gather information for this project.
• The Library is working with the United Foundation on AIDS to host a program for World AIDS Day, December 1.
• Dr. Miller and others will host a luncheon for several members of the Miami-Dade community and FIU.
• At 1:00, there will be a ceremony featuring a dedication of a plaque to Mayor Alex Penelas's wife, Lilliam Penelas, in honor of her work with HIV/AIDS organizations.
• Displays will include murals and portions of the AIDS quilt.

2. Art in the Green Library - Vicki Silvera

• Vicki Silvera is working with Regina Bailey of the Art Museum to select pieces of art for floors 2, 5, 6, and 7 of the Green Library.
• The value of the art pieces are of concern. The Library must make reasonable effort to assure that the pieces will be protected.
• Works of Haitian art currently on display in several areas of the library will soon be returned to the owner. Some of the new art loaned from the Museum may also need to be returned after the new Museum opens.
• The recommendation for art in the faculty lounge is a "rotating gallery" of faculty art works.
• The 4th floor, near Microforms, will be fitted with track lighting for a photo exhibition area.
• Art for the North Campus Library will be discussed in the near future.

3. Florida Heritage Project - David Goldsmith

• This is the first home-grown project for the SUS institutions.
• The SUS institutions are selecting materials from their collections in areas of Florida history, pre-1925. Approximately 3,000 pages are expected from each institution.
• Deadline for the initial phase of this project is December 12.
• Test site is located on the FCLA New Features to Test webpage at : http://webluis.fcla.edu/~fclwlui/luistest.html.
• Items included in the Florida Heritage project will be catalogued in the SUS institution catalogs.
• Files can be opened in pdf, jpg, or tif. Tif is the original scanned file, pdf is best for printing, jpg is best for screen viewing.
• The Florida Heritage project has an infrastructure similar to the Elsevier journal loads. When Elsevier goes down, so does Florida Heritage. Acquisition of a machine dedicated solely to the Florida Heritage project is being explored.
• FIU's scanning is currently being done by United Business Services. The cost of quality equipment for this project is too prohibitive for FIU to purchase. However, UF is planning to implement a digital lab to which we may outsource projects. A joint FIU/FAU scanning project may also be considered, in which cost and use of equipment could be shared.
• Any ideas for additional items to be included in the project, especially items of South Florida heritage, should be brought to the attention of David Goldsmith.

4. Library Ambassador Program - Doug Hasty

• The Library Ambassador Program is a recognition program for student assistants to help recognize the work they do for the departments.
• Each semester, 2 University Park and 1 North Campus student will be chosen from the letters of nomination sent by their supervisors. Recognition awards will be given to these students. At the end of the year, 3 students will be chosen from the year's winners for a cash award.
• Students nominated must have worked for the library at least one semester. Nominations may be sent by e-mail. Further information has been distributed to all supervisors, or can be found at http://www.fiu.edu/~hastyd/ambassdr.html.
• Due to the fast approach of the end of the semester, all nominations for Fall 1999 semester are due by November 19. Presentation of the awards will take place on December 3.
• Appointments to the Nominations Committee will take place every August, for a 1 year term.

5. Brown Bag Lunch Series - Marj Beary

• In response to Provost Rosenberg's call for increased library outreach, a 'Lunch and Learn' series has been proposed.
• 'Lunch and Learn' will consist of 1-hour programs on topics of interest to faculty. Courses may take place in the Green Library Faculty Lounge, in remote centers, or perhaps in the dorms.
• Marj will coordinate efforts and take responsibility for advertising. Suggestions for advertising included university-wide e-mail, signage near the faculty lounge, placard in the lobby, and in the current events section of the Beacon.
• Volunteers wishing to present a topic are encouraged to speak with Marj.

6. Top of the Stacks - Heidi Lowry

• Heidi Lowry is acting editor for Top of the Stacks for the Fall Semester. A fall/winter double issue will be forthcoming.
• Contributions of any type - writings, drawings, etc. - are still welcome. Please send contributions to Heidi.

7. Librarian Compensation - Dr. Laurence Miller

• Academic Affairs is working with the Library to get librarian's salaries closer to the national average over a 3-year timeline.
• The first phase of this project has been to have all librarian's salaries above $30,000. This took place with the new contract year in October.
• All proposed staff increases for 1999-2000 were passed.
• The ideal for this plan is not only to have higher salaries for recruitment of new librarians, but to have all salaries at a higher level to keep the quality staff currently at FIU.

8. Collegial Library Governance - Marj Beary

• Discussion for today is mainly brainstorming and free flow of ideas. A second meeting will take place on December 13 to suggest solutions.
• The Faculty Bill of Rights, ratified December 1998, encourages all units to draft bylaws and governance documents. Most units on campus have complied.
• Steve Morris reported on his experience at the University of Louisville, which had a faculty govenance document:
• Monthly meetings were held.
• All committees are elected committees, with an annual election process and rotating membership.
• The Dean would present items for discussion, then the faculty would vote on ratification.
• Governance makes the faculty more responsible -- requires participation, increases communication.
• All members feel that they are a part of the process.
• Vicki Silvera added her experience, where at a private institution librarians were equal to faculty, discussions between librarians and administration were at an even level, and promotion of collegiality were key outcomes of the governance document.
• Several librarians have already volunteered to work on the document.
• Discussion as to the membership of a working committee were discussed. There was some concern that the membership of the committee must be balanced so that all areas of the staff are represented. Several methods were suggested for composing the committee:
• Use volunteers.
• Open library vote (vote from list of all librarians)
• Vote of nominated librarians or volunteers.
• Mixed composition, 8 member committee (2 senators, 3 from librarian vote, 3 appointed by administration for balance)
• There were mixed opinions about having a member of Library Administration as a ex-officio member of the committee.
• Toni Downs served as ex-officio for the Merit and Evaluations documents committee. Some members found her presence invaluable in the complex process of drafting documents that must go before Academic Affairs. Others thought the document should be produced by only in-unit librarians, with the drafts brought to Administration for perusal.
• Any documents produced by the committee should be brought before the librarians at several points along the way for consensus.
• Any documents will ultimately need to be brought before Library Administration, and must be approved by the Provost.
• There was a preference that the governance document be concluded before the next academic school year, although there is no definitive deadline. Marj will confer with the Faculty Senate to be sure that the Senate does not have a deadline for governance documents.
• Discussion about the govenance document is encouraged. A listserv will be created for discussion, and informal meetings of librarians is also encouraged.
• Next meeting will include a vote for a Steering Committee.