Librarians' Assembly and Executive Committee Minutes

Minutes of the Librarians’ Assembly Meeting

May 3, 2006

The Librarians’ Assembly met at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday May 3 in the Fondren Library Instruction Room.  Amanda Focke, Chair of the Executive Committee, called the meeting to order.

Amanda asked if anyone had old business to discuss.  There was no old business.

Simone Roemhild demonstrated Plone, the software which will be used for the new Fondren web site.  She said she had created a prototype site for evaluation in consultation with library departments as well as with the Marketing and Services Team.  Usability studies have started and the site is still under development.  The web site is tentatively scheduled to go live in mid June.

Simone showed how information in Plone could be edited.  All Fondren staff members will have passwords so that they can make changes to relevant pages.

Amanda reviewed the digital projects that are currently under development at Fondren.  These include the Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA), The Thresher, selected performances from the Shepherd School of Music, and the Museum of Houston.  Details were provided in a handout. The Digital Resources Steering Committee, which meets monthly, coordinates these projects.  Suggestions from Fondren staff for future projects are welcomed.  Sara Lowman added that budgeting for digital projects comes from various sources, including library money, grants, and donations.

Topics brought up in discussion included:

• Preservation issues

• Digitizing Rice documents, such as faculty papers.

• The need for an institutional repository (I.R.) policy and a checklist to be followed for each digital project.

• The possibility of federated searching as an aid to locating digital materals.

Amanda showed the Woodson Research Center web page for digital projects.

Phil Montgomery proposed that the Librarian’s Assembly sponsor a mentor program.  This would pair librarians who have been at Fondren for at least two years with librarians new to Fondren or with library school students on the staff.  The mentor would inform the mentee about such topics as library committees and culture, the profession, professional organizations and publishing.  Phil recommended that an ad hock committee be established to discuss and plan the program.

Amanda asked for discussion.

Elka Tenner mentioned that the Staff Travel and Staff Development Committee has been discussing a similar program for all staff. 

David Bynog moved to establish a committee as suggested by Phil.  The motion was seconded and approved..

Jane Segal proposed that a journal reading group be established.  The group would meet to discuss library and related literature.  People attending an initial, organizational meeting would work out details.

Amanda asked for discussion.

Esther Crawford suggested that each person in the group summarize a different article instead of everyone discussing and reading the same article.

Jane agreed to notify the group about the first meeting.

Randy Tibbits distributed nomination forms for the upcoming CAP election.  Nominations should be submitted to Amanda Focke by May 17.  The election will take place between June 7 and 14.  Amanda Focke and Alice Rhoads will remain on the committee with Peggy Shaw, Elka Tenner and Randy  stepping down.  An additional member will be appointed by the library administration. 

Debra Bailey announced the election for two new Librarians’ Assembly Executive Committee members.  Esther Crawford, Phil Montgomery, Ann Shparberg, and Andy Damico have agreed to run.  Continuing LAEC members are Randy Tibbits and Jane Segal.  The ballots and ballot box will be in the Administrative Office and the election starts today and will end on May 8 at 5:00 pm. 

Amanda asked for further nominations from the floor.  No nominations were made.

A motion was made and seconded for the meeting to be adjourned.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am.

Submitted by Jane Segal, secretary

Librarians' Assembly Meeting Minutes,

Attending: Sandi Edwards, Rita Marsales, Sara Lowman, Randy Tibbits, David Bynog, Elizabeth Baber, Jet Prendeville, Kinga Perzynska, Jiun Kuo, Janice Lindquist, Debra Bailey, Shirley Wetzel, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister, Alice Rhoades, Bob Sabin, Kerry Keck, Mandy York, John Hunter, Melinda Flannery, Peggy Shaw, Chuck Henry, Lisa Spiro, Keith Chapman.

Susan Leister presented old business with a re-cap explanation of the Important Information for Librarians with Professional Appointments New to Fondren Library and the Checklist for Orientation of Fondren Library Staff documents. A special thanks was extended to Mary DuMont for html mark-up and posting to the Fondranet webpage.

Jet Prendeville made comments about the nominating committee for the two positions to be open on the Librarian’s Assembly Executive Committee when the terms of Mary DuMont and Alice Rhoades expire in June 2003. The nominees are: Keith Chapman, Elizabeth Baber, Barbara Kile, and Peggy Shaw. Ballots will be in the Administrative offices. Election commences April 10th, 2003, and runs until Friday, April 18th. Kerry Keck made the motion to approve the slate of candidates. John Hunter seconded.

Alice Rhoades presented information about the nominees for the open position on the CAP committee. Nomination Forms were handed out at the beginning of the meeting and are to be turned in to Alice Rhoades by the end of the day on Thursday, April 24th. Elections will be announced after nominations are received. Elizabeth Baber pointed out that one member is to be elected, and one will be appointed. Esther Crawford, Jiun Kuo, and Jane Segal are continuing members of the CAP review committee; Sandi Edwards and David Bynog are the members whose terms will expire at the end of June 2003.

Chuck Henry presented background for the Proposed Revisions to the CAP document, with Sara Lowman also presenting information. A motion was made by Susan Leister to accept the proposed revisions.

Kerry Keck seconded. A vote was held by all present with 21 for, 2 against.

Submitted by Debra Bailey.

February 26, 2003, 9:00 am

Librarians' Assembly Executive Committee Minutes, meeting of February 26, 2003, 9:00 am

Present: Debra Bailey, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister, Alice Rhoades (chair)

A discussion was held regarding a petition for a change to the CAP Document, and plans were made for a follow-up >meeting in order to obtain more information and decide how to proceed.

Dates were suggested for the Spring meeting of the LAEC. The Committee is looking at a morning sometime during the week of April 7,2003.

A list of potential members of a nominating committee was drawn up so that we can begin the process of electing two new members to the Committee. A slate of >candidates will be presented during the April meeting.

Submitted by Susan Leister

November 18, 2002

Librarians' Assembly Meeting Minutes, meeting of November 18, 2002

Attending: Rita Marsales, Sara Lowman, Randy Tibbits, David Bynog, Elizabeth Baber, Sandi Edwards, Esther Crawford, Jet Prendeville, Kinga Perzynska, Jiun Kuo, Janice Lindquist, Samantha Hager, Debra Bailey, Shirley Wetzel, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister, Alice Rhoades, Bob Sabin, Kerry Keck, Mandy York, John Hunter.

Alice Rhoades, chair, made an explanation on library staff being included in General Annoucements and commented on the possibility that Fondren Library could create a web page that would include staff names, contact information, and degrees conferred. No discussion.

Alice called for a motion to strike first paragraph of the Orientation document, and to add a statement that the LAEC is responsible for minor changes. Kerry Keck made the motion and John Hunter seconded. All present voted yes.

Esther Crawford wanted confirmation that information taken out of the LA orientation document would be present in the new document that the Staff Travel and Development Committee will be creating with input from the LAEC. Susan Leister spoke to this with positive confirmation.

Samantha Hager wanted confirmation that the LAEC orientation document would not go away before the Staff Travel and Development document gets posted. The LAEC page will remain up until the STD page is posted.

Kerry Keck wanted confirmation that PROFLIB information will be in the new LAEC document. Positive confirmation on this from Alice Rhodes.

Susan Leister made a motion that all the remaining information that is general in nature to the staff be removed from the LAEC document and that the title be changed from Checklist for Orientation of Librarians with Professional Appointments New to Fondren Library, to Important Information for Librarians with Professional Appointments New to Fondren Library. Mary Du Mont seconded.

Motion carries with no nays.

Meeting Adjourned.

Respectfully submitted by Debra Bailey.

October 30, 9:30 am

Librarians' Assembly Executive Committee Minutes, meeting of October 30, 9:30 am

Present: Debra Bailey, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister, Alice Rhoades (chair)

A Librarians’ Assembly meeting will be scheduled for November 18 to vote on proposed changes to the orientation checklist that currently exists on the Librarians’ Assembly web site. The Staff Travel and Development is currently at work on a document that will serve as a more official checklist of staff orientation procedures. Discussion ensued as to whether or not there might be a need for some sort of document with helpful information for new librarians to remain on the LA web site in place of the orientation checklist. The next LAEC meeting was scheduled for November 13, 10am in Fondren 404.

July 31, 2002, 10 am

Librarians' Assembly Executive Committee Minutes, meeting of July 31, 2002, 10 am

Present: Debra Bailey, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister, Alice Rhoades (chair), Melinda Reagor Flannery (guest)

The Committee invited Melinda Reagor Flannery to present her views and ideas on the checklist of orientation procedures for new hires. A general discussion followed as to how the Committee should procede with revision of the document. The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for August 14, 10am.

Submitted by Susan Leister

meeting of July 24, 11 am

Librarians' Assembly Executive Committee Minutes, meeting of July 24, 11 am Present: Debra Bailey, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister, Alice Rhoades (chair)

The Committee met to do a general overview of the checklist of orientation procedures for new hires and to have a discussion on its structure and content. The Committee decided it would be informative to invite Melinda Reagor Flannery to the next meeting to get her views and experience with the document before it procedes with revisions. The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for July 31, 10am.

Submitted by Susan Leister

July 3, 2002

Librarians’ Assembly Executive Committee Minutes, meeting of July 3, 2002

Present: Alice Rhoades (chair), Debra Bailey, Mary Du Mont, Susan Leister

The Committee elected Alice Rhoades as chair. Committee members will rotate

taking minutes of each LAEC and Librarians’ Association meeting. Mary Du Mont

agreed to serve as web liaison for the Committee’s section of Fondranet. A

general discussion of old and new business followed, including updates

needing to be made to the checklist of orientation procedures for new

hires, and the inclusion of librarians’ names in the Rice University General

Announcements. The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for July 24, 10am.

Submitted by Mary Du Mont, July 15, 2002