Library Management Group

Meeting Manager: Dale Canelas

Facilitator: Trudi DiTrolio

1. Update on New Lighting in MSL: Carol Drum

Update was given on the MSL lighting project, which began in October 1999. The third floor is currently closed down. Staff is retrieving journals. The anticipated completion date is February 15, 2000.  Staff and students have been very impressed with the improvements to the lighting in the library. The bad news is that when the third floor is completed they will actually begin the first floor. This should take at least a month to complete.  This will affect the map library quite a bit. The first floor will be a challenge due to the type of lighting fixtures. They are projecting 45 days to complete the first floor.

2. Space Survey Preliminary Report: Dale Canelas

Report was given on the Space Survey.  This survey was not as useful as expected. Overall, we received 55 responses from faculty, 50 from graduate students and 62 responses from undergraduates.  The Faculty responses came from the HSC, MSL users, branch library users, and a handful of faculty using this library.  It is difficult to determine whom all the responses were from, because the sheets distributed in the last faculty newsletter did not request that the respondent fill in departmental affiliation or status.  When all the responses are averaged for any given question, the average is three, which is listed as no opinion on the questionnaire key.   I have analyzed the data but it is difficult to determine how much weight should be given to the results.  For example, when I limit the responses to the 26 that can be identified as Humanities or Social Sciences faculty, and figure the percentage of faculty who take one of the five positions on each question, we get very tiny numbers of faculty accounting for the results.  On the question of moving government documents, these results are:, 23% (or 6 faculty) state that improves access, 54% (or 14 faculty) say, that is acceptable, 4% (1 faculty) have no opinion, 11% (3 faculty) think it is inconvenient for access, 8% (2 faculty) think it is very detrimental. Obviously, the amount of weight that should be attributed to these results is minimal.
The result is that we would be better served to have talks with faculty, get on their departmental meeting agendas, and explain the implications so that we can get an informed opinion.
Carol Drum indicated that the Science faculty should be included because things like moving documents will have a real impact on them.

3. Tour of the Library With the New President; Implications for Space: Dale Canelas

Report was given on the tour of the Library taken by President Young. He was very interested.  He asked good and thoughtful questions.  He noticed all kinds of things without needing to have them pointed out.  As we started, I explained that most research libraries are around 300,000 to 350,000 square feet, whereas ours is 85,000 square feet.  Our student population of 22,000 in the humanities, social sciences, and the three professional schools that use this library, should have around 5.000 study seats according to national standards that call for us to seat 25% of the student body.  We have 400 seats.  We have no group study rooms and our single electronic classroom is woefully small.   I indicated that we do not have the facilities that we need to provide first-rate library service.  President Young’s impression was that “This is not the library that this institution should have.”  He indicated that he would see what he could do.

4. Proposals for Enhancement Money: Dale Canelas

Report was given on the budget proposal for enhancement funds.  $1.5 million in library resources and $98,000 in graduate assistantships was requested.  The request drew on the proposals that were submitted by Humanities, History, Political Science, Health and Human Performance, Curriculum materials, General Science, Chemistry and Digital Collections.  There was only a day and a half to go through all of the proposals and try to relate them to enhancement goals, make a strong case, and put them in the required format.  There was really not enough time to do a thorough study.
The University submitted a request for $ One million for library resources.  Because these would be permanent, recurring funds, this could make a significant difference in our budget.  It might, for example, cover all the costs of our electronic materials.

5. Division Reports

Carolyn Allen – Electronic material budget is almost expended for this fiscal year.  This change offset solid expenditures in serials and monographs.  This does not include any new resources.  Serials costs are beginning to see some increases, which means that budgets are going to be short again this year.

The funds from IFAS and EIES came in today ($77,000 and $75,000 respectively).

UMI (Bell & Howell) will be here at the end of the month.  UMI will remain the microfilm provider under Bell & Howell.  They will be here it look at our stack situation and help us figure out what we want to do in terms of microfilm.

NetLibrary will be here in February.  SOLINET has signed a contract with NetLibrary.  We will conduct a modest trial to see what that operation is all about.
 

• Martha Hruska – The Florida Newspaper grant ended in September 1999.  We were able to film al of the Cuban exile papers form the University of Miami. We are considering planning a publicity event related to this project.

OCLC – CORC Cooperative Online Resources Cataloging – There is some discussion about weather to participate in this project.  Jimmie Lundgren will be attend a session on this at ALA.  We have had a trial access to the CORC database this will end January 15, 2000. We will make a decision following ALA weather to go forward with this or not. This would not only involve cataloging, there would be a need for developing a selection process. This is mainly targeted at digital resources and not traditional print resources.
FLRC – There are new participant from USF and FSU. January 21 will be the first meeting this year.  Martha will be contacting people here to discuss the direction of this program.

6. Announcements

• Gary Cornwell – Room 148.  If you plan to use this room for instruction and software needs to be loaded on the machines, please get with LeiLani a few weeks in advance.  With new computers and the new security systems it is taking longer to install software.
• Bill Covey – February 17, 2000 will pose new security issues that we have not previously experienced at the University.  This is when Microsoft will release its new software.
• Rob Roberts – The engineering report should be in with in the next month.

© 1999 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries P. O. Box 117001  Gainesville, FL 32611-7001  Please read our disclaimer. Send comments and/or questions about this site to  Vicki Fooks Last Updated May 12, 2000