9:00 a.m.

1. LARS Training
   One on one LARS training for Binding Unit Staff Members in the Branch Libraries was discussed. This training will begin to take place in August.
   
   
2. RFP
   The old RFP, which Binding Unit Staff Members worked on in 1997, was deemed too long and complex by the University of Floridas Purchasing Office. They asked that it be revised and shortened. The Binding Unit Head is currently making these changes. Anyone who wishes to look at the new draft document, can find it as a Word Document at O/contract/binding/new.doc. Please feel free to make comments or suggestions to the Binding Unit Head.
   
   
3. Student OPS Hours
   A new form was introduced. The form, a Binding OPS Request sheet, will now be used by Binding Unit Staff members to request OPS support for their Binding operations. All libraries will use this form. Binding Unit staff, in consulation with their supervisors, will fill out this form and return it to the Binding Unit Head. Each person at the meeting received a copy of the form. For those members of the Binding Unit who were unable to attend, please download a copy of the Binding OPS Request Sheet
   
   
4. Position Descriptions
   Standardized Position descriptions for all OPS and USPS Binding Staff members are currently being investigated. An OPS position description written by the previous Binding Unit Head was passed on to the current Binding Unit Head.
   
   
5. Web Page Updates
   Updates will be made to the Binding Unit Web page continuously, in hopes of making the Web easier to use, faster to navigate through and more helpful to the Binding Unit staff.
   
   
6. 1998-99 Goals and Objectives
   The existence of a draft version of the 1998-99 Commercial Binding Preparations Unit Goals and Objectives was announced. Please examine our 1998-99 Goals and Objectives on the Web and feel free to comment to the Binding Unit Head on them.
   
   
7. Other Comments and Concerns
   Another issue that came up was a drop in the 1997-98 binding statistics. In a preliminary statistical analysis done by Erich Kesse earlier this year, a 27% drop in 1997-1998 binding was noticed relative to 1996-1997 numbers. The Library Directors are very concerned about this drop in productivity and are interested in input from members of the Binding Unit staff as to why they believe this drop occurred. (For people who want to see the binding data from 1996-1997 and 1997-1998, please look at O/binding/stats/history.) The Binding Unit Head asked members to comment on why they felt this drop had occurred. Increased use of technology, retrospective conversion projects in 1996-1997 which raised that years statistics, and less time to devote to binding were mentioned.
8. Future Meeting Times.
   

Next meeting: tentatively scheduled for September 2, 1998.

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