1. Demonstration

Rich Bennett demonstrated the Yale University Medical School search program, “Jake”.  Rich is attempting to create a local interface for Jake.  The idea behind it is to try to help people answer questions about where individual journals are indexed and where journals are available as full text.

2. Updates

• Carol reported that a few minor changes had been made to the house rules. A final version is now ready to be put up on the Public Services web page. This is something that primarily staff will use as a reference if necessary.
• She also has put together some guidelines for PS web pages. These are for the pages that the public sees. Carol went through individual unit pages and found features that would be useful to use as guidelines for putting together public services web pages.
• Jana Ronan discussed RefExpress and said it is going along pretty well and averaging around 10-15 questions in the two weeks it’s been open. Fliers and handouts are available to distribute at public service points in the libraries. The hours are Monday through Thursday, 9-11am and Sunday through Thursday, 9-11pm.  Alice Primack said that there has been a positive response from the people who are using it. She said often the person manning RefExpress can spend a longer time with patrons than they normally could at the desk, at least until more people begin using it. Jana suggested logging the length of the reference transaction too, as well as the number of questions, for a more accurate reflection of how it is being used.
• Jana also discussed the new First year Florida program that will be offered to incoming students in the fall. The program was modeled after a successful first-year transition course developed at the University of South Carolina. There will be three first-year Florida pilot courses. The first one is a one-credit course in the fall—designed to assist students to make a successful transition to the UF environment. It is offered through the Academic Advising office. A section on library usage will be offered in the eighth week of the program. More information is available at www.oss.ufl.edu
• Other instruction efforts are going along just fine. Many ENC 1102 classes are being taught. Mimi Pappas had moved into her new position and is coordinating the ENC 1101 program.
• Freshman English—We’re looking at new ways to staff. Trying to find out how satisfied the English instructors are, so they had a meeting with the director of the writing who programs is very enthusiastic. He would like to see each course have two contacts with the library, one being the traditional class sessions. Then later on, when they are involved in their research paper, a follow-up where they come and work in the lab and the library.  This part could possibly be done with teaching assistants, assisted by our library instruction assistants.
• Also looking into a one-credit library research skills course offered under the auspices of the English department. Gary Cornwell said that it is a scheduling and staffing nightmare and the idea of doubling it is troublesome. The other option would be for the English department to supply interns that could do that one-on-one with their students. Carol Turner suggested that the library staff could train the English student assistants.   Alice Primack wondered if it would be possible to offer the second session in a less formal manner for students having problems.

Carol Turner said the situation needs to be analyzed to see about the availability of the room and personnel to teach it, what the objective would, and whether it would be more of a partnership with the English department than it is now. This is an opportunity and we should seek a way to participate.
• Gary—Dale sent him an email about someone who had been referred to Admin about professors that wanted to use Room 148 for classes so that students would have access to computers in the classes. The answer is very clearly no. The classroom is to be used only in conjunction with a librarian or library staff member. It is not for faculty to bring their classes in. Carol Drum said the staff at Marston has never let anyone bring a class in to use its classroom, although they have let outside people use it occasionally.

3. Baseline Services

One of the Goals and Objectives of Public Services for a long time is defining baseline services. Nothing has ever been done because it is difficult. The department chairs in public services will do a trial and try to define baseline service, and expectations for Circulation Services. We’re going to do this trial to see if it’s feasible and useful and if it will be helpful in planning and setting goals.

4.  Reports

• Several people participated in the Information Strategies conference in Fort Myers. Alice Primack, Carol Drum and Vernon Kisling did a panel on Partnerships.  Jana was involved in two panels, one with the RefExpress committee and the other with Mimi and John Ronan on Partnerships in Freshman English.  Jeffrey Barr did one on putting Special Collections up on the web. Several others presented papers. The papers will be made available on the website.

Carol Drum recommends that when presenting papers, not to rely on live performances. In one presentation, a phone line was unavailable so materials couldn’t be called up. In another, a video clip used as part of a Powerpoint presentation worked on the computer but wouldn’t project onto the screen, and then hung the computer up. The computer provided by conference organizers didn’t have Netscape, which meant the reference chat couldn’t be demonstrated.
• Rich put out an information page on the website about the Win a Laptop contest. There were over 1,900 entries. Several UF people will be attending an LMS committee meeting and during that conference PSPC will meet and select a number of finalists. These finalists will be given to the SUS directors for the final decision.
• Everyone on the LMG list should have received budget documents from Dale. The budget meeting went quite well and there seems to be support for us to get a building. A lot of positions were requested in the budget, but it is unlikely that many will be funded. Right now President Young is a real library supporter.
• Stephanie Haas will be working in the Digital Library Center for at least a year. MSL will hire a visiting librarian.
• Alice Primack reminded everyone that National Library Week is April 9-15. There will be a link on the homepage, a quiz with prizes, posters and other displays to promote the library.
• Rich announced there is now a link on the Toolbox to a joint BOR/UFF Librarian Task Force report on librarian salaries. Other departments are getting information on salary equity. Something was sent out in the fall and more guidelines were supposed to be more forthcoming.