1. Committee Reports
a. Committee on Advancements and Promotions (Catherine Nelson)
The calls have gone out for librarian reviews and the process is underway.
b. Committee on Appointments, Assignments and Reassignments (Janet Martorana)
The search for Head of the Cataloging and Acquisitions Services has closed. The search for Information Services Librarian is still in the process. There are four candidates and interviews are scheduled for January. The statement of responsibilities for the Head of the Cataloging and Acquisitions Services will be revised in the spring to remove the acquisitions component of the position. The position will continue to have interaction with the Section Head of Acquisitions and Book Fund Accounting.
c. Welcoming, Orientation and Mentoring Subcommittee (Gary Colmenar)
A tentative program has been planned for next year centering on collection development issues for area studies, such as what are some of the unique things they encounter and how do professional associations help them?
Anne Barnhart announced the upcoming visit to the Goleta tide pools next week due to the extreme low tides on the winter solstice. This is part of a series of activities for newer librarians to get to know the Santa Barbara area better.
d. Program Committee (Eric Forte).
Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas will speak at the library on Wednesday January 21 at 3 p.m.
e. Statewide committees.
1. Committee on Professional Governance. Sherri Barnes reported that there is a fact finding initiative on peer reviews on the different campuses. More information will be forthcoming in January.
2. Research Committee. Patrick Dawson reported that the call for research proposals went out with no local proposals submitted as of yet.
3. Committee on Committees-Rules and Jurisdictions. Gary Colmenar is our representative. The committee met this summer. Cynthia Jones is incoming chair. The committee reviewed the bylaws for UC Merced and worked on proposing some new options for the apportionment of division delegates to the Assembly. Apportionment based on the number of librarians per division was not working well. A list of the alternatives was discussed as were the merits of each option Each division must give its input for the three different options offered. The committee will meet again in February. A discussion of the three options ensued and it was emphasized that in particular the implications for costs of funding travel need to be considered as last year the UC-LAUC budget was $3K in deficit. Local division members are encouraged to e-mail their input to Gary.
4. Awards Committee. This committee had been established to look into travel awards, lifetime awards, and a “LAUC” member of the year award. An interim report was made at the Fall Assembly and a survey was sent out to the divisions. Local members should send their comments to Chuck Wilson. Sixty responses system wide had been received to date. The travel awards were aimed at newer librarians and to aid them in getting more involved in UC LAUC. The idea of a “Lifetime Award” is being floated because up to the present special recognition has been limited to various resolutions. The committee will also look at interim procedures that could be used. A report is due by spring although it is not known yet where the funds would come from. Some discussion about possible funders included publishers, special benefactors, or even grants, and that it need not be a monetary award. The committee will work on the travel award first. It was suggested that instead of “Lifetime” it could be designated “Distinguished” given that the length of time in librarians’ service years could vary from person to person.
f. Committee on Professional Development (Jane Faulkner)
Anne Barnhart reported that the web pages and the travel request form are being updated. Expect some further changes in the next few months. The main changes in travel funding guidelines will give more flexibility in the use of allocated funds, effective as of this ALA Midwinter Meeting. The web page guidelines will show these changes. Mileage reimbursement will increase to 37.5 cents per mile effective January 1. Part of the revisions involve guidelines under revision for use of supplemental funds with the goal being to make it work better for everyone involved.
2. Impact of summer session on UC libraries (Sandy Lewis)
This committee was charged to investigate the impact of year-round academic school year on UC libraries. As part of this investigation there will be a measurement of library use and services, an examination of alternative staffing scenarios, hiring of temporary librarians for reference desk work and the use of library assistants to do instruction. Sandy will continue on the committee next year. Judy Kwan (UCLA) is Chair.
3. Information Literacy Task Force recommendations (Annie Platoff)
A definition was prepared on information literacy for UC communities. The committee was to identify key issues and make recommendations for LAUC to carry out. The definition statement was accepted at the Fall Assembly. LAUC requested that a LAUC representative be appointed to the HOPS-SIG group. LAUC wants to continue to play a role system wide and a communications tool is in development. Sandy reported that among the provisos are for LAUC to share information about information literacy, and to establish a research grant award that would enable people to organize programs as well to support research on information literacy. Cathy Chiu indicated that we will need to look into how to incorporate collective activity in the existing CPD guidelines for research grants. The aim is to develop an effective and useful statement on information literacy. The task force term is finished and now it is up to HOPS.
4. New procedures for system wide LAUC funded travel (Cathy Chiu)
New revised guidelines were developed and issued. These were enumerated in LAUC Reimbursement Policy and Procedures and copies were distributed at the meeting.
5. Guidelines for Library Public Area (Cathy Chiu)
Cathy Chiu distributed copies of the official statement “Library Public Areas” (December 3, 2003) issued by University Librarian Sarah Pritchard. Cathy indicated that what was said in this meeting concerning this topic should be recorded in the minutes as LAUC's response, moreover, following some discussion, it was decided at the meeting that a diplomatically worded LAUC statement should say exactly what the members think on this topic and it was decided that an ad hoc committee be formed to draft a formal advisory statement from LAUC to Sarah Pritchard.
There was a great deal of concern voiced by members at this meeting over the statement. Recorded here are the key comments expressed by librarians at this meeting. Statements of concern included “the chilling effect of the impact of the guidelines in certain areas, considering long-held staff practices involving public displays.” Other comments included:
· “this has been very bad for library morale, coming at a time that staff are having to contend with no salary increases, budget retrenchments and reduced staffing if not through a hiring freeze, through a hiring "congealing.”
· “There is confusion as to what complaints prompted the restrictions on decorations.”
· “There has been a long system wide tradition of observing holidays through public decorations, yet there has been no clue as to what prompted these new restrictions.”
· “Why is there a new policy? Just because of fear of getting any complaints?”
· “People have been using good judgment already; if there are no complaints this all seems so unnecessary. It shows that by people being required to ask for permission that they are not being trusted--this is causing a real problem.”
· “Some staff members were told to take down some Halloween decorations because they could possibly offend someone.”
· “Holiday decorations that had been purchased by staff with their own money for the Curriculum Lab were returned to the store because they might conflict with the policy.”
· “There also is a double standard perceived because technical services and behind the scenes work areas can have all the decorations they want but staff in public areas are now afraid to put any up.”
· “If the library is not to be subjected to censorship in its collections and information services, it should not do so with its policy on public decorations.”
· “There needs to be a better way to deal with the matter of public decoration and the new restrictive policy does not do that.”
An Adhoc committee was formed to look into this issue further and prepare a formal LAUC response. Volunteers for this committee: Sylvia Curtis, Annie Platoff, Lorna Lueck and Sally Willson Weimer.
Recorder: Sal Guerena