Forum Meeting on October 28, 2009

Librarians' Forum
October 28, 2009
Hatcher Gallery
Attendance: approx. 200

The meeting was called to order by Forum Chair Martin Knott at 9:01 a.m.

I. Provost Teresa Sullivan Talk

Martin Knott introduced our Provost. Provost Sullivan discussed in general issues related to the library, our current economic climate, and how the library fits into the mission statement of the library.

She specifically touched upon:

• How we have saved 135 million dollars in recurring costs since 2003 by being fiscally responsible as an institution. In that time, there has been a 7.5 million dollar increase in Library base funding, and a 3.5 million dollar increase in collection budget funding.
• A complete renovation of the Clements library will be undertaken. Storage for the books during construction is under discussion.
• Press and DMC are at two ends of the spectrum. It makes sense for the Library to expand its role as facilitator of scholarly communication by adding the Press, and the DMC assists the Library in shaping and leading change.
• The Library is a public good, and has become more visible in this respect, as evidenced by the new Audubon Room and the Hatcher Gallery in general.

II. Questions for Provost Sullivan

Q: What about space for print collections? Will this increase?

A: There will not be new storage for print collections on campus, but there will be remote storage—more remote than Buhr, but not vastly remote. (There is also potential storage in the former MStores building for collections.) She said that students will continue to demand library buildings even if there are no books housed in them.

Q: How does the Provost use information in her work?

A: She develops a vision for connecting the dots. For instance, she received two different types of email--one from parents complaining the university wasn’t fiscally responsible and another from parents concerned their child had lost their tuition bill. Both questions were due to a communication from the administration, and she had to put the two together. For her scholarly work, she uses a liaison at the Library, who is very helpful in gathering research materials.

Q: What are the Provost’s thoughts on the MPublishing venture?

A: She recognized that archiving and access of information was scattered, and wanted to have synergy in this area. The Press is important to the research enterprise, even if only the value of a scholar working with an editor to refine their work. We will be leaders in figuring out the new model. For the DMC, the library was already the heart of that building, and the DMC was not “owned” by anyone. The traditional role is fine, but they wanted to expand it.

Q: What is the future for expanding and re-defining the assessments and outcomes process?

A: A standardized test for University seniors as they graduate has not proven useful. The medical campus is already engaged in goals-based assessment, as is the Chemistry department (use of clickers in teaching). Other ideas are the MPortfolio, a method by which students can save electronic aspects of their work, something that is not included in the transcript. Employers have found this very helpful. MPortfolio is being piloted in the School of Social Work and in other programs on campus. (Accreditation is needed to receive federal financial aid, a core part of an institution’s aid package.)

Q: How can the university get more out of its current resources, including expanding enrollment for students and other paying guests?

A: There are endeavors to create something like a Michigan Chautauqua for alumni, in order to use more of the physical plant in the summertime. The summer bridge program has been excellent for high school students entering in the fall, and they would like to expand that program. There are more spring and summer courses available for currently enrolled students than in the past and the administration is working to include more higher-level courses.

Q: (comment) It would be worthwhile to include information literacy as a requirement of being a staff member at UM—perhaps not as a course, but in some other venue.

Q: What about plans for colleges to go to a 3-year program? Are we thinking of doing this as well?

A: Students need the experience as much as the education at the University. There is much to be learned outside of classes. Students who are interested in a 3-year degree have a practical, functional view of the degree. Students can complete their degree requirements in three years if they take a sufficient number of courses each term.

Q: How about adding information management to the curriculum?

A: This is best done outside of the classroom, especially in the context of a project. As a formal component, can see this working well in a science department, but in, for instance, the English department this could be more difficult because of varied views on what information management means.

III. Introductions

Martin introduced Heather Hampton as an Electronic Access Unit assistant. Greg Grossmeier introduced himself as a copyright assistant to Melissa Levine.

IV. Announcements

• There will be a 2009 Text Encoding Initiative meeting on November 12-14 in the Hatcher Gallery. Two keynote events are welcome to the public.
• A SecondLife forum for discussion of the National Education Technology Plan will be convened. The focus will be on funding and strategies.
• The Task Force for Promotion Criteria has been seated, and they are reviewing the current charge to the group. Martin Knott and Maria Bonn (chair of the Task Force) will be meeting with Paul Courant for further clarification.
• Next month’s Forum will likely be on the Open Access mandates at peer institutions and the possibility of an MLibrary policy for Open Access.
• In December, colleagues from the DMC will present on their work, and we hope to arrange a similar Forum in January for the Press.
• Don’t forget about the Forum coffee breaks—see the schedule on the Library web site.
• SkillShare will be ramping up next month and will finish in February—it is designed to connect members of the staff who are interested in learning about another’s job.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 10:02 AM.