Revised University Library Committee Meeting Minutes

January 19, 2011

3:00 P.M. Joyner Library Conference Room

Members in Attendance:

Dr. Cheryl McFadden, Chair

Dr. David Wilson Okamura

Dr. Robert J. Campbell

Dr. Dorothy Spencer (Ex-Officio Member)

Dr. Larry Boyer (Ex-Officio Member)

Ms. Jan Lewis (Ex-Officio Member)

Dr. David Kimmel - Representative of Chair of the Faculty

Dr. Hunt McKinnon - Representative of Faculty Senate

Missing Members:

Dr. Margit Schmidt

Dr. Chris Riley - Tilman

Dr. Chal Benson

Dr. Aysel Morin

Guest:

Maury York, Assistant Director of Special Collections at the Joyner Library

• Because there was not a quorum among voting members of the committee, the minutes from the last committee meeting could not be approved.
• Dr. McFadden asked Dr. Kimmel to ask Dr. Marianna Walker to find a replacement for Dr. Aysel Morin who will be taking a leave of absence from the University.
• Dr. McFadden announced to the group that she had lunch with Dr. Marianna Walker on Tuesday January 18, 2011. Dr. Walker asked Dr. McFadden to relay the following requests to the members of the Library Committee:
• Dr. Walker would like all committee members to attend the Chancellor’s Reception on March 1, 2011. The meeting will be held from 5-6:30 in the lobby of the Spillman building.
• Dr. Walker would also like all committee members to attend the Master Plan Reception being held on January 25, 2011 from 1-2 in Mendenhall Great Room #1.
• Dr. Okamura brought up the point that it will be important for the Library Committee to be at this meeting because the Joyner Library will run out of shelf space in ten years. Therefore, it must be important for the concerns of the Joyner Library be voiced at this meeting.
• Dr. Walker also asked Dr. McFadden to present the budget for the Joyner and Laupus libraries at the Faculty Senate meeting in March. Dr. Boyer and Dr. Spencer both agreed to help Dr. McFadden prepare for the meeting. Both Dr. Boyer and Dr. Spencer stated that the budget for the current year should be presented at the meeting, and the budget is subject to change at any point in time.
• Dr. Okamura asked the question: Is the library part of the academic core? It was agreed that this question should be raised at the next faculty senate meeting, with an emphasis that that both libraries be considered part of the academic core.
• Ms. Jan Lewis noted that on the excel spreadsheet showing space usage in the Joyner Library offices 2215-2226 would be used for the STEPP program. Ms. Lewis also stated that money had been received to study what to do with Copy Serve space on the ground floor of the Library.
• Dr. McKinnon asked if they excel spreadsheet could be shared with the Space Planning Group. Dr. Boyer asked that it be held in reserve until the need to share arises.
• Dr. Spencer noted that the stacks have been taken down on the third floor of the Laupus library and money has been designated for renovations to the 3^rd floor. These renovations will provide four private offices for AA counselors to use with students, a 30 seat technology classroom, 5 group study rooms, a conference room seating 14 and a large student study area. A total of 132 seats will be added to the library’s seating capacity. In addition, the teleconference room will get new, more flexible furnishings and room 1504 will be outfitted for use as a special events multi-purpose room.
• Maury York, Head of Special Collections for the Joyner Library explained the reasons behind the letter that was sent to Dr. Sheerer regarding space in the Special Collections area of Joyner Library. Mr. York explained that the special collections is running out of space and it is has limited potential for growth. Mr. York also explained it is resources such as the North Carolina Collection and collections of rare books that make the library unique from other libraries, and these resources need to be preserved and have room for growth. Mr. York explained that the special collections would like to plan for future growth. Mr. York also pointed out that the special collections areas was considering consolidating two access points in the special collections areas, as well as two conservations labs, and that considerations must be made in terms of what to do in regards to the growing digital collections. Mr. York stated that Dr. Sheerer notified him that she received his letter and would respond in the near future.
• Dr. Spencer stated that when donors give rare books and other articles to the library, they expect the library to be a good steward of the material. Dr. Spencer emphatically stated that the University must be sensitive to this issue. She also stated that paper is contained in historical documents than other media housed in the library. Unlike the current collections which are primarily in digital formats, paper is the primary format for the materials in the historical collection.
• Dr. McFadden introduced Dr. Spencer’s new goal for the University Committee, which is to support scholarly communications activities at ECU. Further stated, the goal reads as follows:
• The Libraries Committee will serve as an advisory group to the Scholarly Communications Committee and its chair, Joseph Thomas of Joyner Library, to help promote awareness and best practices for scholarly communications at ECU. Specifically for FY 2010-2011, the LC will:
• Help plan and promote Open Access week activities scheduled for October 2011.
• Provide guidance to the Scholarly Communications Committee on how best to engage the ECU faculty on issues related to scholarly communications and open access issues.
• Dr. Okamura stated that he did not think that the Library Committee would be the best front man for the Scholarly Communications Committee. Dr. Okamura went on to state that he believes there are more important issues that the Library Committee needs to discuss. Those issues included:
• Space
• Importance of Open Space in the Library.
• Group Study Issues. (Students studying in groups).
• Dr. McFadden voiced her opinion that the Library Committee should try to take on all issues.
• Dr. Spencer voiced the concern that the only way to get faculty involved in issues such as open access is via influence from their peers.
• Dr. Okamura agreed.
• Dr. Boyer and Dr. Spencer addressed several budget issues.
• Both libraries could receive either a 2.5 percent or a 1 percent cut.
• Dr. McKinnon stated her heard that budget cuts could be as much as 20%.
• Dr. Boyer stated that last year Joyner Library’s budget was cut by 17%, and last year they lost 10 positions.
• Dr. Spencer stated that Laupus lost 3 positions.
• Dr. Boyer stated that Joyner Library will be holding a book authors recognition ceremony at 5:00 p.m. on January 20, 2011.
• Both library directors stated that any new hires must be fully justified to the administration.
• The meeting was adjourned at 4:10.

Submitted by Robert James Campbell. January 19, 2011.