VPC Open Forum – September 30
The agenda for this Wednesday’s Open Forum can be found here. Please RSVP with Kristen if you are able to make it. Minutes from our last meeting are also available.
Babbidge Library Master Plan
Thank you for joining me last week to review the progress on the Homer Babbidge Library Master Plan. As mentioned in the presentations, these are conceptual drawings based on the research done to date. You will see that the plan reflects the current work of the libraries and the priorities found in the Purposeful Path Forward. The drawings are also informed by data gathered outside our immediate environment to include scans of recent library renovations and industry benchmarking standards.
The next step in the process is for staff to have an opportunity to provide feedback on the conceptual plans. Beverly Wood left the display board of each floor with us and we will be moving them around staff areas starting tomorrow.
- Level B, staff lounge – 9/29-10/2
- Level 1, prior ILL staff area – 10/5-10/9
- Plaza Level, outside JoAnn/Barbara’s offices – 10/12-10/16
- Admin Offices – 10/19-10/23
There are three ways in which you can provide feedback
- Online Survey
- Post-it comments – Alongside the display boards will be a supply of sticky notes and markers to add your comments directly to the boards.
- Annotating maps – Alongside the display boards will be printed copies of each floor for you to mark them up with questions.
We have been given the opportunity to take a first look at these plans, which will be going to the Provost and PLAC before a broader conversation with the campus in November. As was noted in my Mashup these are not for public distribution. I expect that you will respect the process and honor this request. They will be shared widely in the next phase.
Meeting with Mark S. Valenti
As Beverly mentioned in her presentation last week, UConn has invited internationally-renowned technology leader Mark Valenti to campus to discuss how to effectively plan for a rapidly-evolving technology-enhanced future. Mark was part of the team that helped develop the newly remodeled Hunt Library at North Carolina State University. The visit is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 from 10:30-12 and the location is still to be determined. Once we have further confirmation I will let you know.
Staff Notes
It has been a bit since we’ve done some staff shout-out’s so I’d like to pick that back up today.
I have just signed my support to a grant request by Betsy Pittman to collaborate with Wesleyan University on a proposed project titled “Digitizing Atwater: Nutrition, Agriculture, and Home Economics in the Long 19th Century.” Wilbur Olin Atwater’s (1844-1907) groundbreaking work in nutrition science resulted in the popularization of the calorie. He was also the founder of the first U.S. Agricultural Experiment Station and the basis for the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station archive here at UConn. He was a graduate of Wesleyan College and his family papers were donated to Wesleyan in 2008-2009 which tie the two institutions together for this project.
The New England e-Science Program is sponsoring a workshop focused on data management tools on November 20th and Carolyn Mills will be leading the afternoon ‘New England Research Data Management Roundtable Discussion.’ The discussion is focused on librarians actively engaging in data services, providing practical ideas to better advocate the libraries’ role in the data management life cycle.
Several staff members continue to help the Libraries push forward with our goals to educate and encourage the use of open educational resources. This week Kathy Labadorf will be speaking at the Open Educational Resources workshop being held by BLC. And Kate Fuller worked along with her colleagues on the Senate Student Welfare Committee to propose a resolution to the University Senate to support the Open Textbook Initiative. That resolution passed at last week’s Senate meeting.
Patrick Carr was just elected to the Executive Committee for the Eastern Academic Scholars Trust (EAST) project through BLC. He will be providing an update on activities at this week’s VPC Open Forum.