The task force to review and propose changes to our help services has been amended based on feedback from staff.  The new charge is as follows:

Library Help Service Task Force

Charge

The Library Help task force is charged to examine and document “help” service models in all forms as they currently exist within the Libraries.  The task force will gather data from library units that provide assistance  – whether internally to library staff, or externally to library patrons – to better understand the current state of help service practices, including current access points, the nature of questions, and factors that facilitate or hamper providing help within the libraries.

Providing assistance to library users and staff in a seamless and transparent way is critical to the library’s viability and is central to the library’s mission.   The proposed task force will document our current models to provide data for future discussion on creating a sustainable, comprehensive library service model.

The task force will prepare documentation on the current state of library help services for the Vice Provost’s Council by March 14, 2014

Task Force Members:

• Kate Fuller will serve as task force leader (UE)
• Representatives from CRI, ITS, RCL, ILL, and LRS

Joel Atkinson                (CRI)
Nancy Dryden              (RCL)
Alice Fairfield               (LRS – ERM)
David Hicking               (ITS)
Stan Huzarewicz           (ILL)
Rick O’Toole               (ITS)

More information can be found on their Ibis site at https://ibis.lib.uconn.edu/teams/olh/default.aspx

As part of our ongoing effort to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the UConn Libraries, I am proposing changes to our existing organizational structure that I would like to share with you at the UCL-wide Town Hall meeting on Thursday, February 6^th at 10:00am. This is an important conversation, and one where I hope all staff will participate so please make every effort to attend. I ask that you RSVP by this Friday, January 31st to confirm your attendance. Once we know how many of you will be joining us we will confirm the location.

We will not be hiring a consultant for this process because I believe that we can, and should, manage the process ourselves. I have asked JP Lacombe from Human Resources to help organize and facilitate the open dialogue necessary for our success. There will be ample opportunity to discuss the proposed changes at the meeting, as well as future follow up meetings. Should you have questions ahead of the meeting and would like to submit them anonymously, you may send them to hr-osd@uconn.edu. JP will be checking this e-mail box and will only provide me with the questions submitted – without names – to ensure anonymity.

I am truly excited about the future of the UConn Libraries and look forward to sharing my ideas with you.

Best,
Martha

In addition to finding the links to Administrative Services, AFS, Public Outreach, ITS, the Office of the Vice Provost index page now has a separate section for the Vice Provost for Libraries.  This page will have easy access to Martha’s Weekly Messages, Mashups and any other information coming from the Vice Provost’s office.

The Vice Provost’s Council page will still be accessible through the Cross Program Teams drop down and will include agendas, meeting minutes and supporting documentation.  The Directors Council page and its documents will still be accessible via the archives page.

The minutes from the first Vice Provost’s Council on Wednesday, October 30 are available here.

Highlights include:

Initial Conversation Regarding the Purpose of the Vice Provost’s Council – The Directors and staff attending discussed operating principles. Future meetings will result in a new charge, meetings will be held every other week, agendas will be set by the directors and sent out the week before, and additions to the agenda should go through your director. Staff is encouraged to attend and must notify Khara of attendance in advance.

Director Updates – Highlights include updates on the deaccessioning project and the public release of the Connecticut Digital Archive.  There is a lot happening around the library so don’t forget to take a look at the general announcements from your fellow colleagues.

Next Vice Provost’s Council

Wednesday, November 13, 9:30am-11:30am in the HBL Administrative Conference Room

Agenda can be found here.  Please let Khara know if you will be attending.

As it did in FY 2005 and FY 2009, the UConn Libraries will be collecting data in FY 2014 related to library use in accordance with the federal government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21. The same survey is used at many research universities in the United States. This year’s survey at UConn will run from July, 2013 through June 2014 and will consist of three data collection activities:

1. An in-house user survey in HBL that will take place two hours each month at randomly selected times. The in-house user survey is being coordinated by the Statistics and Assessment Team (Carole Dyal, Kate Fuller, Susanna Cowan, and Joel Atkinson). This survey is intended to gather data on library use from individuals who enter HBL during a survey period.
2. A web-based survey that will be presented to users of e-journals, e-books, and databases during the same two hours each month as the in-house survey. Users will be required to complete a very brief survey (four clicks) before they are connected to one of the Libraries’ e-resources.
3. Library staff who enter service data into RIO have been asked to indicate the purpose of use for each service they provide over the course of the year.

In addition to being used in the University’s submission to the government, this data will be helpful in demonstrating to the Provost the extent to which the Libraries support the University’s research and educational programs.

The schedule for the in-house and web-based surveys are as follows:

 July 25, Thursday 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

August 13, Tuesday 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

September 13, Friday 10 a.m. – Noon

October 18, Friday 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

November 9, Saturday Noon – 2 p.m.

December 17, Tuesday 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

January 8, Wednesday 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.

February 23, Sunday 10 a.m. – Noon

March 5, Wednesday 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

April 9, Wednesday 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

May 14, Wednesday 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

June 3, Tuesday Noon – 2 p.m.

If you have any questions related to the survey, please contact me at 6-6346 or jean.nelson@lib.uconn.edu