Updated Charge for the Library Help Service Task Force

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Jean Cardinale

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

Reorganization Planning Meeting

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Jean Cardinale

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

Renovations to Bookworms

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Jean Cardinale

This is the time of year that Bookworms often closes to clean and buff the floors but this year the closure is so much more. As you have likely seen through the windows, Bookworms is transforming their space to better serve their customers.

The changes will not decrease the available seating, but will eliminate the self-serve coffee functions. The new staff work area will be bumped out into the area where they now have the bagels and other grab-an-go items giving them a much larger are to work in. The front will include refrigerator systems and the condiments station will be double sided and in the same general area they were before. The toaster will also be in the same general area, with the plan to be to have that against the glass.

The image below is part of the concept design so may not be what the finished product looks like, but it will certainly give you a sense of the new look and feel.

Copyright of Corsair Display Systems, LLC.

They are pushing to have the work done for opening at the beginning of the semester and we will keep our fingers crossed that it happens!

Library Winter Solstice

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Jean Cardinale

Thanks to all who joined the Winter Solstice. The winners for the best dessert contest were

Best Pie: Banana Cream Pie, Sheila Lafferty
Best Cookies: Star-Anised infused Sugar Cookies, Joelle Thomas and Marisol Ramos
Best Vegan/Gluten Free: Chocolate Truffles, Galadriel Chilton
Best Use of Chocolate: Chocolate Torte, Matt Hadis
Best Overall: Tie between Glutten Free Peach Cobbler (Melissa and Steve Batt) and Chocolate Torte (Matt Hadis)

The winners of the ornament contest were:
Prettiest: Chris McNevins
Most Unusual: Carole Dyal

Enjoy the quick slide show
[slideshow_deploy id=’332′]

A look at finals from our students

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Jean Cardinale

24/7 hours in Babbidge extended

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Jean Cardinale

Based on feedback received from the Undergraduate Student Government’s Academic Affairs Committee and gate count statistics from 2012, the Homer Babbidge Library extended its 24/7 hours this fall semester. Starting on December 2^nd, the flagship library in the UCL system opened its doors and did not close until 6pm on Sunday, December 15^th, for a total of 330 hours. The additional hours between 2-8am of pre-finals week amounted to another 1,488 patrons able to study in the library. The two week period of 24/7 saw a total of 117,148 patrons, with a peak of 11,972 on Monday, December 9.

Winter Solstice Invitation

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Jean Cardinale

ARL Executive Director Elliott Shore’s “Listening Tour”

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Jean Cardinale

Elliott Shore was appointed the new executive director of ARL in January, and embarked on a “Listening Tour” through member libraries. The tour has taken him all over the country to learn more about the issues that interest member representatives, to talk with the library staff, and to see the libraries and collections that make up the membership of ARL. The tour has inspired him and has already begun to shape the strategic direction of ARL. For example, at the 10th Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services in September, he challenged the library assessment community to radically change the measures it collects and uses based on feedback he has received from member libraries. He proposed that libraries shift their assessment focus from description to prediction, from inputs to outputs, and from quantity to quality.

Prior to the public presentation, he will be meeting with Sally Reis, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Michael Mundrane, Vice Provost and CIO. The full itinerary is as follows:

9:00-10:00 Martha Bedard, Vice Provost for University Libraries
10:00‐11:00 Dr. Sally Reis, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
11:00‐11:30 Tour of Thomas J. Dodd
11:30‐12:30 Dr. Michael Mundrane, Vice Provost and Chief Information Officer
12:30‐1:30 Lunch
1:30‐2:30 Meeting with Martha Bedard, Scott Kennedy, Francine DeFranco
2:45‐3:30 Staff Presentation Class of 1947 Conference Room
3:30‐4:00 Tour of Homer Babbidge

Our membership in ARL is an important one, and I hope you will join us for this one-of-a-kind opportunity to talk to Elliott regarding issues facing librarianship, and the role of ARL. More information about Elliott Shore can be found at http://www.arl.org/about/staff/61-elliott-shore

Ibis Updates for Vice Provost’s Office and Vice Provost’s Council

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Jean Cardinale

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.

VICE PROVOST’S COUNCIL

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Jean Cardinale

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.