Council of University of Wisconsin Libraries (CUWL)

Meeting Minutes

Heidel House Resort at Green Lake

September 13-14, 2004

 

Monday, September 13

 

Present:  Leanne Hansen (Chair), Arne Arneson, Ewa Barczyk, Barb Baruth, Marc Boucher, Lorie Docken, Anita Evans, Ken Frazier, Jean Gilbertson, Chris Goss, Peter Gottlieb, Tony Gulig, Ken Grant, Joyce Huang, John Krogman, Mordecai Lee, Valerie Malzacher, Ed Meachen, Paul Moriarty, Bob Rose, Phil Schwartz, Kathy Schneider, Felix Unaeze, Pat Wilkinson

 

Guests:  Ed Van Gemert, Hal Schlais.

 

1.        The meeting was called to order at 1:32 p.m.  Felix Unaeze and Jean Gilbertson were welcomed to the group and introductions were made around the table.  A consent agenda was adopted; the CUWL minutes from the May 6-7, 2004 meeting, the CUWL Executive Committee minutes of July 9, 2004, and the current meeting agenda were all approved.  Copies of CUWL Committees and Task Forces 2004/2005 and CUWL 2004/2005 Membership were distributed.

 

2.        UW System Administration Report. (Ed Meachen)  Meachen began by discussing the recent Endeavor/UW System meeting.  Endeavor has offered, free to the UW System, software to provide a test environment.  There are, however, costs associated with adding another server and providing staff to support it.  The benefit will be a quality insurance environment, which will help with the UB problem.  Meachen noted that we are in a steady state budget environment, so digital collections are becoming less numerous.  He hopes that UW libraries will get a small piece of funding through next budget cycle, but thinks that it will be a long shot.  Campuses may need to further subsidize the electronic collections budget.  Next year we will look at the next generation of hardware needed to support Endeavor.  The regional servers idea is worth exploring if it translates into reduced costs and increased efficiencies.  Rose noted that the LAMs have a subcommittee looking into this issue.  The group discussed budget issues.  A tuition increase (at least 4 ½ per cent) might be the only source of new UW System funds.  Although students support the idea of tuition increases going to libraries, the increases will probably also be used to support increases in financial aid and faculty salaries.  Meachen and three library directors will meet with new UW System President, Kevin Reilly, to recount how CUWL has met its goals and to explain how efficient we’ve been with our resources.  Goss noted that he has received a few edits to his budget document, which Frieda Harris is currently reviewing. 

 

3.        Mordecai Lee, faculty at UW-Milwaukee, was introduced and welcomed to CUWL.  Another round of introductions were made.

 

4.        SFX and MetaLib Implementation. (Paul Moriarty)  Moriarty complimented Malzacher and Todd Digby on a great presentation about SFX and MetaLib to the assembled joint meeting attendees during the morning session.  He thanked UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Eau Claire for hosting the intensive, three-day MetaLib training sessions.  Moriarty commented that Ex Libris has excellent trainers and is a good company to work with.  Van Gemert asked about the relationship between UB and MetaLib, and in response, Malzacher explained how MetaLib links to the catalog to place requests.  Frazier asked if there could be an opportunity during the MetaLib implementation process to create a common look and feel across the UW System.  After some discussion of the issues involved with developing a consistent and simple UW MetaLib implementation, Frazier proposed and Gulig seconded a motion that CUWL support a consistent approach to the implementation of MetaLib and SFX across UW libraries, and turn to the Advisory Committee and RCC for advice.  By voice vote, the motion passed unanimously.

 

5.        Collection Management Task Force Report. (Ewa Barczyk)  Barczyk summarized the group’s written report. The task force is examining serial duplication, monograph duplication, and reference collection duplication.  The task force recognizes the need to expedite the article rush service and wants to have a commercial delivery system, subsidized by the UW System, available for articles not located in any UW System library.  In October, an online workshop will be held for all UW ILL staff, focusing on best practices and outlining CUWL’s goals to reduce duplication in order to free up funding for local unique holdings.  In response to a suggestion that the October workshop be open to reference officers as well as ILL staff, Schneider noted that the focus will be on “how to do it” (e.g. how to get a transaction billed to the central account).  The task force is also concerned about scholarly communication and the need to develop strategies to promote alternative publications.  Rose said that there is a problem with the reference duplication issue, in that the reference interview process may not work well using remote access to reference sources.  Schneider mentioned that both ILL and reference staff should look at the “Inside the British Library” product.  It was recommended that one or two Collection Management Task Force members talk to the CDC and RCC at their October joint meeting.

 

6.       New Working Groups/Committees.

• Working group to edit the “UW System Policy on Library Support for Distance Education, Extended Education Students and Faculty.”   The policy, developed in 1999 and revised in 2001, is somewhat dated.  The Executive Committee will form a working group to revise the policy.  Grant asked that the group also look at philosophy of service.  After the group edits the document, it will be brought back to CUWL for discussion and approval.  Boucher has agreed to represent UW Colleges.  Other interested CUWL members should contact Hansen.
• Strategic Directions Planning Group for 2005-07.  Hansen asked that CUWL members contact her if they wish to be a part of the group.  She reviewed the timeline for the revision of the plan.
• Diversity Working Group.  Hansen noted that no work has been done as yet, and she asked if a working group should be created.  Rose said that that it would be a multi-year process, so CUWL should begin this year, at least to serve as a place marker.  Hansen asked CUWL members to contact her if interested in serving on group.

 

7.        Roundtable discussion: Future of Virtual Reference.  Wilkinson began by asking where CUWL would like to see virtual reference in three years, and where it will be if we don’t do anything different.   He commented that the consortium seems to be losing steam.  Frazier said that it is time for some fact finding and analysis, and time to study the question of effectiveness.  Malzacher commented that usage is low and that perhaps an all-academic consortium may have been a better idea.  Van Gemert noted that UW campuses do not all use the same software; UW-Madison purchased the license to use Convey software.  He said that UW-Madison’s present cost is in staffing, that usage is low, and that virtual reference is considered a supplemental tool.  He also noted that some of UW-Madison’s peers are using other tools, including blogging software.  Van Gemert agreed that CUWL should examine the virtual reference issue.  Baruth said that UW-Parkside had originally used the low-cost Human Click service but recently has purchased Docutek’s product.  She envisions librarians working with faculty to include the virtual reference service as one of the library resources on Desire2Learn course pages.  Huang noted that the use of “chat” is low, but email has gone up enormously.  Evans suggested looking at cost per use for the service; an analysis should be performed, similar to those done for other products purchased.  Gulig asked if the problem is a marketing issue.  Rose noted that there were some problems with pilot project and that the service was really phone reference done with email.  Schneider mentioned two problems: the service not 24x7, and public libraries are included.  Goss added that students are used to instant gratification with Google.  Wilkinson suggested that the Reference Coordinators Committee look at this issue.  Rose thought the RCC should also look at possible cooperation with help desks.  The CUWL Executive committee will take the virtual reference issue to RCC.

 

8.        WiLS Report. (Kathy Schneider)  Concerning the threatened lawsuit, Schneider understands that the parties are no longer seeking back damages but there has been no official “backing off.”   WiLS has provided the attorneys assurance that it is complying with the law and fair use.  WiLS now only accepts company requests via OCLC or through the webform, and if the borrower is a company without a library, WiLS turns the request over to Wisconsin Tech Search, another Madison unit.  WiLS does not now serve commercial document delivery services.  Schneider also distributed copies of a table showing requests fill by each UW campus to Reference & Loan.

 

9.        Electronic Communications Task Force. (Paul Moriarty)  CUWL has a new website (UWLIB.UWSA.EDU), thanks to the work of Tom Murray and the staff at Wendt Library.  Traditional site information appears along the left hand side of the page.  Minutes and other official documents can be posted by secretaries and other designated people; the documents will be reviewed by OLIT staff to make sure they conform to UW System standards, and then will appear on the website.  The forum section, in the middle of the page, is the place where library staff can share information and post documents.  For startup purposes, there is just one forum.  Individuals must self-register and then can share their information.  Directors should start promoting the site to staff.  The challenge is going to be getting people to go to yet another place for information.  Please send comments about the website to Moriarty.  Moriarty also mentioned that the UW System is in the process of revising all of its web pages and that the CUWL pages will be converted to the look and feel of the new UW System pages.

 

10.     Copyright and Intellectual Property Task Force. (John Krogman)  The task force has completed a fourth draft of the copyright policy guidelines.  The idea is to keep them short, hit on some key points, and not supplant what others have already done, to provide campuses with a starting point if needed, and to give some commonality to copyright policy statements.  The group plans to develop a “frequently asked questions” document as well.  Krogman reported that Chris Ashley, UW System legal counsel, has been kept informed of the group’s work and has advised the task force to write guidelines rather than a UW System policy.  Krogman asked CUWL for comments, suggestions, and edits to the current draft.  In response to a question about the use of “UW-Platteville” in the document, Krogman said that it appears as an example, and a campus can replace it with their own name. Evans suggested replacing “template” with “sample.”  Rose noted that FAQs will be on CUWL website and libraries can link to them.  Frazier stated that CUWL has an interest in a UW System reserve and e reserve policy. 

 

11.     Wisconsin Historical Society Report. (Peter Gottlieb)

• The Society has a new director, Ellsworth Brown; Gottlieb spoke about Brown’s background and

experience.  Brown begins his work with an explicit obligation to raise private money for the WHS. 

•  Owing in large part to Frazier’s leadership and his staff, the partnership with UW-Madison GLS has been strengthened.  There is a joint approval plan and a purchase program whereby self-ready copy of works in North American history are being acquired.  Joint work has been done in the digital collections arena.  Through a collaborative undertaking with UW-Madison’s Digital Collections Center, application has been made for a $500,000 NEH/LC grant to digitize Wisconsin newspapers.  The grant focuses on newspapers published between 1900 to 1910, seeking digitization of the “newspaper of record” in Wisconsin during that period. 
• There are some high priority facilities issues, including building an offsite storage facility.  The WHS has been advocating for this building project for a long time; the proposed preservation facility is linked to ability to renovate their building, which is dire need of remodeling and restoration.  
• Gottlieb ended his report by reminding CUWL that his staff is always available to help a campus work with its Area Research Center space, answer questions, and assist in other ways.

 

The meeting adjourned for the day at 4:20 p.m.

 

Tuesday, September 13

 

The meeting was reconvened at 8:32 a.m.

 

Present:  Leanne Hansen (Chair), Ewa Barczyk, Barb Baruth, Marc Boucher, Lorie Docken, Anita Evans, Ken Frazier, Jean Gilbertson, Chris Goss, Peter Gottlieb, Ken Grant, Joyce Huang, Valerie Malzacher, Paul Moriarty, Bob Rose, Phil Schwartz, Pat Wilkinson, Felix Unaeze, Kathy Schneider, Lorie Voss

 

Guests: LAMs, Helen McCain

 

1. LAMs Report (Carol Van Horn) 

• Universal Borrowing.  Problems seem to have decreased over the summer, but summer volume is low, so it is difficult to determine if the situation has really improved.  There are new, better procedures for handling incidents and it is likely that the current open UB incidents will be closed and we will start afresh.  The new test server environment will also help the UB situation.
•  MetaLib.  The LAMs are interested in knowing more about what CUWL has in mind regarding consistency.   Some librarians have strong feelings about how they want to implement MetaLib and are worried about limiting creativity.  Hansen said that CUWL agreed yesterday to ask the Advisory Committee and RCC for advice on this issue.  Van Horn noted that it might be difficult to go back and provide consistency for SFX.  Moriarty explained that it would be good for campuses to share the same look and feel, and suite of services, so that students going between campuses will not be confused.  Gilbertson commented that it will be necessary to keep simple both the technology and the way services are presented to users.  Babin observed that there is a conflict between wanting consistency and not revisiting SFX decisions.  Malzacher pointed out that campuses have selected different ways to display Voyager search results and this has caused confusion.  Nolan Pope stated that it will be necessary to suspend individual campus MetaLib discussions until system-wide consistency decisions are made.  The Executive Committee will meet next week to take up the issue.  Moriarty recognized the need to come quickly to an agreement on areas targeted for consistency, so that campuses can proceed with implementation.

 

2. Endeavor Update (Lorie Docken).  Voss will pursue a sole source rather than bid or RFP for the South Central Delivery contract renewal; the annual cost is close to $700,000.  Docken reviewed the letter from Don Mucino, Endeavor’s Chief Operating Officer, and reported that there have been a series of meetings with Endeavor about UB problems.  Docken’s impression is that Endeavor is making a concerted effort to address the issues.  Wisconsin is experiencing more and different problems than other Endeavor consortia and Mucino has made suggestions to improve the situation.  1) Ensure that all 14 Wisconsin databases are patched and updated simultaneously. Additional hubs could be created across the state (i.e. centralizing databases on hub platforms), which should enable faster installation of patches and upgrades.  2) Create a Wisconsin test environment.  Other major consortia have test environments and it is clear that having a test environment is important.  However, creation and maintenance of a test environment will involve a fair amount of staff time. The test environment will allow Wisconsin to have access to new code, including beta code, at an earlier stage.  Docken and others will talk to other consortia about their test environments and report back to CUWL.  3). Consolidate UB incidents at a single site with a single person.  Georgia and other consortia already consolidate issue reporting, working with individual sites to provide a comprehensive report back to Endeavor.  Docken will talk with Pope and Edie Dixon about issues involved in joint reporting of UB incidents and report back to CUWL.  Discussion then returned to the test environment topic.  Although Endeavor is willing to waive the $30,000 setup fee for a test environment, Mucino indicated that there will be maintenance costs.  Some CUWL members commented that Wisconsin should not be required to pay these costs.  Frazier noted that creation of a test environment is a permanent commitment, and asked if there will be indirect costs.  Docken responded that staff resources will be necessary and noted that Georgia and other consortia provide staff support.   Hansen recalled that LS2000 had a test environment and problems were caught before new code was put into production.  CUWL will continue to have discussions about hardware and hub configurations. 

 

3. Strategic Directions for a UW Institutional Repository Task Force.  (Pat Wilkinson, Lorie Docken)  Wilkinson said that he, Docken, and Pope prepared the charge; he noted that the task force should take a serious look at the role UW libraries can play in the creation of a sustainable online repository for digital scholarship.  He has already received a couple of comments about the charge, some being editorial in nature.  Arneson observed that there are several institutional repository efforts underway (e.g. D2L, and various campus projects) and wondered whether CUWL is acting too late.  Wilkinson replied that we need, as a system, to consider the direction to take.  Frazier said that the future of academic libraries is in a closer partnership with faculty and staff in the creation and management of digital content.  There are different kinds of repositories, with a variety of missions, some less concerned with the value of a permanent record.  Voss said that she has worked with D2L, IT, and libraries, and can’t think of a better area for libraries to take a leadership role.  Bill Doering commented that there is a need to collect and preserve student theses.  Baruth suggested that the task force investigate and perhaps work with the Tech Colleges learning object repository (Wisconsin Online Resource Center).  Frazier recommended removing “institutional” from the task force title.  On a voice vote, CUWL passed the committee’s motion to continue work on a CUWL Task for Strategic Directions for a UW Institutional Repository.

 

4. State Digital Library Update. (Kathy Schneider)  Schneider distributed copies of Digital Planning Update, dated 9/13/04.   Following up after the Digital Library Conference last March, the committee began meeting in June and is looking at models from Utah, Missouri, and Colorado.  Schneider noted that those three states represent a range of structures.  The committee is planning a series of brief presentations, including one at WLA.  Committee membership has expanded beyond the library community and there is now a representative from the Milwaukee Public Museum.  The group is working hard to get other institutions involved.

 

5. Lorie Voss introduced Helen McCain, the Director of the UW System Office of Procurement, noting that Helen primarily focuses on ITMC issues.  CUWL members welcomed her.

 

6. UWDC Report and Demonstration.  (Pat Wilkinson)  Wilkinson discussed issues the committee will be working on this coming year. 1) There are plans to do site usability studies.  2) UW-Madison’s collections will become part of the UWDC.  The first priority is to bring them into UWDC site, and then to give them the UWDC look and feel.  3) The task force will be evaluating CONTENTdm, which has changed considerably over the past several years.  4) The committee will look at the interoperability issues and how to integrate sites with different platforms.  Currently, there are approximately 800,000 images/pages on the UWDC site.  Plans are being made to allow OAI harvesting of the UWDC metadata, which will make the site more accessible worldwide.  Software products with new capabilities have been demoed and some will be gradually phased in.   For example, all collections will soon be able to gather statistics on the number of “hits” per year.  Search capabilities need refinement.  Discussion turned to the DSPACE repository, which may be named “MINDS at UW.”  The repository is divided into various communities, and each community defines who is included and who can add objects.  Currently, an item can only be a part of one collection.  Pope demonstrated how to add an item and its associated metadata to the repository.  CUWL members should contact Pope if they would like Lisa Saywell to visit their campus to talk about UWDC and DSPACE.  Wilkinson closed the report by noting that the committee is always looking for new ideas for digital collections.

 

7. Resource Sharing Committee Report (Kathy Schneider).  Schneider distributed copies of data from the committee’s third survey.  The survey shows that the consistency idea does not carry through to UB.  Invoicing each other for lost materials causes the most difficulty across campuses (e.g. What happens if the item is paid for and then the user brings it back?). The committee recommends a pilot project: when a UB item is lost, the information (patron’s home campus, item lost, amount due) will be compiled and sent to Schneider.  She will collect the information in order to get an idea of the volume and determine if there is a way to simplify the process.  The issue is not whether the user will settle up (s/he will be pursued by their own library), but whether libraries will settle up with each other. Van Gemert, Baruth and Barczyk spoke in support of abandoning invoicing between libraries.  Rose said that he would like to see the data first.  Schwartz stated that UB shouldn’t drive a library’s circulation policy.  Wilkinson reported that when UW-Oshkosh implemented UB, their circulation policies were amended to put them in sync with UB in order to provide consistency for patrons.  CUWL passed unanimously, by voice vote, the Resource Sharing Committee’s recommendation that libraries this coming year not invoice each other for lost items, but instead send the information to Schneider for reconciliation. The pilot project is effective immediately.  Schneider will send out an informational email that can be forwarded to staff.

 

8. LibQUAL+ Findings and Discussion.  Moriarty has prepared and distributed summary LibQUAL+ information for UW libraries. Van Gemert said that UW-Madison has focused attention on customer service issues and is using training videos.  He also noted that the survey drew attention to problems with physical facilities, such as the need for group study space.  Barczyk suggested sharing information about customer service video training.  The “fish video,” available thru Madison Area Quality Improvement Network (MAQIN) was recommended.  Rose said that survey results included many individual comments, which he found very interesting.   Frazier reported that UW-Madison libraries have featured LibQUAL+ comments in a hand out entitled In Their Own Words, which they plan to send to donors.  He distributed copies to the group, noting that there is real power in using people’s own comments.  Frazier also noted that the quality of the collection, with respect to access and control, is an issue.  He said that ARL is providing consulting services to organize a focus group “by invitation” event which will target the most influential faculty.  Evans noted that Goss used the LibQUAL+ information effectively in the DIN.  Evans is going to use staff nametags to improve customer service at UW-La Crosse.  Wilkinson is preparing a presentation for campus administration, including photos of egregious areas of the library interspersed with negative comments from the faculty and students about the building.  Frazier stated that there is an opportunity for simple strategic message to the new UW System president, since UW System funded the survey.  Rose has received Student Tech Fee monies to upgrade technical areas of the library.  Malzacher reported that the UW-River Falls library was hammered on a reduction in library hours, and will increase hours this fall as result of the survey.  Hansen said that UW-Green Bay used the students’ survey comments requesting more library information to get a weekly library column in the student newspaper, after several years of asking.  Unaeze commented that the Ferris State and Chicago State libraries polled students and received feedback about noise levels and lack of group study areas.  When new libraries were built at those institutions, group study areas were included, and turned out to be the most heavily used areas.  To resolve the noise level problem, special areas were designated as quiet study areas.  Huang said that UW-Whitewater was able to get additional funding from the Provost because of the survey results.  She added that in response to noise level and cell phone issues, they devised a business-size card to give anyone using cell phone in library.  She will email the card’s image to CUWL members.  Hansen suggested that CUWL should use the new web forum to continue the LibQUAL+ results discussion.

 

9. Strategic Directions Progress Report.  Earlier this summer, Strategic Directions 2003-05. Executive Summary Report was prepared for and sent to Dr. Cora Marrett.  It was agreed that CUWL should also send the document to other groups.   CUWL members were asked to email Hansen edits by Friday, September 24^th. 

 

10. Other Business.

• Frazier reviewed the Wisconsin Idea Project, also referred to as the K-12 Portal.  It consists of a database of services, libraries, and campus agencies that have a special mission of outreach to the K-12 community, and includes information from UW-Madison and other UW campuses.  The site receives about 2,000 hits a month.  Frazier asked that the CUWL directors each email him the name of a library liaison for their campus, someone who project staff can check in with periodically to make sure that the services and agencies are still current and visible to the K-12 community.
• Rose mentioned that ACRL will meet next April in Minneapolis; a good, diverse group of programs will be presented.  ACRL is giving discounts to libraries sending 10 or more staff.
• Barczyk distributed flyers about the Wisconsin Women in Higher Education Leadership Conference, an inexpensive staff development opportunity that all UW campuses support.

 

• Next Meetings. 

* Conference call between mid-November and mid-December.

* February 7, 2005, the Monday prior to Legislative Day.

* Late spring at West Bend.

* Send Hansen suggestions for agenda items.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 11:37 a.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Barb Baruth