Minutes

University Library Committee Spring Meeting

4/3/2024

2:00-2:40

Present: Bryan Proksch (chair and minute taker), Gene Thodori, Sujin Wang, Michael Saar, Katherine Sprott, Yumi Shin

Absent: Elizabeth Long, Chunda Chen, Qiang Xu, Theresa Hefner-Babb, Drake Rothenberger

Meeting Called to Order at 2:00

Motion and second to approve minutes; passed unanimously

Announcements:

Michael Saar

• 2/1 Saar returned to the library faculty with Theodori appointed interim dean of library
• Search in progress for permanent dean, candidate interviews April 24-25; Theresa Hefner-Babb is chairing the committee.
• Various library positions remain unfilled:
  • REL, Tech Services, Acquisitions, and a number of staff positions. First two of these are open as searches currently.
• Library Renovations
  • Plan is proceeding, with work on elevators currently in progress (will take approximately one year).
  • Phase I: floors 5-8 begins Fall 2025
  • Phase II: floors 1-4 scheduled for Fall 2026 assuming Phase I progresses
  • During a large part of the renovation the stacks will not be accessible except with the assistance of library staff or using call slips.
  • Plans for 40% culling of collection remain in place. Analytics tool will be live shortly.
    • Items purchased more than 10 years ago, uncirculated, available widely (locally or online), or considered non-critical to the field will be “rehoused” (discarded).
    • Identification of items will complete in May 2024, and items will be disposed of in early 2025. Must be done quickly to get construction underway.
    • Proksch: inquired as to faculty/departments getting the opportunity to claim unwanted items before giving them to the public. Saar: may not be possible if schedule gets too compressed or given workload that would entail on the library staff, but he will do his best to try.
  • Instruction Updates
    • Library instruction courses will move to a borrowed space or regular classrooms (visits) when Phase I begins.
    • LIBR 1301 course on research did not make this year, but is 090 core component and students are encouraged to take it as freshmen.

Gene Theodori:

• Library is undergoing same tenure and promotion guideline revision required of all other colleges and departments.
• $0 budgeting for next fiscal year: library is doing the same thing all the departments and colleges are doing.

Discussion:

Yumi Shin: inquired about ways to increase LIT student access to library services and how they might be improved. A discussion followed with Michael Saar about how library faculty/staff are willing to go to give their instruction on LIT’s campus just as they are with Lamar’s courses. They agreed to discuss further after the meeting adjourned.

Meeting adjourned at 2:40.