Department Meeting 11/11/09

We began the meeting with a Backstage report from Deb (problems with 4XX fields etc.) and Peggy’s report from the newly named Desk Management Group. She mentioned the move of the print card machine, the new scanner location,the suggestion to replace some tables in the Commons, possible security sweeps to check for outside users, the Public Use Policy, the acquisition of FBIS and the changes in Lexis-Nexis). Each will send out detailed minutes of the meetings.

We decided on 2:30 Dec. 9th for Irma’s party
Jennie asked us to check the Office phone each day for voice mail. Also, we should leave the regular items out for the public (pencils, staplers, hole punches etc.) not the entire tray we had when the window was open.
The binding returns that were Irma’s responsibility need to be reassigned. We will make a new shelf for binding returns.
Linda reported that we are not getting records for new microfiche. They can’t be converted on the print or electronic records, so Peggy will contact Laurie Hall at GPO to ask her what is happening.
Deb and Jennie showed us a flow chart that they are developing for revising the IN-House Use procedure. We discussed it and made suggestions. Deb will bring the revised chart to the next meeting.

Meeting Minutes 11/4/2009

Answering the phone/walk-ins
Salem is getting a new phone so she will be able to pick up 2-8834. Anyone can pick up the department line when it rings; it's ok if multiple people answer. No need to wait for three rings. We will leave the department door open for walk-ins. No problem with people walking in and asking for help. Anyone call assist.

Peggy's Report
1. The Research Services Management Group (not the actual name, which is yet to be decided) still needs to form two sub-teams: service and technology. A key issue for the Management Group is that this is a shared endeavor, so management decisions need to be shared and not just made in one department. The group is hoping also that lines of communication will become more clear. Individuals will communicate concerns to the person(s) from their department who is/are on the teams.

2. Aurora Public Library: bad news. Their bond issue did not pass, so they will be dropping depository status immediately. Theresa Kenney, APL's govdocs point person, will be losing her job. Peggy will try to move the December GoPig meeting to Aurora, so libraries can take whatever documents they want from the APL collection. Other fallout from the bond failure: APL's library budget will be cut from $900K to $300K and four branches will be closed. There will be other job cuts (including the head of reference from the main library, Carol Foreman, whom Peggy and Leanne met)

3. Lexis/Nexis update:
Congressional Record: Lexis/Nexis plans to complete the digitization of the CR by January. We are already moving our CRs offsite. Community service students are working on this. Peggy mentioned that Priscilla made us an offer that if we would purchase the Serial Set maps from L/N Congressional, she would throw in the Serial Set module to 1966 (price tag: $29k)
Once the new version of Lexis/Nexis Academic rolls out, the CRS reports will be available through the Academic module as well as Congressional. [Peggy emailed us the link for Beta Academic so we can try it]

4. Peggy met with Pat Morris from Preservation. They will be disbanding one of our copies of the Bureau of Ethnology annual reports for digitizing. GovPubs will keep the best copy. The whole series will be digitized as tiff files and linked to the records in the catalog.

5. Peggy mentioned to Jennifer Knievel that Opposing Viewpoints Reference Center is a very useful resource and the library should consider purchasing it (currently it is on trial). We looked at it briefly - In Find Articles and More, it is available under General and Interdisciplinary --> Most Useful.

Information from Stephanie via Jennie
Call number signs for the Reference Collection are now up in the Research area. All the signs are numbered.

In-departmental Training
Jennie noted that there are several new iterations of databases: EPA, UNEP, Eurostat, regulations.gov. We decided that once a month at our staff meetings we would look at new resources or new versions of resources. This will be informal; no presentations, just take a look at a resource or two as a group.

Student Jobs
Let Linda know what student jobs you have. These would be fill-in jobs, especially for students who just need something for a short time. These jobs will be posted on the whiteboard. One task that was mentioned was general housekeeping: filling stapers, putting out paper and pencils, etc.

In-house Use
Irma is leaving us and we need to decide on how to handle the in-house use items that Irma takes care of. Several in-house use issues were raised: counting vs processing; what should be done with things without bar codes; how much time and effort do we put into processing these items; processing in-house use items without bar codes might take time away from the conversion activities; who should be handling these items; we need to be especially aware of foreign and international documents; what about on-the-fly records. As far as the on-the-flys are concerned, Deb reported that she created a list of over 1,000 on-the-fly records and has been working on them. The list is down to about 700. Irma has been bringing the on-the-flys to Deb. We decided that with all these issues involved, we should have a small information gathering group who will look at the issues and bring proposals to a staff meeting. The group will include advantages/disadvantages to their proposals, so the gov pubs staff as a whole can make a decision. Deb and Jennie will be the small group.
On a related issue, Deb wants to arrange a farewell gathering for Irma. Several dates were suggested and Deb will consult Irma about Tuesday, December 15th.

New templates for Subject and Country Guides
Salem and Jennie unveiled the new templates, which are tab-based. The group made several style and text suggestions. Jennie and Salem will do a prototype based on these decisions and present it to the group for further evaluation. There was also some discussion about adding additional tabs to our country pages.

Next meeting: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Technical Services agenda

Respectfully submitted,
Leanne Walther