Information Services Management Committee

Minutes of the Meeting July 3, 2001
1:30-3:00p.m.
Porter Meeting Room 407

Present:  Wish Leonard, Doug Morton (Recorder), Susan Moskal, Susan Routliffe  (Chair), Maureen McCormack, Linda Teather

Guests: Margaret Aquan-Yuen, Susan Bellingham

1. Minutes of the meeting of June 19, 2001.

   The minutes were approved as amended. Wish L. will distribute them to library staff.

2. Review of Information Service statistics

   The committee continued the discussions of May 29 and June 19. Information added to the chart (distributed separately) are columns for “the use made of the statistics” as well as “potential uses”. Additional discussions and action points covered:

   • Definitions of reference statistics categories are needed and should be added to the chart.
   • Add rows for Distance Education queries.
   • “Communication about Library” category was postponed until Mary S. is present.
   • “Web pages created” is on the chart but will be deleted since there is insufficient reason to keep.
   • “Publications > Print” is on the chart but will be deleted since there is insufficient reason to keep.
   • “Publications > Displays” is on the chart but will be deleted since there is insufficient reason to keep.
   At the next meeting we will look for input from Amos Lakos.

3. Membership rotation.

   People responding to the request for volunteers will be asked to contact Susan R. if they are interested. If there are two or more people volunteers for a single position, Susan R. will determine who is selected.

4. Reference Questions at the Circ desk

   The committee reviewed the guidelines for User Services staff answering reference questions produced by Wish L., Susan M., Shabiran R., and Melanie Watkins following the meeting of June 12, 2001.

   The following modifications were requested:

   • User Services staff will generally refer questions to the Information Desk when that desk is open but can use their judgement about whether to refer when the patron is asking for assistance locating a book when the author or title is known.
   • The view was expressed that this document is about what should happen when the Information Desk is closed.
   • The title should be expanded to: Guidelines for handling reference questions at the Circulation Desk.
   • Some background information on the need for such a document.

   The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 14, 2001, 1:30 pm, in Davis Library Conference room.