Information Services Management Committee

Minutes of the Meeting of September 18, 2001
1:30-3:30 P.M.
Porter Conference Room

Present:  Marlene Laurence, Wish Leonard, Maureen McCormack, Doug Morton, Susan Moskal, Shabiran Rahman, Susan Routliffe (Chair), Rose Koebel (Recorder)

Guests: Susan Bellingham, Richard Pinnell

Regrets:  Mary Stanley, Linda Teather

1. Minutes of Previous Meeting

   The minutes of the September 11, 2001 meeting were approved with changes.

2. Review of Topics Handled During Past Year, Which Were Not Included in List Created in September 2000

   At last week’s meeting, we noted the status of topics we had identified last September for discussion in the upcoming year.  In addition to the topics identified last year, ISMC also discussed the topics in the following list, which Linda prepared by reviewing last year’s minutes:

   • Oct. 24, 2000 - Volunteers at Information Services desks
   • Oct. 31, 2000 - Printing and downloading from public workstations
   • Jan. 9, 2001 - Results of the Survey to Evaluate Special Issue of for your information
   • Apr. 17, 2001 (& May 1/01 & May 15/01) - Report from the Ad Hoc Publications Committee re conversion of How To & Titles series (related to html vs pdf issue)
   • Apr. 17, 2001 - Web statistics (response to Web Ops Group)
   • June 5, 2001 - ASKLIB
   • June 19, 2001 - E-publication to replace fyi
   • Aug. 21, 2001 - Recommendations from Ask Us/Tell Us Group
   • Aug. 28, 2001 - "You're in the Library Now" Bulletin Board
   • Aug. 28, 2001 - Report of the Signage Committee

3. New Members

   Susan R. reported that she received expressions of interest from five staff members to join the Committee.  The new members will be Melanie Watkins (to replace Wish Leonard); Judy McTaggart (to replace Maureen McCormack); Richard Pinnell (to replace Marlene Laurence); Helena Calogeridis (to replace Shabiran Rahman); and Jim Parrott (to replace Jackie Stapleton).  The Committee planned the discussion for the transitional meeting, which will be on Tuesday, October 2, at Porter as follows:

   • outstanding business
   • upcoming topics
   • how ISMC operates (how the minutes, Web page, and agenda are handled; frequency of meetings; creation of task groups)

   It was noted that the new members will need background documentation for topics that have already been discussed and that will be carried forward. Virtual reference will be the next main topic slated to begin October 9.  Susan R. will prepare documentation she has been collecting and will talk to someone at Guelph about the library’s virtual reference service available there.  

4. Review of Statistics Table

   Some of the content under the Info Desks (UMD,  Special Collections) and Consultations (EDS, Subject specialists) categories was completed on the latest version of the table.  The following categories will be modified as follows:

   1. Info Desk – UMD:
      • remove “rainchecks” from the What is counted column
      • add “simple”, “complex”, and “geospatial (daily)” under What is counted
      • add the information as supplied by Richard to the remaining columns
   2. Info Desk – Spec. Coll.:
      • remove the four items under the What is counted column and replace them with “simple”, “complex”
   3. Consultations:  EDS:
      • replace “geospatial” with “consultations with individuals” under What is counted column
   4. Consultations:  Subject specialists
      • remove contents and replace with “consultations with individuals” under What is counted

   The Committee will continue with the category Asklib at next week’s meeting, and filling in the What is counted column.  Committee members and today’s guests should be prepared to come to the meeting with the kinds of external reports they have encountered in connection with their statistics. Today’s action items include:
   • Maureen will update the table to include changes to the above four categories, along with the information supplied by Richard and Susan B. 
   • Maureen will ask Cheryl to convert the Excel table back to Word.
   • Shabiran will ask Margaret Aquan-Yuen to attend next week’s meeting.
   • Maureen will talk to Janet Wason regarding statistics for the Adaptive Technology Centre.

5. Business Arising:  Laptop Readiness

   Doug brought two “Connect your laptop here” signs, which Linda Hastings had prepared.  He will ask Linda to add a reminder about not leaving laptops unattended.  Doug also distributed the set of instructions for connecting laptops that he, Maureen and Carl created.  The first two pages are specific to the Library; the remaining 3 pages pertain to procedures for several operating systems.  Printed copies will be placed in envelopes beside the carrels, and in binders.  They may be handed out as well.  ISMC will review the instructions and send any comments to Doug.  Maureen and Doug will work on a Web version of the instructions pertaining to the Library, which will include a link to the procedures at the Twinkle Lab.  One troubleshooting tip was noted:  If the ethernet connection is suspected to be not working, the e-mail workstations should be checked to see if those connections work. There was a question about whether carrels having a laptop connection are to be limited to laptop users only.  It was felt that because this would be difficult for Library staff to monitor, it should be left to patrons to negotiate among themselves. 

September 25, Davis.  The discussion on statistics will continue.