Information Services Management Committee

Minutes of the Meeting of December 3, 2002
1:30 – 3:45 pm
Porter Conference Room

Regrets:  Jackie Stapleton

Guests:  Susan Bellingham, Doug Morton

1. Minutes of Previous Meeting
   The minutes of the meeting of November 19, 2002 were approved with changes.

2. Status Review of the Virtual Reference First Phase Task Group
   As Chair of the task group, Doug joined today’s meeting to update ISMC on what the group has done and what it still needs to do.  Doug indicated that phase one of the introduction of online reference service has been launched, and that the following activities have taken place:
   • Twenty Library staff members participated in the original training offered by LSSI (some were there for awareness raising rather than actual training); nine of  the twenty currently staff the service.
   • The task group has held one “support group” session, where service providers traded success stories and problems discussed.
   • Fifty-one client sessions took place in November.

   Doug reviewed the task group’s start-up objectives as follows:
   • Hours of service offered are currently 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
   • The service involves both print and online resources, at the discretion of the librarian.
   • The service is not restricted to the online tools available.
   • The service is available to anyone; patrons are requested to identify their affiliation with UW. The level of service provided is similar to e-mail reference.
   • The task group is still too new to determine the extent of cross-training needed on resources typically used at other locations.
   • The process of how to handle referrals to other services or staff members is being refined.

   Other tasks the group is responsible for include:
   • Name of the new service:  The name of the service is “Online Reference” and can be found under links to “Ask a Librarian.”
   • Web-based materials:  Work is in progress for preparing supporting web-based materials. A design for an icon is still needed.
   • Canned responses: Some canned responses are available.
   • Promoting the service:  An icon would be useful in further raising the profile of the  service.  Mary requested that the task group contact her when it considers promotional ideas.
   • Scheduling: Scheduling the service is being worked out.  The online reference desk group e-mail alias is being utilized.  Jitka Dvoracek and Marian Davies are the contacts for absences, but they are not responsible for finding people to cover those absences.  Often the person going off duty will check with the staff member scheduled to come on next. 
   • Development of virtual reference skills for staff:  There is a support group in place for service providers.
   • Assessment and feedback mechanisms:  The group is working on this.

   Doug indicated that he would like to see more staff trained in providing online reference.  He suggested that an invitation go out to the Library Assistants for expressions of interest in attending a training refresher.  Doug proposed that a demo of the new service be offered to other Library and UW departments. Mary suggested that she be informed if the task group decides to take online reference out to the campus community.  In closing, Doug indicated that the Virtual Reference Task Group is willing to continue. He would like to pursue the problems associated with the LSSI software and see a full review of the service begin in March 2003.  Susan thanked Doug for updating the Committee. ISMC will plan to connect with him in March or April next year. 

3. Project Charter for the Review of Reference Service
   The Committee reviewed the second draft of the Project Charter for the Review of Reference Service at the University of Waterloo Library.  Susan will amend the draft to include today’s suggestions for the Project Purpose, Context, and Project Scope sections of the charter.  Additional categories were considered for inclusion in the charter:  Scope Management Plan and Stakeholders.