Information Services Management Committee

Minutes of the Meeting of October 29, 2002
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Porter Conference Room

Present: Christy Branston, Helena Calogeridis, Judy McTaggart, Jim Parrott, Richard Pinnell, Susan Routliffe (Chair), Mary Stanley, Jackie Stapleton, Linda Teather, Melanie Watkins, Rose Koebel (Recorder)

1. Minutes of Previous Meeting
   The minutes of the meeting of October 22, 2002 were approved as written.

2. Christmas Lunch
   The Committee agreed to get together for lunch on Tuesday, December 10.  Jackie will make the arrangements.

3. Review of Reference Service at UW Library
   Susan provided some historical context with respect to this topic, which has been raised in several forums in the last several years (e.g., departmental meetings about staffing issues on the reference desk).

   The Committee began today’s discussion by considering why we want to undertake a review of reference service, the elements of the service that should be included in the review, and lastly, how to approach the review. 

   Reasons for a review of reference service:

   1. Determine if reference service meets the demands and needs.
   2. Reference service is a highly visible and labour intensive service.  (It was acknowledged that these aspects of the service are not exactly reasons for a review, but important to note.)
   3. A sense of future direction is needed—what influence does the changing environment have on reference service?
   4. Determine ways to improve the quality, effectiveness, and use of the service.
   5. Provide rationale for resource allocations.

   Susan will take the above points and formulate a statement of rationale.  Members will contact Susan with any ideas.

   Elements of the service that should be included in the review:

   1. Hours of service.
   2. Staffing:  number and level of staff members.
   3. Number and location of service points.
   4. Service delivery methods (e.g., in person at a desk or in consultation; by telephone; email; online; self-service, or regular mail).
   5. Training for staff.
   6. Statistics.
   7. Client needs assessment.
   8. Performance measures and evaluation.
   9. Promotion of the service.
   10. Definition of reference service.
   11. Relationship to other Library services.
   12. Current trends: Are we keeping up?
   13. Possibility of collaboration within TUG and elsewhere.
   14. Implications TUG may have for reference.
   15. Service philosophy.
   16. Impact of, or relationship to Information Commons.
   17. Skills necessary to provide the service.
   18. Infrastructure support (e.g., hardware, software, furniture).

   Other elements of the service that should be included may occur to us as we venture further into the review.

   Approach to review:
   ISMC agreed that the project management approach would lend itself to this review. It is a well-structured, disciplined approach, which will keep the Committee focused.  The first step will be to prepare a project charter. Before beginning on the charter, Susan will review project management tools at the next meeting.  It was proposed that we all participate in the initial creation of the charter, but that one or two committee members complete the draft.

4. Frequency of ISMC Meetings
   In light of the additional responsibilities the Chair of ISMC will be assuming, it was proposed that the Committee move from weekly to bi-weekly meetings.  This new meeting schedule will begin after next week’s meeting on November 5; we’ll meet again on November 19.