Present: Ann Naese, Anne Fullerton, Connie Shuttleworth, Erin Murphy,
Jane Forgay, Melanie Watkins
Meeting began with review of proposed agenda [circulated by email March
31].
One item was postponed for discussion at a later meeting (after June 1?)
- Specifically item 6 of 8 - "UserEd planning for 1999-00 based on the
IS-Review report" [Anne will bring information to a later meeting, about
example from U of Virginia, which shows how plans can flow from Library
goals.]
- Discussion of Committee Budget for 1999/2000 is also postponed to a
later meeting??
All other items on proposed agenda were discussed in order given below.
1. User Education Data summary for 1998-99
Anne distributed printout sorted by category and subject for User
Education Statistics collected for the period May/98 - March 31/99.
This excel file is also available from share drive for UW.
See R: misnew\uwmis\uwaccess\uwusered\uwusered9899
Questions arose from review of 'draft' statistics. Anne noted that we
should remind staff to submit all statistics for this period to make sure
the data is complete. The way statistics for specific 'sessions' are
submitted by staff does not always make it clear which 'category' should
be applied, for final data.
There was some discussion about what sessions offered by staff should be
treated as "Type: Course Related Workshops"[all sessions prepared for a
specific academic Department?] and which should be designated as "Type:
Other" or "Type:UE" Should current data for May/98-June/98, which refers
to 'individual sessions' with French course instructors be counted as
Reference consultations rather than UED activity data?
It was observed that some redefinition of data collection 'categories' may
be in order. Feedback from staff about current User Ed activities may help
Committee to determine what distinct categories should be established and
maintained for data collection on 'USER Education activity' for UW Library
staff.
Action: Committee will distribute information to all interested staff to
clarify 'how to submit statistics for USER ED' & 'how to interpret
categories used in data submission form'
- Erin M. will draft a web page of appropriate 'instructions about USER
Ed data' and send url for this draft to members of the committee for
feedback.
- Anne F. will follow up with Amos to see about making web version of
current data for May/98 - April/99 available from staffweb.
Action: Members will remind staff to submit data on User Ed activity for
the period, May, 1998 - April, 1999, as soon as possible.
- Copies of printout reviewed at meeting can be used to advise staff of
the data collected so far.
- Anne F. will contact staff in Davis; Jane F. will contact staff in
Porter; Ann N. will contact staff in UMD.
2. UW Liaison Librarian forum [Shabiran's idea about planning a forum to
share best practices in User Ed]
Discussion focused on follow-up required to make this happen. We needed
to: pick a date; create a format for meeting/discussion; decide how to
invite librarians to attend & also request volunteers to share information
on specific practices/innovations they have tried out in USER Education,
which may be of interest to other Liaison Librarians.
There seemed to be consensus that we would like the 'forum' to be offered
some time in June, and to include at least 3 presentations on USER ED
practices by UW Librarians. We would allow time for questions and feedback
on each example presented. Further time for round the table discussion on
User Education practices, might also be desirable. Details about final
format, timing, and location can be worked out later, once we get some
focused feedback from Liaison Librarians. [Depending on response received
from volunteers willing to share 'best practices' we may plan further
sessions or limited 'series of forums' with this focus?]
Action: Jane F. will schedule a date in June for proposed forum, and work
out a draft message to describe the forum and request volunteers from
Liaison Librarians, to give (informal?) presentations. She can share this
with the User Ed group by email. Committee members will give Jane feedback
on draft message as soon as possible.
3. Student Life 101 and Orientation update? (Ann Naese attended March
meeting and updated Committee about suggestions/plans discussed for this
August 9th event)
Feedback from 'focus group' of 10 students, who attended Student Life 101,
August/98, suggested that students were strongly in favour of 'tours at
all 3 UW libraries' for 1999 event. (No Library tours were given last
year, however Library information was provided from a display area in Fed
Hall and through Anne's participation in 'Student Jeopardy' session in PAC
Gym, at end of the day)
Other comments about Student Life 101, 1999, from Ann:
Some Student Service departments were not happy with Fed Hall locations
for Information booths last year. Some space in Student Life Centre may be
designated as second location for information booths for student services
Departments at UW. Nothing confirmed yet.
Most thought that the information covered by 'Student Jeopardy', in 1998
was fine. However some students found this 'boring' so the planning group
decided that the format for this 'general questions & review' part of the
day may be revised substantially for 1999.
Ann needs to confirm UW Library plans for Student Life 101, 1999, by April
23 to ensure these are noted in brochure, which will be sent out by June.
Other issues discussed about Student Life 101, and university wide
orientation for undergraduates for Fall, 1999:
Library orientation schedule for September-October should be confirmed by
August. Therefore, information about Fall Library orientation sessions
could be distributed on August 9, as part of brief Library tours or
Library display area for Student Life 101.
Renovations to 1st and 2nd floor in Porter may be in full swing by August
9th and eliminate option of offering tours from Porter.
Action: Ann N. will work with Linda Hastings to prepare Library display
for Student Life 101.
Action: Anne F. will consult staff in Davis Library about possibility of
offering brief tours from Davis, on hourly basis, throughout the day,
August 9th. [One or more staff would have to be on standby until 4pm to
offer tours 'on demand']
Action: Ann N. will arrange for tours in UMD for August 9th.
- Ann will ask that 'library tours' be mentioned in brochure(s) for
Student Life 101.
- Unless it can be confirmed that renovations will eliminate this option,
Jane or Erin will arrange for tours from Porter for August 9th.
A 'Newsletter for new undergraduates' is also sent to incoming students as
part of information included with notice of acceptance from UW. Newsletter
varies from one faculty to the next. We should try to make Liaison
librarians aware of orientation information covered by these newsletters
aimed at undergraduates.
Action: Melanie will get copies of Newsletter prepared for each faculty
and pass these on to Anne F. and Erin M., who will distribute copies to
appropriate Liaison Librarians.
4. KIOSK signs in UW Libraries.
Anne and Linda H. currently work out what information is displayed on
KIOSK in Davis library. It is assumed information for Davis KIOSK should
change on a fairly regular basis and updates or changes to KIOSK display
should be as simple and easy as possible.
It is not clear who determines content for KIOSK display in Porter and on
what basis. The space occupied by 'empty' display board, by main bank of
Trellis workstations, on 2nd floor, might be better location for Porter
KIOSK?
Action: Melanie will follow up with facilities to change location of
Porter KIOSK.
Action: Anne F. will send a list of current 'information sheets' developed
for Davis KIOSK to Jane and Melanie, who will get feedback from
Circulation and Reference staff in Porter about what information should be
highlighted from Porter KIOSK.
5. Map handout (Jane)
No results yet on suggestion that Linda H. could create a 'Map handout'
showing directions to, and parking locations for each TUG library. Such a
handout might be more useful if it included 'flow chart' display, which is
being developed for WEB by Carol Stephens and Rose K. (This 'flow chart'
explains what steps undergraduates at UW/WLU/UG must follow to obtain
books/articles from local or remote TUG Locations. A second 'flow chart'
outlines options for Graduates/Faculty.) However changes which may result
from upgrade to TRELLIS 98.1 may make details in current version of 'flow
chart' out of date.
Action: Jane will ask Linda to produce draft of Map handout, as originally
proposed. We would like to finalise this handout [without added
information about procedures for getting materials cited in TRELLIS] as
soon as possible. We can follow up later to see if other information from
TUG libraries can be added to enhance usefulness of this handout.
6. Signage for workstations - when systems fail - e.g. ERL, TRELLIS(Jane)
It is often helpful to post notices on public workstations to warn
in-library users, when basic services, such ERL & TRELLIS are 'temporarily
unavailable'. It should also be possible to convey this information to
remote users from appropriate areas in TUGweb, in cases where library
staff have confirmed that there will be extended interruption to some
'normal service' offered by Library systems.
Questions/ problems about providing such information to our users, as
noted in this discussion:
Jane noted that it was difficult, and very time consuming, for her to post
clear warnings, in the form of 'small paper notices', at Porter
workstations on Sunday, March 28, once it was discovered that all indexes
provided by ERL server in Guelph, would be unavailable for an extended
period. This situation was due to unusual circumstances. However, we can
anticipate that interruptions to basic services are likely to occur in
future, and we want to be able to bring such situations to the attention
of users as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Velcro has been attached to Trellis machines in Davis Library, in top left
corner of monitor housing, to accommodate new 'bubbles' about Course
Reserves and other information provided by TRELLIS. Should velcro be
added to a separate area on library workstations to allow staff to post
ready made 'problem notes' with velcro 'hooks' whenever TRELLIS is down or
there is similar interruption of basic services??
What actions can be taken/What procedures can be worked out and followed
to make it easier to notify our users about such 'technical
problems/interruptions to service' as quickly as possible?
What ready-made problem notes would be required? [TRELLIS is down/ERL
indexes not available/this machine is out of order/other?]
Should Linda H. prepare multiple copies of problems notes with velcro
'hooks' and distribute them to service desks in for UW Library? Where
would such ready-made notes be stored?
Who would be expected to post 'problem notes' on workstations as the need
arose? Which workstations would be covered in case of system wide failure?
Would Circulation staff have to confirm problems with Reference or Systems
staff before posting such notes?
Action: Anne F. will consult Jim Parrott to see if we can change TUGweb
pages to make it clear which specific indexes are ERL products (therefore
likely to be included in any interruption of service from Webspirs
server(s) in Guelph)
Action: Anne will follow up with Jim to see if any notice about
interruption of service from ERL server or TRELLIS can be provided to
remote users, as such situations occur, from appropriate areas in TUGweb.
Action: Jane F. will discuss possible formats and uses for temporary signs
for workstations with Linda H.
7. TRELLIS 98.1 upgrade (Anne)
Anne distributed a list of changes anticipated to WEBopac and windows
verion with TRELLIS 98.1 upgrades
Group reviewed draft copy of "Webvoyage first screen" prepared by Anne.
This is based on similar versions used for UPENN and Purdue webopac.
See web page for draft:
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/~affuller/pages/newweb1.htm
General comments about this draft:
- Use pale green for panel which lists 'Search Types' for Trellis
- Keep Course Reserves at top of list for search types; Move Keyword
Anywhere to bottom list for Search types.
- Some standard 'buttons' for WEBVoyage may be redundant/not required for
help screens in Trellis. [Exit/Login]
- Larger format for required buttons would be nice for Web version of
TRELLIS [more use of colours beyond grey/green??]
Other questions arising from TRELLIS 98.1 upgrade, which *may* require
some action from USER Education Committee??
- Signage/handouts - what is needed?
- What information will be distributed to library staff about
'work-arounds' and scheduled down time for TRELLIS, required for 98.1
upgrade?
- Access to alternative OPAC, ie. access during downtime? Higher level
pages
for this? Note: Bill Oldfield is working to create set-up, which would
allow for 'back up' version of TUG library catalogue [location data for
items only] to be accessed via Web, when Trellis is down for any reason,
including downtime for upgrades?
- Webvoyage help pages - update?
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