University of Waterloo
Library Managers, March 5, 2008
9:30 a.m., Porter 428
Present: Allan Bell, Betty Graf, Jennifer Haas, Mark Haslett (Chair), Michele Laing, Sharon Lamont, Alex McCulloch, Susan Mavor, Richard Pinnell, Shabiran Rahman, Susan Routliffe, Mary Stanley, Linda Teather, Debbie Tytko, Annette Dandyk (Recorder)
Regrets: Eric Boyd
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- Chair’s Remarks
- Recognition and Commendation
Anniversaries:
January 6 - Laura Briggs, Davis ISR; 5 years
January 23 - Jenny Williams, Cataloguing; 30 years
February 1 – Sandra Keys, Porter ISR: 5 years
March 21 – Michael Holmes, Systems; 25 years
- Updates
One recommendation from the report of the Academic Integrity Committee was an online academic integrity module for incoming students. Leeanne Romane and Christine Jewell will work with Bruce Mitchell on this project.
Lorna Rourke is the new St Jerome’s University Librarian. She will be invited to a future Managers meeting.
An all staff meeting to update staff on the Porter 2nd floor renovation and other matters will be scheduled early in April.
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has announced that it can no longer financially support the operations of the Canadian Book Exchange Centre (CBEC) and that it will shut it doors permanently on June 30, 2008. The UW Library uses this program and will have to consider alternative ways of disposing of withdrawn material.
Mark and Mary met with Amit Chakma, (VP Academic and Provost), Meg Beckel (VP External Relations), and Linda Kieswetter (Associate VP Principal Gifts) to discuss the three themes – student experience, space, and e-initiatives. It was agreed by all at the meeting that raising funds for a major extension or a new building is a significant challenge at any time but particularly challenging when there is so much ongoing construction already underway. It was also agreed however that we should not lose sight of the vision and possibilities. In the immediate term, our focus will be on pursuing the other initiatives. Mark and Mary are preparing for a future meeting with the Deans. Mary, Sharon and Mark continue to talk about space. Mary and Allan will meet about e-initiatives.
Another across-the-board budget cut is anticipated in fiscal 2008-2009. LibExec has planned how to absorb cuts over the next three years. Mark expects to hear what the percentage will be at the next Senate Finance Committee meeting.
Committee members viewed the top three videos from the Why do you love the Library contest. A total of 18 videos were submitted.
- Around the Table Updates
Shabiran - A document titled ‘Greening Porter’s 2nd Floor: Ideas For How Can We Do Even Better’ was distributed for information prior to the meeting. Staff from Porter ISR, Browsers, Graphics, and Circ Services contributed to the document.
Sharon –Performance Appraisals are due next Friday. Managers who are unable to have two copies of the final document to Annette by March 14 should let Sharon know.
Sharon will be on vacation March 24-28 and most of the month of May. She will attend SUAC (Senior University Administrators Conference) June 19-27. Managers with pressing HR issues should contact her soon.
Mary – the annual Friends of the Library event has been confirmed for April 1, 4:00 p.m. in the Theatre of the Arts. John Manley’s talk is entitled Afghanistan: is there an answer.
Allan – Verdi went live February 11; this is a great thing from an SFX point of view. More items are available than on ERM and updates are going much more quickly.
Primo software was installed yesterday. Training will start on March 17 for the implementation group.
Allan has been asked to participate on a task force to look at how to refresh the brand/identity of the university.
As part of the branding exercise, the UW logo was changed recently. Overall the changes are subtle. Staff are encouraged to use their existing supplies of business cards and letterhead before ordering new ones.
- Porter Reno Update
Committee members viewed some new plans showing elevations. A feature wall, proposed by Fedy, still needs further discussion. Updates about the renovation can be seen on the web: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/porter_reno/index.html
Several life safety issues have come to light during the planning stage. These are things that were to code when the Porter Library was built but now no longer meet safety code and need to be addressed when renovations occur. Currently we use the main entrance during fire emergency evacuations; however, our designated emergency exits are on first floor (double exit doors beside the loading dock and double exit doors beside Special Collections). To meet safety code we are required to create a corridor that can be safe from fire and smoke for two hours. Sharon described the changes that will need to occur.
Timing – the main floor will reopen for business in September. To enable this to happen:
o The Walter Fedy Partnership will take over the main floor at end of day on Friday April 24.
o Facilities and Systems will begin clearing the 2nd floor on March 24. Eric has worked with Shabiran and Alex to determine where staff will be relocated. All the group study rooms will be used to house staff over the summer.
o A temporary main entrance will be on the lower level near Facilities (the same entrance we used during asbestos work a few years ago).
o The security gates will be relocated there, ready for use on April 28.
o There is still some asbestos that will be removed prior to construction
- Business Arising from December 19 and January 30
December 19
#1 Around the table, Abu Dhabi – Mark contacted NYU’s Head Librarian. We are waiting to hear more about the UW Abu Dhabi initiative.
#3 Infrastructure – Sharon sent a message that Infrastructure would be disbanded.
- How the Backup System Works
Linda provided some background about the Library’s backup system. They are done for security reasons - when someone’s hard drive dies, or when files or folders are accidentally deleted, the data can be retrieved from the backups.
Staff backups account for approximately half of what the Systems Department backs up. Library servers account for the other half. There are two types of backups:
• A full backup is done every Friday night/Saturday (all files in the areas listed below).
• Incremental backups occur Monday through Thursday evenings, and backup only files that have changed since the previous backup.
The following areas are backed up:
• Desktop
• Outlook config files
• Outlook email files
• Signatures
• My Documents
• Templates
• IE Favorites
• Firefox Bookmarks
• SSH/Telnet settings
Backups are done on 150 staff computers. For a full backup this amounts to a total of 115 GB every weekend and averages 766 MB (equivalent of 531 floppies) per person. The volume of data backed up for staff is exceeding our data capacity. Sometimes the weekend backup spills over the tapes and the backup cannot finish until someone comes in to change the tapes.
Staff with large volumes of data are then asked to clean up files because this area grows so rapidly. Data on the server side doesn’t change much.
Staff can help by practicing good file management.
• Delete files or messages no longer needed
• If Outlook messages with attachments are duplicated by documents saved to My Documents, keep one, not both
• Run the Compact process after weeding Outlook messages
• Move music files and other non-work related files to a folder outside of My Documents
• Large files not actively being used and that are also stored on another drive or server should be deleted from My Documents
• For large files not actively being used but that need to be kept because of their historical value, staff should contact Systems to set up other ways to keep them.
- Porter ISR Review
The Porter ISR ‘Functions Review’ was distributed prior to the meeting. A departmental review was conducted approximately four years ago. In light of Shabiran’s upcoming retirement, now was deemed an appropriate time to take another look at departmental activities. Based on survey results and departmental discussion there are 22 recommendations. All are achievable and in some cases are already being done in some way. Library Managers were asked to review the report and contact Shabiran with any questions.
Next meeting: April 2
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June 10, 2009
