UVM Libraries Annual Meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008

The directors’ reports were presented in writing, in advance of the meeting. At the meeting itself, (following bagels and beverages), Mara spoke. Then the directors and Mara responded to the following questions from the audience.

Report from Mara Saule

Mara named this year’s theme “Coming Together.” Services and functions are evolving, and we’re in a state of preparedness for the uncertainties that are coming. In the past year, we’ve had several notable accomplishments. The R2 report has been the catalyst for some important changes. The working group to align Dana and BH tech services has been making good progress in the areas of bindery and serials. Cataloging functions can potentially be combined and streamlined, as well. The Discovery and Delivery Council, which also came out of R2, is doing great work. The Collections Team is focusing on policies and making strategic choices about acquisitions. Bailey-Howe has a new administrative structure, with Tina Kussey serving as interim director of Collection Management Services, and Birdie serving as Director of Research Description and Analysis. Jeanene Light is interim Director of Information and Instruction.

In other news, the library’s new website will be unveiled in January, the Communications and Marketing Logo has been getting lots of positive attention, and the Ask Campaign is quite visible on campus. Instructional programs, and faculty liaison programs, have taken on new energy. In Bailey-Howe, public and office space is undergoing a series of incremental improvements. Dana is evolving into a “faster and flexible research machine” but they would benefit from more reader space. As for Cook Library, discussions are underway regarding its future, perhaps evolving to an on-line presence only. The Billings Library is becoming a reality, but funding is still needed. The Center for Digital Initiatives continues to grow and gain visibility. Mara recommended that everybody take a look at the latest version of the Libraries Strategic Plan, which is still in draft form.

Mara also spent some time describing the budget situation for the library. The University’s new VP for Administration and Finance recently painted a sober picture of UVM’s challenges and uncertainties. Student recruitment and retention may be impacted by recent financial events. We’ll know more in a few weeks, but it’s possible that some students won’t be able to return next semester, and since we had counted on their tuition, there may a shortfall. (In the longer term, we can make adjustments in the applicant pool to ensure a sufficient number of students.) In addition, the state may ask for another recision. It’s not known whether another recision can be absorbed centrally, or if will have an impact on the libraries’ budgets. But in general, we’re in good shape – layoffs and hiring freezes are not anticipated, though there may be some “redeployments” of resources. The Trustees, at their September meeting, approved the new vision statement and mission statement for the University, seeking to be among the pre-eminent small research universities of the nation.

Questions and Answers

Library Trends. Larry asked how library trends are identified, and how do we decide what’s a good trend for us to follow? Jeanene responded that our library trends seem to be mirroring national trends. For example, web usage is up, gate numbers are down. Larry gave a specific example of a trend he was noticing: some libraries are getting rid of their National Union Catalogs – but is this a good trend for us to follow? On the other hand, we are resisting the decline in reference desk usage by implementing the “Ask” campaign. Selene responded that the Ask campaign was intended to increase email and phone contacts, not just in-person visits. The campaign is evolving to “Your Questions, Your Library” to help patrons make a clearer connection with the services we offer. Jeff added that there’s a need for constant communication. Trends come from professional meetings as well as on-the-ground experience. Some national trends won’t necessarily mean much for us here. As for the NUC question, Jeff pointed out that Worldcat has 60-70 percent of what’s contained in the NUC, and the NUC is still used frequently. Selene mentioned that we use input, and data, to evaluate trends. Marianne commented that we sometimes collect evidence and then don’t act on it. The consequences of following trends need to be examined closely; how will following a trend actually benefit us? Mara added that we can examine trends that other libraries are following, and then decide for ourselves if it’s good for our own clientele. Further, there are trends that are not in our control, such as trends in scholarly publishing and marketplace forces. We can’t change these trends, but we can choose how to react to them.

Renovations in Bailey-Howe. Albert noted several piecemeal improvements in Bailey-Howe, and wondered if there was an overall picture. Mara answered that the Libraries Vision Statement gives a floor-by-floor idea of planned renovations. Also, a consultant may be hired to help arrange staff spaces and public spaces, in order to find efficiencies in “adjacencies.” Meanwhile, renovations and improvements will continue to take place.

State contribution to UVM Budget. June asked what percentage of our budget comes from the State of Vermont. Mara responded that it’s 12%, which goes to the central administration. It’s earmarked for purposes such as agriculture, medicine, or scholarships. It’s advantageous that UVM doesn’t have a huge endowment, since this would have been at risk on Wall Street. Instead, our self-reliance is ensuring that we’re in better shape than most Universities.

Declining Usage Statistics. Larry mentioned the part of Paul’s report that showed a decline in circulation statistics. How does this mesh with the fact that we’ve recently added a large number of users from St. Michaels College? Does moving to Remote Storage have an impact on circulation of materials? Paul answered that there’s quite a bit of usage of remotely-stored materials. Everybody likes our collection; this is seen in our ILL statistics. The 2% decline is statistically insignificant. Mara said the data will look different next year, since the stats in Paul’s report only reflect a single semester of St. Michael’s usage of our facilities. Mara said so much activity is electronic now, and Peter Blackmer gave the example of a recent course he took, where all the required class texts were in e-formats. Paul confirmed that usage of e-reserves is through the roof. Albert added that we should be looking at online statistics alongside traditional print counts, to get the full picture.

Support for “Premier Small Research Institution” vision. Albert asked how the central administration plans to support the library and new programs, as we attempt to fulfill the vision of becoming a pre-eminent small research university. Mara responded that the President wants to pump up our research potential.

Are we full yet? Wendy pointed out that Williston Storage and the LRA are filling up fast. How do we cope? Tina said we’re de-accessioning print serials that are online, and we’ll be withdrawing a certain percentage of books each year. We need to assess how the collections are used, and make sure that heavily-used materials remain in Bailey-Howe. June added that book pickup is huge – even if students aren’t checking out the books, there’s quite a bit of browsing going on, which is not reflected in current statistics.

More studious patrons. Pam commented that she sees more actual studying going on in the library, and the library seems more full at earlier times of the day. Selene suggested that the Davis Center might be attracting more of the social activities we used to see. Our soft seating and wireless are improving the conditions for study in the library, as well. Also, lately UVM’s students have had higher SAT scores than in the past, which might correlate with a more studious nature and familiarity with the library as an area for serious work.

“Informatics.” Larry asked if somebody could explain what “informatics” is. Marianne explained that informatics is “technology with a knowledge-base content, applied to a field.” She gave the example of bank ATM machines replacing old-fashioned ledgers, or a card catalog replaced by an electronic system so it can be used in multiple ways. “Informatics” is now used most often in the medical and health sciences, to mean a system with content in it, such as the much hoped for Electronic Health Records. Dana has two Informatics labs, where it’s now possible to link the Human Genome Project gene sequences to scientific literature sources.

Who are our Peer Institutions? Chris Burns asked who our peer institutions are. Paul answered that in some areas we are in the forefront, specifically with our well-equipped instructional classrooms. In other areas we are a bit behind, such as our library website redesign. Mara said that some of the things we look at when choosing our peers include: student body of 10-15,000, a medical school, a comparable funding model, and the balance between research and curriculum support. Peer institutions can also be found by examining where our students also applied before coming here, in other words, our market competitors. The choosing of peer institutions is complex, and it can be used to shade arguments. Jeff added that our land-grant status puts us in a unique situation. We have to respond to what the state and the public want us to be doing, and sometimes this causes conflict. Larry asked whether the values and traditions of Vermont play a role in our aspirations. Jeff said that it’s a challenge to build responsiveness to public needs into our research-driven areas. Mara added that in our state, we are a unique resource, and we have a special responsibility that goes along with our special relationship. Selene commented that she had to put together a report recently, showing our state outreach initiatives, and she found it to be a lengthy and astounding list. Mara said that one item on this list was Dana’s support of Vermonters’ health needs.

Thanks. Mary thanked Paul for mentioning Jonathan’s four years of contributions in the library, and said how great it was to have him working here. She also thanked Systems for all they do.

Fewer Staff. Eleanor pointed out that Dana has moved from 13.5 to 11 full-time positions. Staff numbers are going down and positions are not being filled. Mara said we had to give some money back, and this came from empty position lines. There will be more need for flexibility and cross-training, and our staff may get smaller still.

Communications. Darcelene said that she sometimes gets questions about what’s going on in the Center for Teaching and Learning, or the Writing in Disciplines area. She suggested we need an email list that the whole building can use, so everybody can be informed about what’s going on in Bailey-Howe. For example, the above-mentioned departments don’t receive June’s messages about missing books. Larry said he misses the information he used to get from DaNews, and it’s important to know what’s going on as we begin to work more closely together. Liber folk can choose to subscribe to DaNews if they wish.

Order on Demand. Pam asked how the OOD project was coming along. Peter Spitzform responded that there are three publishers involved in the pilot program (Wiley, Palgrave-Macmillan, and Oxford University Press.) Apart from those, we are continuing to receive weekly shipments of the usual shelf-ready books from YBP.

Writing in the Disciplines Center. Peter Spitzform asked if it’s functional yet, since it seems dark whenever he goes by. Mara responded that it’s in operation, but they’re still getting geared up.

Exhibits at Dana. Marianne mentioned that October is Medical Libraries Month. Susan Bishop and Laura Haines have put together a spiffy exhibit on ancient medical instruments that’s worth coming over to see. Soon, a second exhibit on Global Health will be up, showing photographs from Uganda. Also in Dana news, there are three open positions, and they recently hired one part-time faculty person who will do reference and clinical liaison work.

Fleming Event. Jeff put in a plug for an event on Nov. 5, at the Fleming Museum. Historian Alan Yale will talk about haying, and will show some restored films on the topic.