LAS Libraries Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, November 12

LAS Libraries Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, November 12

This time was originally assigned to working on the internal audit and the vertical curriculum within the Libraries. Since the audit was completed the day before, the department used this time to catch up on what is going on in each library and what each person is working on.

1. Savoy Library is still working on the inventory, going through ACS books, brainstorming for renovation ideas, and teaching information literacy instruction sessions.

2. Belle Époque Library is finishing up some subject guides to post on the Libraries website and cataloging some foreign language items for the Mother Tongue collection.

LAS Libraries Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, October 28

LAS Libraries Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, October 28

1.     Merger update

Updates were provided on decisions made during academic department team meetings regarding next year’s 11^th and 12^th grade merger at Belle Époque. The academic department heads recommend having all 11^th and 12^th grade ESL students at the Belle Époque campus. Some discussion ensued on what this means for the Belle Époque Library and its collection. This will be factored in with collection purchases for the rest of this year. An ESL section that mirrors and complements Savoy Library’s will probably need to be added. The Accelerated Reader levels may begin to be added to new purchases. An adjustment with the Accelerated Reader spine labels that safeguards a patron’s privacy and reading level will be explored, pending further discussion with the English and ESL departments.

2.     Inventory status

Savoy Library is continuing to go through the non-fiction inventory sheets, searching for missing books and correcting records in the online catalog.

3.     Programs update

The next library lecture is on Monday, December 1 with Martin Brocklehurst speaking about circular economy. It will take place in the Savoy Library. The next book giveaway is on Wednesday, November 26. Belle Époque Library will participate along with Savoy.

4.     Budget & POs

Proper procedure for purchase orders was reviewed.

5.     Orientations Done!

The library staff celebrated that the last library orientation was completed that day. The program was considered to be a success and the libraries intend to do the same thing next year.

6.     Statistics

Collection of reference and interlibrary loan statistics was reviewed and discussed.

7.     Kindle

The Kindle Touch has been reactivated and cataloged. It is now available to check out on a three-day loan. One of its features is its text-to-speech capability. This might be useful to ESL teachers and students, who can hear the speech while following along in the text. Audiobooks also work on this device, and already one has been purchased for a student.

8.     Serials

It was decided that the subscription to “Aviation Week & Space Technology” will be cancelled because it is inappropriate for our patrons and does not get used. Since the libraries are getting a price quote on a serial management service, it is also an opportune time to consider cancellation of any other magazines or journals that are not being used. Rebecca is working with Ebsco on creating a price estimate for the serial management service, which will enable each library to better keep track of their subscriptions, claim missing issues or recoup money lost, create records in the online catalog, and better direct magazines to the correct library.

9.     BE Keys

Amanda is waiting for additional BE library keys, so they can be issued to BE library duty staff.

10.  Follett visit

The visit from the Follett representative was reviewed and arrangements were made to respond to Emily’s email containing questions on some of our ongoing issues with their service, such as barcode numbers, location of Accelerated Reader labels on books, collating our purchase data into Excel files, and correcting MARC record information.

11.  ECIS Librarians conference recap

Rebecca gave an update on the ECIS Librarians conference in Waterloo, Belgium. Overall, it was a useful conference and pertinent to the libraries at LAS. There were many topics that were useful and interesting, and the keynote speakers, such as Kevin Hennah, were quite good. Presentation materials eventually will be posted on the conference website for reference.

12.  Action Plan Focus

There was a reminder to contribute to the shared Google doc listing the items of focus for the libraries this year. Target completion dates were added for each item. Each librarian is to contribute to the document with ideas for action steps for each item in order to achieve the libraries overarching goals for the year. It is planned that discussion and collaboration will then ensue to figure out how best to achieve these goals. This document will be reviewed by administration periodically to track progress.

13.  Internal Audit

The department will complete an internal audit to determine its vertical curriculum alignment at the next department meeting. This is in preparation for the upcoming external audit. The relevant document will be shared with library staff before the meeting to allow time for review and preparation.

14.  BE & Savoy updates

Belle Époque Library is working on cataloging books to add to its Mother Tongue collection. These were given to the library by Kim Oppenheim to facilitate usage among patrons, but it is still to be determined whether these will become library property or remain the property of the Mother Tongue department, which can affect how they are classified in the library system.

Savoy Library continues to work on inventory, catalog items, renew their book displays, do instruction, go through some ACS boxes, prepare for tonight’s lecture, begin marketing for Golden Cowbell Book Award, and help patrons.

Next LAS Libraries lecture on Monday, December 1!

Come see Martin Brocklehurst present "Circular Economy" at the next LAS Libraries Lecture Series event in the Savoy Library on Monday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m. The talk will center on the circular economy and work on recycling policy, although other topics may be discussed as well. Brocklehurst has a great deal of experience working on waste and resource management, most recently acting as Technical Adviser to the UK Environment Audit Parliamentary Committee on Growing the Circular Economy. A short biography can be viewed here. And there will definitely be snacks! Hope to see you there!

Next book giveaway on Wednesday, November 26

Both the Savoy and Belle Époque libraries will have a book giveaway on Wednesday, November 26. Stop by and take home some free books.