Monthly Archives: August 2015

August Library Office Notes

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

FACILITIES

EVENTS AND TRAINING


ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note

Convergence: Planning, Budget Crises, and the Path Ahead
Although we’re in the summer doldrums, this feels like a good time to remind everyone of the value and importance of our planning efforts and the way that those efforts tie into the budget process. A short while ago, I sent out a note on our 2015-2016 hiring plan and a few words about the continuing budget uncertainty. It’s easy to feel like the looming cuts argue for putting everything on hold. How can we approve new positions when we’re also taking cuts? There are several answers to that question, and one is that because of our size, the churn of openings and funds to fill them means that we’ll be doing some hiring even in the direst circumstances. Read more…

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Strategic Planning Update
Lisa Hinchliffe, Coordinator for Strategic Planning

This summer features our three Deep Dive sessions. The final Deep Dive session is scheduled for August 26, 9 am-12noon and is on the topic of the “Research Library Ecosystem.” We will be exploring how our Library works in collaboration with other libraries and what we can learn from the developments in other libraries as well. James Michalko, Vice President, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Research Library Partnership, will be a guest speaker.

Strategic Planning Office Hours are scheduled in Library 434 in August at the following times:

  • August 4, 9:00-11:30 am
  • August 27, 11:00 am-1:00 pm

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Introducing the Citation Management Working Group
For years, Research and Information Services (RIS) has been closely monitoring usage statistics for the citation management software RefWorks, as part of its central role in supporting RefWorks users. Although the Library makes a substantial financial contribution to offer RefWorks, and a number of librarians, staff, and graduate assistants devote time to teaching and supporting its users, the return on our investment has been underwhelming. As an example, only about 11% of our RefWorks account holders have logged into RefWorks in the last year. Among all U of I account holders, 46% had their first and last logins on the day they created their account—likely at a librarian-led session. 78% of all U of I account holders have logged into RefWorks 10 times or less.

A Working Group (see the signature below for members) has recently been convened to consider changes in the Library’s offerings of citation management software and related support. One of the areas under discussion is canceling our RefWorks subscription and substantially reducing instruction and support for its users. The Working Group is also considering what support may be initiated or expanded for other citation management software, such as Endnote, Mendeley, Zotero, RefMe, EasyBib, and CiteULike, among others. If a firm cancellation decision is made for RefWorks, the Working Group will begin developing online materials to assist RefWorks users in migrating their citations to other management software, communicate to campus and alumni users, and contact “power users” directly to offer individualized assistance.

Decisions will need to be made soon so that we have ample time to prepare our users for any changes in the Library’s portfolio of citation management tools/support, and so that we may begin the work of updating our instruction and online guides accordingly. The Working Group welcomes your feedback and questions; direct them to Carissa Phillips (choller@illinois.edu).

-Citation Management Working Group
(Merinda Hensley, JoAnn Jacoby, Erin Kerby, Carissa Phillips, Beth Sheehan and Kelli Trei)
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Update on CAM Reorganization Activities
As discussed in May’s Library Office Notes, leadership personnel within Content Access Management (CAM) engaged in developing a new internal organizational structure. Effective July 1, 2015, reporting lines within the unit were adjusted. Michael Norman continues to provide overall leadership for the unit as well as for Serials, Government Documents, and Music cataloging while a number of other individuals have stepped up to provide leadership for particular aspects of CAM’s work. These individuals will serve as the primary contacts and supervisors:

  • Authority Control: Qiang Jin
  • Electronic Resources: Willy Kries
  • Foreign Language Cataloging: Nicole Ream-Sotomayor
  • Government Documents: Michael Norman
  • Metadata Services: MJ Han
  • Monograph/Media Cataloging: Janet Weber
  • Music Cataloging: Michael Norman
  • Serials Cataloging: Michael Norman

These contacts are visible on the CAM webpage (http://www.library.illinois.edu/cam/), and the Library’s directory will be updated soon to reflect the organization of the entire staffing contingent within the unit.

Over the last two months, civil service employees within the unit have been issued new position descriptions to reflect the new organizational structure. Next steps within the unit involve wrapping up FY15 evaluations and developing FY16 individual goals with new supervisors, reviewing and updating position descriptions for faculty and academic professionals within the unit, and exploring the need for team-level goals and objectives. CAM will be having information sessions in September to highlight the changes and go over the work occurring within the unit.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

-Tom Teper & Michael Norman
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: 18,115 Dissertations Now Available from IDEALS
We are happy to announce that all dissertations produced by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduates from the 1950s through 1997 are now available from the Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (IDEALS). The Library has been working with ProQuest to digitize microfilmed dissertations since 2012, and now 18,115 dissertations are accessible to our users. These dissertations are organized into communities that reflect the departments and colleges on campus. Because various departments and programs have changed over the years, programs that no longer exist are mapped to equivalent contemporary communities within IDEALS when possible. All dissertations are also available from the community Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois (https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/5131).

As a result of this project, scholars at U of I—and subscribing institutions around the world—have full-text access to virtually every dissertation produced at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from the 1950s to 1997. While full-text access will initially be limited to campus IP ranges or authentication, ProQuest has agreed to the University Library’s management of a click-through approval for rights holders to grant open access to the digitized titles.

At present, we are currently working with ProQuest to secure access to the additional 8,400 titles produced between 1997 and 2010. More on that effort in the coming months.

-Tom, MJ, Seth, Lindsay
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: New Service for Streaming Videos
The Library now offers access to over 14,000 movies and documentaries via the Kanopy platform. This is a pilot program to assess use and costs for providing this service for FY2016. A report will be provided to CDC (Library Collection Development Committee) on the service at the 6-month mark and we will be soliciting input from the Library as well as collecting metrics.

This program is demand driven and the Library pays a fee once a movie is viewed the 4th time (by different users or from a different device by one user). The fee is for the lease of the film for 12 months. That lease may be renewed. Access the full database at
http://illinois.kanopystreaming.com/ or simply search for Kanopy on the Library Catalog. It is available to anyone accessing it remotely as long as they can authenticate with a NETID. Over 5,000 streaming media records have now been loaded into the Catalog. More will be added as the MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging) records are made available to us. When referring uses please use the link with our remote proxy prefix:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/proxy/go.php?url=http://illinois.kanopystreaming.com

There is overlap with some titles we have purchased but we will not be assessed a fee for any title that we already own. This is to be sure that our users may fully explore the Kanopy platform for any title of interest. The Browse Collections feature on the platform will bring up subject collections that have a hierarchy for more granular access by subject. These are all accessible by unique URLs that Kanopy has now provided along with their title list to date. After accessing a subject collection list on Kanopy, scroll down to the end to see facets that allow for an even greater refinement of the list. These URLS and the separate title list are available at G:\Collections Info\Streaming Media –Kanopy. A brief description of their demand driven service is also available in that folder.

Captioning is available for 2/3rds of the collection and we may request captioning for any title in the collection which is then accomplished in 24-48 hours. We will be able to see titles used and will proactively request captioning on the behalf of all users. A new player was deployed on our platform to enhance accessibility July 23rd. The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) is also reviewing the platform and has made additional suggestions to Kanopy to optimize access.

Forums will be offered this fall by Acquisitions on some of the service enhancements and the dashboard behind the scenes that allow us to easily monitor use. We will be getting additional promotional materials from Kanopy that we can offer as posters or as images to view on our digital screens and will offer that as soon as possible.
Questions? Please contact Lynn Wiley at lnwiley@illinois.edu.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Exceeding Fundraising Goals in FY15 and Preparing for the Next Campaign
Scott Koeneman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Advancement

The fiscal year has ended and Library Advancement is gearing up for a busy year ahead. In the coming year, we plan to increase our output at all levels—reaching out to more potential donors with heightened marketing and communication, providing more opportunities for Library Friends to interact with the Library through events and activities, and identifying and building relationships with more donor prospects.

But, before we move on, I wanted to share with everyone that, despite this being a transition year for staffing in Advancement, we were one of only a few units on campus to meet or exceed our goals for new business (cash gifts, deferred gifts and pledges), and cash (actual gifts received). Much of the credit for this belongs to the long-time Advancement staff members who persevered and to those who built the relationships over the years that culminated in giving. It also belongs to the entire Library team. The value and impact of what you do resonates with donors and supporters.

Looking forward, we are preparing for a new campaign (kicking off in 2017) that will have very high goals for the Library and the entire campus. I look forward to sharing all of this with you in the coming months.
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HR NEWS: Faculty and AP Searches
Below is a summary of current academic searches as of July 29, 2015 (click on graphic below to enlarge). A more comprehensive listing is sent via LibNews each month.
search-status_august
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HR NEWS: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave Changes
All employees received a notification from University Administration that changes to the FMLA had been amended effective June 1, 2015. Changes in the Act, while wordy, were basically changes to definitions in the Act. Definition of “family, spouses, and covered veterans.” Employees currently on an approved FMLA are not impacted by these changes. Anyone who is considering FMLA should check with Library Human Resources for any clarification needed.
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HR NEWS: Civil Service Performance Evaluations
It is time to complete performance evaluations for civil service staff. Evaluation deadline has been extended to August 31, 2015.
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HR NEWS: New Employees 

Faculty

  • Suzanne Chapman, User Services Librarian and Assistant Professor, August 16, 2015
  • Christopher ‘Kit’ Condill, Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies Librarian and Assistant Professor, August 16, 2015
  • Aaron McCullough, Head, Scholarly Communications and Publishing, Office of Research and Assistant Professor, August 16, 2015
  • Celestina Savonius-Writh, Head, History, Newspaper and Philosophy Librarian and Assistant Professor, August 1, 2015

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FACILITIES: Project Information
Please visit the Office of Library Facilities web page (http://www.library.illinois.edu/administration/facilities/) for project information (under Facilities–>Project Information).
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Graduate Assistant Orientation and Training (Fall 2015)
The draft schedule of the Graduate Assistant Orientation and Training week is available. There may be a few tweaks and changes as far as the presenters, but you can start registering your new graduate assistants on the calendar at http://www.library.illinois.edu/calendar/staff/. Training starts on August 17th.

While the Graduate Assistant Orientation/Training sessions are aimed at new graduate assistants in the Library, there are a number of sessions that returning staff members/academic professionals/faculty may be interested in attending. Sessions are open to any Library employee except for Monday morning, August 17th, which is reserved for new GAs only.
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If you would like to submit content for the September issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to John Wilkin, Sue Searing, Beth Sandore, or Tom Teper by Wednesday, August 19, 2015.