December Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

IT NEWS

FACILITIES

EVENTS AND TRAINING


ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
The Library’s strategic plans have been an effective vehicle for guiding and aligning our work with the University’s strategic agenda. In recent years we adopted a Framework for Strategic Action (2015) and prior to that we adopted a set of Strategic Initiatives (2011). Read more…
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 11/5/2018
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Committee and Working Group Updates
The Library’s Executive Committee recently approved the charges for two working groups, one focused on Programming the Main Library Building and a Collections Working Group charged with helping to identify the collections that will be housed within the Main Library Building. Invitations to prospective chairs and members for these two working groups will go out during the first weeks of November 2018.

Consultants
Following the recommendation of the Library’s Special Collections Division, the Library has contracted with a consultant to begin investigating pathways forward for integrating special collections services as part of the program associated with the Library Building Project. The consultant, Kris Kiesling, was identified by the Special Collections Division and will be joining us in Urbana-Champaign from December 5 – 7, 2018.

Contracts and Firms
The University Library and the campus are in the final stages of signing a contract with an architectural firm to help with the programming activities. Once the paperwork is signed, we will be able to announce the name of the firm.

Communications

  • Library Groups – During the last month, Dean Wilkin and Tom Teper met with L-CAP and LSSC members.
  • Monthly Updates – Additionally, there will be a monthly update process initiated specific to the Library Building Project. These may be posted in a separate section of LON, with the intent of communicating specific information about the Facilities, Working Groups and Planning, and Advancement.
  • Quarterly Updates – The first Quarterly Update for the project was held in September 2018. Approximately sixty individuals attended the meeting in person with a further twenty watching via the live stream provided by Eric Kurt and Jake Metz from the Media Commons. During the session, Library personnel discussed where we were in the process with respect to setting up working groups, where the Library stood with respect to funding, securing consultants and architectural firms, and plans for efforts to get broader campus engagement, as well as those questions or concerns expressed by attendees. The next quarterly update is scheduled for December 13, 2018 from 3:30 – 4:30 in 66 Main Library.
  • Website – The Library Building Project has a website located at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/library-building-project/. Here you can read about the vision behind this program, seek answers to many of the Frequently Asked Questions that might arise, and read about upcoming events or project news. You can also submit additional questions to the project team at librarybuildingproject@library.illinois.edu.

Facilities
The assigned project coordinator from F&S is Dennis Craig, and once final contracts are approved, we will be able to announce the name of the firm and any subcontractors projected to assist in the programming. In the table below, the highlighted portion of the Library Programming and Conceptual Design activity associated with this project indicates the most recently completed step. The italicized dates that follow have been adjusted to account for the projected dates going forward. We anticipate the PSC Kick-off Meeting to be scheduled during the month of November, kicking off approximately eight-months of work associated with this phase of the project.

Outreach and Engagement
Over the last several months, Dean Wilkin has been conducting much leg work with respect to outreach and engagement with key stakeholders and faculty on campus. Meetings have included times with leadership in FAA and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, departments such as History and English, the iSchool, and others including student government, the University Librarian’s Student Advisory Council, and the Senate Committee on the Library.

As noted at the first Quarterly Update, the Library began holding “Salons” for faculty on campus to discuss some of their hopes, desires, and fears associated with the Library Building Project. The first two salons were held in late October, and there are three more scheduled to occur over November and December 2018. Each event began with providing some background on the scope of the project and led into discussion about the project as well as the potential impact and benefits of the proposed program. As the salons progress, a summary report will be distributed more broadly.

Presently, we are seeking opportunities to schedule some separate salons for groups of graduate students. Stay tuned for more information on this.

Finally, we will be working in the spring to find opportunities for broader town hall type discussions.
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Tweaking Grant Announcements for External Fundraisers
Heidi Imker, Associate University Librarian for Research

Kathie Veach and I are working to provide more targeted information about upcoming grant opportunities from frequent funders of library grants (NEH, IMLS, etc.). Instead of forwarding out the general OVCR opportunities email (which you certainly may subscribe to yourself directly if still interested), we’ll provide a list of upcoming deadlines each month in LON. This should accomplish several things: 1) cut down on email for those who found the signal to noise too low in the OVCR announcements, 2) help bring to light the most promising opportunities, and 3) give everyone more lead time to plan.

This is a work in progress and will be refined in the coming months. If you think Kathy and I might be missing specific funders, opportunities, or have other comments, please feel free to let us know.

Upcoming Grant Opportunities:
Note that no new opportunities exist for IMLS as the National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) are both currently in the invited full proposals phase.

The full guidelines for each opportunity listed below are located on the NEH website.

* Note, if you plan to submit for the 1/9 deadline to NEH and haven’t let us know yet, let Kathie and I know no later than December 5th!
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Prepare to Ring in the New Year with 1923 Works in the Public Domain
Heidi Imker, Associate University Librarian for Research

In just one month, on January 1, 2019, all work published in the United States in 1923 will enter the public domain. In celebration of this milestone, Sara Benson will be leading the Re-Mix It Competition. The competition celebrates the expansion of the public domain by encouraging students to engage with public domain works to create new, innovative work. Any student enrolled in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Spring semester of 2019 can enter the competition.

Additionally, in January, 2019, an online exhibit titled “The Sweet Public Domain: Honey Bunch and Copyright” will be launched by the Scholarly Communication & Publication Unit. The digital scalar exhibit includes digital versions of all first edition publications of the Honey Bunch series, which began in 1923 as well as commentary about celebrating the public domain, remixing public domain and in-copyright works, and annotated versions of the Honey Bunch 1923 children’s books.

More news forthcoming as we roll through January, but it is cause to start the celebration early in anticipation!
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Tip of the Month
The Library sends a monthly email to new faculty at Illinois during the fall and spring semesters. These emails introduce many of our services and resources to this important audience.

You can view the November LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/190993.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Collection Development Committee Notes
The most recent meetings minutes of the CDC are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/collection-development-committee/
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Content Access Policy & Technology Meeting Minutes
The meetings minutes of CAPT (including work group reports) are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/content-access-policy-technology-capt/
Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

Please forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
Back to Top

HR NEWS: The Academic Professional Peer Review Promotion Advisory Committee
The Academic Professional Peer Review Promotion Advisory Committee has just recently formed. It comprises three elected APs: Jen Yu, Heather Murphy, and Tom Habing, as well as two AULs: Heidi Imker and Cherie’ Weible. This committee will be responsible for reviewing applications submitted by Academic Professionals for promotion, ranking them, and providing recommendations to the University Librarian. More information will be coming soon about the first call for promotions anticipated in early Spring 2019.
Back to Top

HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Senior Library Specialist – Undergrad, job posted

Back to Top

HR NEWS: New Employees

  • Jimmy Gonzalez, High Density Storage Facility Coordinator, CMS (November 1)
  • Ruthann Miller, Visiting Curator, RBML (November 1)
  • Susan Muirhead, Media Innovation and Instructional Services Specialist, UGL (November 16)
  • Janelle Sander, Patron Services Manager, Access Services (November 1)
  • Michelle Self-Ballard, Library Specialist, Grainger
  • Ronald Anthony Stewart, IT Specialist (December 1)
  • Tracy Tolliver, Director of Library IT (December 16, 2018)

Back to Top

HR NEWS: Departures

  • Alexandra Krogman, resignation (November 25)
  • Beth Sheehan, resignation (November 26)
  • Janet Swatscheno, resignation (October 26)
  • Lynn Wiley, retirement (December 31)

Back to Top

IT NEWS: IT Staffing News
Library IT would like to welcome our newest Academic Professional, IT Specialist, Anthony Stewart. Anthony will be a member of the Workstation and Network Support Team, but he will also be assisting at the Help Desk. Many may already know Anthony; he has been working as an academic hourly in Library IT and also the Media Commons in UGL for over a year.

To help with the Web Team backlog, we have also recently hired John Rutherford as an hourly extra-help Web Specialist. John will be helping maintain existing Library websites and assisting with new projects.

Finally, Library IT would like to welcome our new IT Director, Tracy Tolliver. Tracy comes to us from campus Technology Services where she was the Director of Application Services. Tracy’s first day in the Library will be December 17.
Back to Top

IT NEWS: Reminder: Send Us Your Ideas


Library IT has an Idea Form to collect new or innovative ideas or any suggestions for improvements. When ideas are submitted they go to an OTRS queue that is reviewed monthly by Library IT. We will discuss submissions and take steps to bring involved Library stakeholders into the conversation. As always, we welcome your feedback!
Back to Top

IT NEWS: WordPress Training Schedule
The next training session is December 7, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., room 314 computer lab.

WordPress Essentials training is a 60-minute training session hosted by members of the Web Team. This session gives users basic knowledge of WordPress functionality, so they can be ready to edit their sites after the migration. Attendance of at least one of this type of training is required to gain access to your new WordPress site. You can sign up for a training session here, through the Staff Event Calendar.

If you have any questions about training opportunities or need to request training at a different time, please contact John Laskowski at: jdlasko@illinois.edu.
Back to Top

FACILITIES: Facility Project Updates

  • ACES Funk Library – Interior Signs – Installing main wayfinding signs – second level through 5th floor – F&S Sign Shop fabricating signs.
  • Main Library – Reading Room Renovation and 220 Conceptual Design  Consultant contract is finalized and kickoff meeting scheduled for December 11, 2018.
  • Main Library – Donor Wall – Grand Stair 1st Floor Vestibulecomplete.
  • Main Library – 14 Millionth Volume Permanent ExhibitF&S carpenters scheduled to install on the east wall sections of the north/south corridor of the Main Library.
  • Main Library – F&S – North, South & East Stairway “renovation” – stair tread cleaning and wall/ceiling painting – F&S funding approved. F&S Building Services Workers Flooring Crew working on south stairs – Ongoing due to fall semester traffic.
  • Main Library – 1st Floor Central Service Point – Phase I remodeling given OK to proceed by Illinois Historic Preservation Agency further review and approval will occur as architect completes designs Schematic design review in progress.
  • Main Library – Elevator Upgrade – E5 (east) summer 2018. The project is a Campus wide multiple elevator upgrade project. The elevator cabs and controls for E5 elevator will be upgraded to provide reliable transportation throughout the Main Library. E5 is out of service  Complete.

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see: https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/
Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Maker Spaces: Things that Go Bop, Whizz, and Clank!
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
12:00 –1:30 p.m., 428 Main Library

Have 3D printers become commonplace? Is someone in your library using pizza boxes to create their next-generation VR viewer? Perhaps you’re wondering just how sophisticated (and how spacious) a Maker Space needs to be these days. What are the expectations from students and faculty? What tools and services need to be part of a library’s maker space?
Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: ALCTS Webinar: The IFLA LRM Model: A Brief Introduction
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
1:00 – 2:00 p.m, 225 Main Library

LRM (Library Research Model) is a new conceptual model that harmonizes several existing FR (Functional Requirements-based) models for library metadata creation such as FRBR, FRAD, and FRSAD and, with the release of the beta version of the newly redesigned RDA Toolkit in June 2018, has replaced FRBR as the primary conceptual model underpinning the RDA cataloging code. This webinar briefly outlines the structure of LRM, traces its emergence from the FR family of models, examines some key conceptual differences between LRM and FRBR, and discusses some of the important new entities, attributes, and relationships in LRM.
Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Creative Connections
Thursday, December 13
12:00 – 1:00 p.m., 428 Main Library
Box making with Martha Degutis
Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: RBML Holiday Open House
Thursday, December 13
3:00 – 5:00 p.m., 346 Main Library

Please join the Rare Book & Manuscript Library for its annual holiday open house where you can letterpress print your own free holiday card. The paper will be provided by the Fresh Press, the University’s sustainable papermaking initiative. Students from the Fresh Press and the Noble Print Club will be at the event with holiday-related merchandise available for purchase. Seasonal refreshments and fresh mulled cider will be served; all are welcome.
Back to Top


If you would like to submit content for the January issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by Friday, December 14, 2018.