ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note

Where has summer gone? Looking at the calendar turning August brings the usual flutter of excitement and panic: I didn’t get nearly as many things done this summer as I had anticipated. If you are in the same boat, you are not alone, but I hope that you have had a chance for a summer breather somewhere in there. If not, time’s a wastin’! Read more…

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mortenson Center Visiting Scholar – Michelli Costa

The Mortenson Center for International Library Programs will host visiting scholar Michelli Costa from August 12–October 25, 2024. She is a Professor at the Faculty of Information Science at the University of Brasilia (Brazil), who will be conducting research on Open Science and Informational Justice: Overcoming Inequalities in Science Based on the Experiences of the Libraries of the University of Brasília and the University of Illinois. Please visit the Center and welcome Dr. Costa!

Professor Michelli Costa holds PhD and Masters degrees in Information Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Library Science from the University of Brasília (UnB). Her research in Information Science focuses on open science, digital libraries, and initiatives to democratize access to information. Since 2017, she has been a professor at the Faculty of Information Science at UnB and she currently serves as the vice-coordinator of the Graduate Program in Information Science.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Cheers for Peers

Library Human Resources is happy to announce this month’s Cheers for Peers submissions. The following Library employees have been cheered by their peers:

• Mirella Bajric
• Jose Bermudez
• Susan Breakenridge
• Julie Bumpus
• Ian Curry
• B.A. Davis-Howe
• Michael Donovan
• Laura Eichelberger
• Matt Freund
• Amy Fry
• Jennifer Gavel
• Nicholas Hagen
• Sarah Heald
• Debbie Jones
• Alex Klec
• Mary Laskowski
• Chad Lewis
• Sarah Lockmiller
• Jenny Maddox Abbott
• Alissa Marcum
• Cristina-Maria Kuhn
• Michael Norman
• Sindhuri Rekulapally
• Ithamar Ritz
• Melanie Rusk
• Will Schlaack
• Andrew Sims
• Ben Stone
• Rosemary Trippe
• Lisa Wells
• Lee Whitacre
• Preston Wright

To view the detailed Cheers for Peers submissions please view the Growing People blog.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

• Mara Thacker and “Turn the Page!” Team Awarded Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity Seed Grant

Please share your award, recognition, or grant! To initiate a request for publicity, employees (or their supervisors) should submit this Awards/Recognitions/Grants Publicity Request Form.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Senior Administrative Team Meeting Minutes

Please see detailed meeting minutes as follows:

• June 26

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Collection Development Committee Notes

The most recent meeting minutes of the CDC are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/collection-development-committee/

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Content Access Policy & Technology Meeting Minutes

The meeting minutes of CAPT (including workgroup reports) are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/content-access-policy-technology-capt/

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FACILITIES NEWS: Facilities Update

With the start of a new semester approaching, the Library Facilities Team wants to remind you about submitting a Team Dynamix Facility Ticket for all your facility needs.  This could be a request for furniture, office moves/setups, key request, card access, event setup, and/or general maintenance.  When not sure, please submit a ticket, this way work is captured and can be scheduled appropriately.  We are in our busy season, as summer projects begin to wrap up and room preparations for the new semester begin.  Additionally, if new student workers or employees need building access please submit the appropriate key or card swipe access.  Lastly, the monthly facility project tracker has been updated and can be viewed on the Library Staff website: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/07/July-Project-Info.pdf

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BUSINESS NEWS: Program (Cash) Advances

Are you conducting a research study? Do you need to pay your participants or offer some kind of incentive for participation? Then a Program (Cash) Advance might be what you need.

Items to request a cash advance for:

• Human Subject Payments (must have an IRB)
• Gifts/Prizes
• Incentives

Program advances must be requested through the Library Business Office by completing a program advance request form at https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/3026437. The request for a Program Advance must be received by the Business Office no later than 14 days prior to the date you need the funds.

It is important to note that the custodian of the program advance must receive the advance first prior to purchasing any gift cards or making any cash payments to participants. Proper documentation must be kept on who is paid, how they are paid, and when they receive their payment; please contact the Business Office for instructions on record keeping.

Please note that international individuals cannot be paid with a Program Advance, please contact the Business Office on how to proceed with paying international individuals.

The official University policies on Program (Cash) Advances can be found on the Business & Finance website at: https://www.busfin.uillinois.edu/paying_people/cash_advances. If you have any questions on Program Advances and if they are appropriate for your program please contact the Business Office at bhrsc@library.illinois.edu.

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HR NEWS: Departures

• Vanessa Biggers – Senior Library Specialist – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – 8/31/2024

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HR NEWS: Civil Service Vacancies

• Senior Library Specialist – Ricker Library of Architecture and Art – Interviews
• Associate Software Developer/Software Developer SCaRS – Library IT – Closes 8/5/2024

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar

To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Graduate Assistant Orientation

August 16–20

Library-wide GA Orientation & Training will be taking place August 16, 19 & 20. Each session is available for registration through the Library staff calendar: https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff

Day one includes sessions that will apply to all GAs working in the Library. The sessions on the other days may or may not be relevant. Please work with your GAs to guide them to the sessions that are appropriate for the work they will be doing (e.g., if they will not be answering questions via LibChat, let them know they should NOT register for the chat reference session). Supervisors can sign the GAs up individually, or ask GAs to sign up themselves. As with prior years, all of these sessions are also open to anyone working in these areas who would like to develop/refresh their skills. 

Sessions will take place in three different Library buildings (Main, Funk/ACES, Grainger) and we’ve incorporated a tour of each building into the schedule. If you work in one of these locations, please consider being on hand to welcome the new GAs as they come through on the tour.

If you have questions about GA Orientation, please send them to Zoe Revell (ODT).

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library IT Phase 1 – Conference Room Training

August 22 at 3 PM

Training is for fulltime Library faculty and staff for the Library conference rooms in order to gain access to log on to the dedicated room PC and use the video conferencing equipment.

Who needs training? Full-time Library employees that plan on hosting a meeting that requires using the Library Conference Room computer equipment (including video conferencing and hybrid meetings) will need training. This training is required only once. If you are a new Library Employee, or if you plan to video conference, host a webinar, or participate in a library search committee (regarding interviews and candidate presentation days), then the Library IT phase 1 training session is necessary in order to log in to the conference room computer and use the room equipment. Also, anyone who would like a room training refresher is always welcome to attend.

We will go over what the rooms have to offer and where to find this information. Demos include laptop connection, using the dedicated room PC, sound checks, touch panel modes, and troubleshooting common issues.

Due to limited seating, please sign up if you plan to attend: https://uiuc.libcal.com/event/12792990

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hybrid Library Hangout

August 27 at 10 AM

We are excited to invite you to our back-to-school in-person Library Hangout, on Tuesday, August 27th from 10-11 AM, in Room 314 at the Illini Union. Tea, coffee, seasonal fruit, and pastries will be provided. Feel free to drop in as early as 9:30 AM and mingle after the formal meeting.

If you cannot attend in person, do not worry, this event will be livestreamed and made accessible via Zoom. Please check your email for the Zoom link, and note that accepting the Zoom invite does not sign you up for the in-person hangout. If you wish to attend in person, please RSVP here by Monday, August 19th, 5 PM. We advise folks to use public transportation since parking at the Union is limited. If you need any accessibility accommodations, please reach out to us via email at events@library.illinois.edu by Tuesday, August 20th.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Save the Date! 34^th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture – Dr. Nadia Caidi

September 19 from 3:30–5 PM lecture with reception to follow

HYBRID: in-person (School of Information Sciences building, 501 E. Daniel St., Champaign; Room 126) AND online
Find registration and more details: https://www.library.illinois.edu/mortenson/lectures/
Find more information about Dr. Caidi on her faculty profile: https://ischool.utoronto.ca/profile/nadia-caidi/

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