June Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

IT NEWS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING


ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note

A sincere “thank you” to all of you for the warm welcome you’ve shown me in my first three weeks here as dean and university librarian. Although I didn’t get to meet everyone, the summer social was great fun and I am glad I did get to say hello to a great many of you. Read more…

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 06/01/2023
Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services | Project Manager, Library Building Project

General Update

The renovation of the Undergraduate Library and planning for construction of the Archives and Special Collections Building continue apace. At present, all planned demolition of the Undergraduate Library spaces being completed by Facilities & Services is complete.

Initially, plans called for completing the Construction Documents in April 2023 following the mid-March submittal of 100% drawings. Unanticipated changes required to the HVAC system and AV/IT required that the final submission date be renegotiated between Capital Programs and RATIO. At present, the schedule for wrapping up the final details in the 100% drawings and preparing the construction drawings for competitive bid is as follows:

  • 5/18/23 – Design team submitted one line HVAC drawing.
  • 5/25/23 – HVAC and controls design meeting.
  • 6/8/23 – Design team submits drawings/specs.
  • 6/15/23 – Comments returned to design team
  • 6/16 and 6/20 – Tentative design comments review meetings.
  • 6/22/23 – Issue for bids.

Running parallel to these meetings are additional discussions around finalizing the outstanding AV/IT components.

Once the final drawings and accompanying materials required for the bid are submitted, the University will prepare the final bid package. This will be released for the public bidding process with the intent of having a construction package prepared for final Board of Trustees approval at the September BOT meeting. Construction could start shortly thereafter.

As noted in previous updates, members of the Special Collections Division are working diligently with representatives of Bradford Systems and SpaceSaver to finalize a shelving layout for the facility. Meeting roughly every other week, this group made great progress on zeroing in on a final shelving layout. Their target completion date is within the coming weeks.

A third stream of meetings is occurring around finalizing the furniture package for the building. This will be handled in parallel to the construction bid in order to take advantage of state-negotiated IPHEC (Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative) pricing.

Other Activities

Personnel within the Library continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to touch base on progress, and members of the Library’s Administration continue meeting with Capital Programs’ project team on a weekly basis to touch base and monitor progress associated with this project.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continue. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit. As noted, work on the shelving layout continues. Once done, members of the units will need to start preparing models for where specific portions of the collection will sit in the planned shelving layouts in preparation for an eventual move of library and archival collections into the facility.

Proposed Project Schedule

As the project progresses, the schedule becomes increasingly more detailed and accurate going forward. At present, the schedule below outlines dates going forward for the development of construction documents (CD), their review, the bidding and negotiation phase, construction, and post-construction. This schedule was updated and is accurate as of June 8th, 2022.

We anticipate changes to be released as the final bid package is prepared.

Communications

Individuals may have noticed the following news item related to the anticipated name change for the building: https://illinoisnewsroom.org/university-of-illinois-library-has-a-new-name/. All building name changes require Board of Trustees approval, and the item appeared in the May BOT meeting schedule.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Fall New Graduate Assistant Orientation

On behalf of the Reference Management Team and Organizational Development & Training, the schedule for Library-wide GA Orientation (taking place Aug. 16-18) is now complete. 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 these sessions are also open to anyone whose work relates to these areas and 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.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Residence Hall Libraries Update

Ikenberry Residence Hall Library will re-open for the summer on Monday, June 5th. Summer hours will be M-F, 10 am to 2 pm. (Illinois Street Residence Hall Library is closed for the summer, but pick slip requests will be filled.)

All U of I students, staff, and faculty with an active I-card are invited to participate in the Res. Hall Libraries’ Summer BINGO! Bring your completed BINGO card (4 in a row in any direction) to Ike Library for a treat and to be entered in a raffle for an Advanced Readers’ Copy of a book of your choice from our stash. Winners will be drawn in September.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Internal Marketing Group
A new Internal Marketing Group has formed to create and maintain a portfolio of internal signage, templates, maps, and other informational and wayfinding resources in alignment with campus branding and University Library standards. The IMG is a working group committed to user-focused, inclusive, and accessible practices deployed in agile and tactical ways to best represent the University Library and user needs throughout campus libraries. More from this group is forthcoming!

Members include:

  • Paula Carns
  • Sarah Christensen
  • Kate Lambaria
  • John Laskowski
  • Heather Murphy
  • Tim Newman

Any immediate questions should be directed to Heather Murphy or John Laskowski.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Cheers for Peers
To view the full Cheers for Peers submissions please view the Growing People blog.

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
  • MJ Han
  • Megean Osuchowski
  • Janelle Sander
  • Dulcie Vermillion

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Update
Victor Jones, Jr., Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

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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/

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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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IT NEWS: Library Emerging Technology Talk Series – Generative AI
Tracy Tolliver, Director of Library Information Technology

LEITC (Library Emerging and Integrated Technologies Coordination – CAPT) is putting on a series of hybrid workshops on the topic of Generative AI. These sessions are intended to help inform the library audience about the current state of the art of Generative AI technologies and what the implications and the potential are for these technologies for scholarship and the mission of the library.

These sessions also provide the library audience with an opportunity to bring up topics of concern or interest that we can discuss together and potentially cover more in-depth in future sessions. From these early understandings, we can plan out what funding, resources, and partnerships would be needed to implement new support services for Generative AI.

These sessions are organized by the Library Emerging and Integrated Technologies Committee (LEITC). Interested in proposing or organizing a future talk about Generative AI? Please contact us now at leitc@library.illinois.edu

Summer Schedule:

  • Topic: LEITC Series: Generative AI – What is it?
    Short Description: The current state of generative AI is changing by the day and while it has already had a profound effect on the future of technology and many other industries it will almost certainly not lead to the end of all humanity as shown by many news headlines. Join us as we talk through the basic concept, history, and current state of generative AI and large language models.
    Speakers: Eric Kurt, Jake Metz
    When: Jun 6, 2023, 11 am to 12 noon (CST)
    In-Person: Room 220, Scholarly Commons, Main Library
    Zoom Link: If you register with this form, the Zoom information will be emailed to you after May 30th.
  • Topic: LEITC Series: Generative AI – Current tools and services
    Short Description: What kinds of things can AI create? And are there alternatives to the Big Tech services? Join us as we experiment with the latest tools in this hands-on workshop. We’ll discuss how to write effective prompts as we explore possibilities (and potential pitfalls) of using AI to generate text, images, code, and more.
    Speakers: Jake Metz, Mary Ton
    When: Jun 13, 2023, 11 am to 12 noon (CST)
    In-Person: Room 220, Scholarly Commons, Main Library
    Zoom Link: If you register with this form, the Zoom information will be emailed to you after June 6th.
  • Topic: LEITC Series: Generative AI – Impact on the Library mission and services
    Short Description:  What are the implications of Generative AI technologies for the mission of the library and its services in support of the research and learning mission in higher education? In this session, we will talk about the many challenges and opportunities we currently experience in the library and may encounter moving forward with these technologies. As we build an understanding for how Generative AI may impact our mission, we can begin to work on how to adjust or build new services.
    Speakers: Alex (Elisandro) Cabada, Celenia Graves
    When: Jul 11, 2023, 11 am to 12 noon (CST)
    In-Person: Room 220, Scholarly Commons, Main Library
    Zoom Link: If you register with this form, the Zoom information will be emailed to you after June 13th.
  • Topic: LEITC Series: Generative AI – Image creation, copyright, and understanding your rights
    Short Description: You’ve asked an AI generator to create a cat portrait in the style of Picasso, now what? Although sampling the work of others has been a natural part of image creation since humans have communicated through art, new AI tools have complicated that conversation. This workshop will discuss the ways that people are using AI-generated images to create new bodies of work, streamline their research processes, and beautifully muddy current and future copyright waters. You’ll learn your rights as an image creator, and hopefully have a few more answers about where the machine’s art ends and yours begins.
    Speakers: Siobhan McKissic
    When: Jul 25, 2023, 11 am to 12 noon (CST)
    In-Person: Room 220, Scholarly Commons, Main Library
    Zoom Link: If you register with this form, the Zoom information will be emailed to you after July 11th.

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FACILITIES: Facilities Update
Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities

The summer facility renovations are upon us, but it will not be as crazy as last summer. To highlight a few projects, we have classroom technology upgrades occurring in Rm 314 of the Main Library and a few minor repairs occurring throughout spaces across the University Libraries. We are also kicking off the roof renovation project at the Main Library with design starting in July and expected construction starting next summer. The project information document has been updated. As a reminder, if you are in need of any space renovations, maintenance, or services, please submit a ticket through Team Dynamix.

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

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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Bernadette Braun – Library Operations Associate – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – 5/15/2023
  • Claire Stewart – Dean of Libraries and University Librarian – Library Administration – 5/16/2023
  • Alexander Klec – Assistant Distribution Services Supervisor – Library Facilities – 6/5/2023

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Margo Robinson – Library Specialist – Central Access Services – 4/30/2023
  • Jamie Hansen – Library Specialist – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – 5/11/2023
  • Lisa Miller – Senior Library Specialist – Central Access Services – 5/31/2023

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HR NEWS: Civil Service Vacancies

  • Multi-level ITTA Assoc Software Developer/Software developer – Library IT (SCaRS) – Email Screenings
  • Multi-level ITTA Infrastructure Specialist – Library IT – Posting Soon
  • IT Specialists (2 positions) – Library IT – IHR Reviewing JD
  • Library Specialist – Communications – Decision soon

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HR NEWS: Academic Professional and Faculty Open Postings

  • Visiting Social Sciences Librarian (Faculty) – Social Sciences, Health, & Education Library – Closes 6/9/2023
  • World Languages Cataloging Coordinator (Faculty) – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – Closes 6/16/2023
  • Chinese Studies Librarian (Faculty) – International & Area Studies Library – Closes 6/23/2023

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

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Emerging Technology Talk Series – Generative AI
View the Summer Schedule here.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Gwendolyn Brooks’s Birthday
June 7, 3 – 5pm

Come and celebrate the birthday of Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), former Illinois Poet Laureate and the first African American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize. Take a look at some of our favorite gems from Miss Brooks’s literary archives, and enjoy a slice of her birthday cake! This event is free and open to all.

https://calendars.illinois.edu/detail/4092/33451402

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: DEIA Educational Workshop Series

We are pleased to invite you to participate in a new University Library DEIA Educational Workshop Series. This series was developed by Dr. Ellen Burts-Cooper of Improve Consulting in collaboration with the DEIA Task Force. Dr. Ellen was our guest speaker at the Library’s Annual Recognition Event. These workshops are a mixture of presentation and discussion, led by two library facilitators. By attending this workshop, you will have the opportunity to meet colleagues from across the library and learn from each other.

This semester, we will offer 3 more opportunities to attend the first module, Library Culture and Engagement. This workshop covers important foundational topics requested by library employees, including belonging, psychological safety, collaboration, and how to contribute to a healthy workplace. Attending this module will be very helpful for engaging with the additional four modules offered later.

The Library Culture and Engagement module will be offered on Zoom on the following dates:

  • Thursday, June 8th, 2pm-4pm register
  • Wednesday, June 21st, 2pm-4pm register
  • Thursday, July 27th, 10am-12pm (registration is full)

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library IT phase 1 – conference room training
June 9, 2pm

Training is for full-time Library faculty and staff for the Library conference rooms in order to log on to the dedicated room PC.

Who needs training? Full-time Library employees that plan on hosting a meeting that requires using the Library Conference Room computer equipment 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, enlarging text within documents and websites, and troubleshooting common issues.

Due to limited seating, please register if you plan to attend.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Controlled Digital Lending
June 14, 10am

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.

Future NISO Webinars to consider:

  • August 9 at 10 AM: Metrics: Assessing Usage (Part One)
  • August 16 at 10 AM: Metrics: What Additional Metrics Are Needed? (Part Two)
  • September 13 at 10 AM: Multilingual Content and its Use
  • October 11 at 10 AM: Building Connectivity Between Diverse and Diffused Resources
  • November 8 at 10 AM: Strategic Planning
  • December 13 at 10 AM: Trend Spotting, Trend Setting

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If you would like to submit content for the July issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by Friday, June 23, 2023.

October Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
Check back next month for a new Note from Dean Wilkin. 
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 10/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services | Project Manager, Library Building Project

Project Meetings and Updates for September 2022
During the month of September, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met on several occasions to discuss elements of the project:

  • September 19th: Demolition Discussion – Library and campus personnel met to discuss demolition plans. This was followed later in the week with another meeting with F&S personnel.
  • September 21st: Landscape Design – Library personnel met with F&S, Capital Programs, and A/E representatives to onboard and discuss landscape design for Archives and Special Collections Building with new landscape architecture subcontractor.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for October 2022 (as of 9/27/2022)
At present, there are only a few scheduled meetings for October 2022.

  • October 5th: Shelving Meeting – Library and campus personnel will meet with A/E and representatives from Bradford systems to further refine shelving needs.

Other Activities
Personnel within the Library continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to touch base on progress, and members of the Library’s Administration continue meeting with Capital Programs project team on a weekly basis to check on progress associated with this project.
Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continue. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule
As the project progresses, the schedule becomes increasingly more detailed and accurate going forward. At present, the schedule below outlines dates going forward for the development of construction documents (CD), their review, the bidding and negotiation phase, construction, and post-construction. This schedule was updated and is accurate as of June 8th, 2022.

Communications
Nothing to report.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Cheers for Peers
Are you particularly grateful to someone at the Library? Have you observed a random act of kindness? If you’ve wondered how to let that person know it was noticed, we have the answer!

The Library is launching an opportunity to quickly recognize a co-worker with this form Cheers for Peers. By answering three questions you have the ability to share appreciation and gratitude and create an energizing and positive moment for others.

  1. Who are you cheering?
  2. Brief description of why you are submitting a cheer for your peer.
  3. Do you wish to be anonymous, or include your name?

Once per month, cheers will be gathered and shared on the “Growing People” blog and included in the monthly LON submission.

The person that has been cheered will receive a certificate to celebrate their recognition along with a small gift.  

The Fine Print

  • All Library employees are eligible (Employee includes Extra Help, Academic Hourly, Graduate Hourly, Student Hourly, Visiting and Permanent appointments). 
  • Submissions will be reviewed prior to posting publicly. 
  • Submissions must be received no later than the 21st of each month to appear in the upcoming blog post.
  • Any submissions received on or after the 22nd will appear in the following month.
  • Multiple nominations within one month for the same person will yield multiple certificates and one sticker.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment

We can’t promise haunted tomes bound in human skin, but the Library’s collection is full of books that will twist your mind, haunt your thoughts, and bedevil your senses. This October, consider sampling from the plethora of options within the subject headings in the above graphic.

For even more fascinating frights, check out these collection highlights of illustrated horror from Mara Thacker, our South Asian Studies and Global Popular Culture Librarian:

Ghosts of India: Horror Comics Anthology

The Book of Indian Ghosts by Riksunder Banerjee, illustrated by Raka Chowdhury

Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror by Juji Itō, translated by Yuji Oniki

Graphic created and text written by Virginia Haverstic, Library Assessment Graduate Assistant. Mara Thacker provided collection highlights. Michael Norman provided collection statistics.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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FACILITIES: Facilities Update
Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/.
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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Marina Kolodyazhnaya – Library Specialist (Government Documents) – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services – 9/6/2022
  • Celenia Graves – Visiting Experiential Learning and Engagement Librarian – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – 9/23/2022
  • Rachel Miller-Haughton – Visiting Preservation Outreach and Education Librarian – Preservation Services – 9/23/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Rand Hartsell – Library Operations Associate – Central Access Services – 10/14/2022

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HR NEWS: Civil Service Vacancies

  • Library Specialist (2 PM – 10 PM) – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – second interviews soon
  • Office Support Associate – Dean’s Office – interviews
  • Senior Library Specialist – Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery – interviews soon
  • Senior Library Specialist – History, Philosophy, & Newspaper Library – posting soon
  • E-Resources Library Specialist – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – posting soon
  • Accounting Officer – Business & Human Resources Service Center – closed without hire 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Residence Hall Libraries’ Student Events

  • Monthly Game Night
    October 5 from 5 PM – 7 PM
    Ike: SDRP 2003 and ISR: 50 A/B
    Come play board games from the Residence Hall Libraries’ collections. Snacks provided. Bring your friends and make new friends!
  • Monthly Craft Night
    October 11 from 5 PM – 7 PM
    Ike: SDRP Lobby and ISR: 50A/B
    Make a craft to decorate your room, with all materials (and snacks) provided for free from the Residence Hall Libraries.
  • Monthly Book Club
    October 27 at 6:30 PM
    Ike: SDRP 2003
    Discussion of The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Vol. 1 of the Hercule Poirot series) by Agatha Christie; snacks provided!

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: CARLI Professional Development Alliance Events

  • FL-OER-ishment Webinar Series: Dismantling Barriers to Student Success Through Affordable Learning Materials
    October 6 at 1:30 PM
    An interdisciplinary panel including professors Taurie Gittings Wheeler, Allison Thomas Johnson, and Pamela Williams from Miami Dade College will share how they implemented OER and other affordable learning materials in their classes to reduce cost and increase access for students. They will demonstrate different approaches to using learning materials and discuss the challenges and successes they encountered along the way. 
    Register for this event
  • Managing Difficult Conversations 
    October 12 at 10 AM
    This one-hour workshop will discuss the nature of and challenges in holding difficult conversations, and strategies to overcome those challenges and increase the likelihood of success. Polls, discussion/chat, and Q&A will be used to involve the audience to ensure that specific fears and concerns are addressed. Tools and references will be provided or identified to support participants in putting learning into action.
    Register for this event
  • Accessibility Series: Social Media Accessibility Basics
    October 27 at 1 PM
    Join Mark McCarthy in this first of a two-part accessibility series and learn more about several facets of social media accessibility, including learning a little about disability itself, a brief overview of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, why social media access matters, and more!
    Register for this event
  • FL-OER-ishment Webinar Series: Teaching Jacksonville History at FSCJ: Strategies for an Affordable and Rigorous Course
    October 27 at 1:30 PM
    This presentation will discuss the origins of the first comprehensive course on the History of Jacksonville offered at a college or university and how its creators conducted research and decided on a rich set of open-access resources for students.
    Register for this event

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: In Search of Marcel Proust
October 7 at 3 PM

Are you curious to find out who Marcel Proust was, or how to say his name? Are you a devoted reader? Join Professor François Proulx (Department of French and Italian) and RBML curator Caroline Szylowicz for a conversation about Proust’s life and works. We will mark the 100th anniversary of his death with an exploration of his books, manuscripts, and letters, we’ll share favorite characters, passages, and we might even set the record straight about the cork-lined bedroom!  

This event will be located at The Rare Book & Manuscript Library and is free and open to all; refreshments will be served. 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hub Training 

  • ILL / Doc Express & Policies on Access to Physical Collections 
    October 11 at 2 PM and October 28 at 3 PM
    Who should attend: All first year GAs and anyone who has not attended this training before or would like a refresher. 
    Instructors: Cherié Weible and Janelle Sander
    This training will be recorded.
    Please contact Sara Holder at sholder@illinois.edu if you have questions about this training. 
  • Reference in Special Collections
    October 25 at 2 PM and October 28 at 3 PM
    Who should attend: All first year GAs and anyone who has not attended this training before or would like a refresher.
    Instructors: Jenny Johnson, Sammi Merritt, Jameatris Rimkus, Cait Coker, Caroline Szylowicz, Krista Gray, and Rachel Tomei
    This training will be recorded.
    Please contact Sarah Holder at sholder@illinois.edu if you have questions about this training. 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Cybersecurity
October 12 at 10 AM

This NISO educational event will bring together a group of experts in systems and cybersecurity to discuss the key challenges currently facing the information community. From issues of authentication to the threats posed by ransomware, all organizations must prioritize protections for digital identities and assets. Libraries, funding agencies, content and platform providers, and end users are largely aware of the dangers, but hesitate over the potential inconvenience and hidden costs of addressing them. What can be done? This roundtable discussion will provide insights and encouragement. 

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings. 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Women in Science Lecture Series: Dr. Imanni Sheppard
October 13 at 12 PM

The University of Illinois Archives is hosting a monthly virtual Women in Science Lecture Series that will feature speakers from across the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s diverse and multidisciplinary scientific enterprise. October’s lecture features Dr. Imanni Sheppard, Assistant Teaching professor and Co-Director of Medical Ethics and Humanities thread at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Dr. Sheppard will discuss her work in developing medical humanities and medical anthropology curricula and her work with community based participatory research. Register for the Zoom link here

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: De-Escalation Series

Margaret Ann Paauw will be doing a two-part Zoom training series for Library employees on de-escalation techniques. This training opportunity is particularly relevant to those in public-facing roles but could be generally useful for any Library employee. Each session has different but complementary content. Attendees do not have to commit to both sessions. They can attend either, or both, sessions and benefit.

De-Escalation Series
Margaret Ann Paauw is a licensed clinical social worker and Ph.D. Candidate at Loyola University Chicago. Margaret Ann practiced as a library social worker at Chicago Public Library for over two years, providing support for staff, crisis navigation, and community outreach. Margaret Ann was very active with the Public Library Association’s library social work task force and co-authored the book A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons. Margaret Ann is currently studying the practice of library social work and hopes to contribute to the literature on this emerging field.

Session I: Navigating Difficult Interactions with Patrons
Tuesday October 18th, 2022, 2 PM – 3 PM
In the library, we serve so many different types of people with many different experiences. How do we approach those who might be upset, communicate in different ways than we do, or are potentially dealing with some form of mental illness or mental health struggle? In this session, we will learn about basic mental health issues and symptoms followed by exercises navigating common scenarios. 

Session II: Trauma Informed Library Approaches
Friday October 21st, 2022, 3 PM – 4 PM
Following the session “Navigating Difficult Interactions with Patrons”, this session will focus on incorporating trauma informed approaches in the library on a more general basis. In this session, we will learn about how trauma informed approaches can help us navigate a wide variety of client interactions in an empathetic manner. 

Registration is not required, but very helpful to us so that we can plan for expected audience size. You will also get reminders about the training and a way to download it to your calendar.

This training is sponsored by Organization Development & Training in the Business & Human Resources Service Center.

For any questions or concerns please contact Organization Development and Training at training@library.illinois.edu.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
October 26 at 10 AM

Please keep a lookout for an email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.

Also, we are always looking for volunteers who would be willing to host social time following the Hangouts. Please consider being on an “on-call” list. We need volunteers to keep the social times going! Use the form above if interested.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hysteria: Tracing Early Modern Witchcraft 
October 26 at 7:30 PM

Rare Book & Manuscript Library Curators Ruthann E. Mowry and Dr. Cait Coker will host this live, interactive presentation of materials documenting the history of European witchcraft. Bring your questions as we discuss witch trial records and accounts in their historical context and our contemporary parallels. 

This is a virtual-only event hosted by Lewis & Clark Library in Helena, Montana. Please register here to receive the Zoom link! 

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If you would like to submit content for the November issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by October 21, 2022.

September Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
It’s the start of a new academic year at Illinois and, though I don’t want to jinx things, it’s feeling almost back-to-normal. I’m excited to see a large number of people all across campus—and in our library spaces. I’m happy to report there are already large numbers of students utilizing our new Orange Room in the Main Library. Foot traffic in our libraries is vastly outstripping what we saw last year with the return to in-person instruction. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 9/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services | Project Manager, Library Building Project

Project Meetings and Updates for August 2022
During the month of August, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met on several occasions to discuss elements of the project:

  • August 4th – Lightning Protection – A/E and campus personnel to review lightning protection for facility.
  • August 15th – Generator Location and Refueling – A/E and campus personnel to review generator location and refueling procedures for facility.
  • August 16th – FFE Samples Discussion – Internal meeting with project team to discuss initial FFE samples.
  • August 17th – Public Safety Review – A/E and Campus personnel to review public safety in building.
  • August 22nd – Lighting Impact on Morrow Plots/Observatory – A/E meeting with Library personnel, F&S, Capital Programs, College of ACES, and Observatory representatives.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for September 2022 (as of 8/31/2022)
At present, there are no scheduled meetings for September 2022.

Other Activities
Personnel within the Library continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to touch base on progress, and members of the Library’s Administration continue meeting with Capital Programs project team on a weekly basis to check on progress associated with this project.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continue. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule
As the project progresses, the schedule becomes increasingly more detailed and accurate going forward. At present, the schedule below outlines dates going forward for the development of construction documents (CD), their review, the bidding and negotiation phase, construction, and post-construction. This schedule was updated and is accurate as of June 8th, 2022.

Communications
Nothing to report.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Rooms 450A, B, C – Available for Reservations
As part of its charge to identify and prepare appropriate offices and workspaces for all employees impacted by the building project, the Staffing Working Group recommended this past summer to convert unused office suites in the 450 Main Library area into bookable, shared workspaces.  These spaces are now complete and ready for use.

Rooms 450 A,B, and C are bookable through Outlook, and keys can be picked up from the 230 Main Library office suite, following the same process for booking other shared spaces in the building.  450 A&B have a single workstation, and 450 C is split into two workstations, each of which is separately bookable (Listed as 450C1 and 450C2 in Outlook). These spaces are intended for occasional use by employees who have need of private workspace for job-related activities such as Zoom meetings, personnel discussions, etc.  Any permanent library employee is eligible to book one of these spaces.  As these are shared spaces filling a need for a large number of library employees, please do not book them for regular, lengthy amounts of time, until we have a chance to assess use and measure demand.

For questions about

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Nominate a Library Outstanding Academic Professional (AP)
The Awards and Recognition Committee is accepting nominations for the Library Outstanding AP Award through September 20, at 5 pm. Any member of the Library community can nominate a Library AP for this award. Nominators are welcome (and encouraged) to work with co-nominators to develop a thorough nomination with details and examples. For eligibility and nominee requirements, please see the call sent to LibNews on August 31. Nominations can be submitted at https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/345362199.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment

Which of the following questions did you answer the most during the first week of class? Was it…

“Where can I find a place to study?”
“How can I use the printer?”
“Where is Room 66?”

No matter how simple these questions are, the effort we make to help students navigate library buildings and services is important. The University’s Student Experience Survey (Fall 2021) found that students who used library services had a higher sense of belonging and connectedness to the University. An undergraduate student survey conducted by the Library (Fall 2018) also found that students who used library space “once or twice a year” reported higher GPA than those who had never been to a library on campus.

Thanks to Beth Hoag, Ph.D. for providing the Student Experience Survey findings. For more information about these studies, please contact Library Assessment (assessment@library.illinois.edu).
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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FACILITIES: Facilities Update
Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities

Welcome back to campus! As a new semester has started, the Facilities Team wanted to remind everyone of a few general procedures and policies:

For any facility related request(s) such as, furniture needs, key request, event setup, general maintenance, and remodel, or when not sure, please submit a ticket request.  This way all of facilities can track the request and ensure that we are providing the best customer service for you.  Our ticketing system has changed to Team Dynamix.  These links will help with varied ticket submissions:

Team Dynamix (general facility/default request) https://go.library.illinois.edu/logaticket
Key Request Form https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/keyrequest/
Event Checklist https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2019/02/EventCheckList-Revised-2019.02.08.xls

For shipping/delivery, please bring any shipments to Shipping/Receiving the day prior. We make daily deliveries starting at 8:00am, as well as multiple deliveries throughout the day. We try to accommodate rush orders, but request at least a day’s notice. Additionally, for any packages being shipped FedEx or UPS, please have them by noon at the shipping/receiving desk at the Main Library. Lastly, ensure that you please provide as much detail regarding the order as possible (vendor, quantity, price, etc.).

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/.
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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Sarah Blanco – Library Specialist – Teaching, Learning, and Academic Support – 8/15/2022
  • Alyson Bell – Associate Director – Library Advancement – 8/16/2022
  • Megan Sapp-Nelson – Head – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – 8/18/2022
  • JD Tanaro – Library Specialist – Funk ACES – 8/29/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Megan Johnson – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – resigned 8/6/2022
  • Brian Agnoletti – Library Facilities – resigned 8/12/2022

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HR NEWS: Civil Service Vacancies

  • Library Specialist (Government Documents) – ACS – decision soon
  • Office Support Associate – Dean’s Office – interviews 8/24-8/26
  • Accounting Officer – Business and Human Resources Service Center – interviews soon
  • Library Specialist (2 PM – 10 PM) – Grainger – posting soon
  • Senior Library Specialist – History, Philosophy, & Newspaper Library – posting soon
  • Senior Library Specialist – Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery – posting soon
  • E-Resources Library Specialist – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – posting soon

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HR NEWS: Academic Professional and Faculty Open Positions

  • Digital Humanities Librarian – Scholarly Communication & Publishing, FAC – Celestina Savonius-Wroth, Chair. Live on the job board with a closing date of 9/16/2022.

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Residence Hall Libraries’ Student Events
September 7 at 4pm

The Residence Hall Libraries are holding their First Monthly Game Night of the semester! Board games from the Residence Hall Libraries’ collections will be available and the event will provide the opportunity for students to make new friends. This event will be held at both the Ikenberry Library (SDRP 2003) and the Illinois Street Residence Hall Library (50A/B).

Additional information and a list of all the events already planned for the semester can be found here:
https://housing.illinois.edu/Resources/residence-hall-libraries/events

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: CARLI Professional Development Alliance Events

  • Building a Successful Budget
    September 13 at 1 PM
    This session will provide attendees with a high-level overview of budgeting in libraries. We will examine nuances of the word “budget” and what that implies about how we discuss budgets with various departments within the organization, share similarities and differences in the budget process across organizations, and discuss long-term strategies for weathering budget cuts. We will finish by demonstrating how human bias impacts budgetary decision-making.
    Register for this event
  • Racial Equity in Libraries
    September 19 at 1 PM
    In this session, Kristyn Caragher and Tatiana Bryant will highlight select results of their national survey and provide implications for libraries to consider in their racial equity work regarding the hiring, retention, and promotion of BIPOC employees.
    Register for this event
  • Leading Together: Academic Library Consortia and Advocacy
    September 20 at 1 PM
    There is strength in a consortium voice and through the agency of the consortium the opportunity to lead together under a unified plan. This presentation reviews the landscape of effective consortia advocacy work, while presenting an approach to developing an advocacy plan. Drawing from the recent book by the same title, participants will leave with a sense of options and opportunities to build a consistent message to influence and persuade throughout the consortium (or any group) for agreed-upon goals.
    Register for this event

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: The Viceroyalty of Peru and the Times of the Conde de Montemar
September 16 at 3pm

Please join us for the opening reception of RBML’s Fall Exhibit, The Viceroyalty of Peru and the Times of the Conde de Montemar. The exhibit is curated by Ana D. Rodríguez and Dr. Antonio Sotomayor, and will remain on view through May 12, 2023.

For nearly 300 years (1542-1824), the Viceroyalty of Perú was an integral part of the extensive Spanish Empire in the Americas. The Spaniards had taken over the Inca Empire that had ruled those lands for generations and had established a complex civilization. By taking the Inca Empire, its riches and lands, the descendants of these conquistadors developed a new society characterized by the diversity of communities where they lived, with the indigenous peoples placed at a disadvantage. As a stratified society, the white noble class was at the top of the social pyramid, including the family of the V Conde de Montemar, which had vast interests throughout the territory. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign holds a unique and sizable collection of letters that belonged to this family; this exhibit will showcase a fraction of its content, alongside other equally rare and fascinating material from the University of Illinois collections.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: 32nd Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture
September 21

BROWN BAG SESSION: 12:15-1:15 pm CT (in person, 106 Main Library)
LECTURE: 3:30-5:00 pm CT (iSchool, Room 126, 501 E. Daniel Street, Champaign AND livestream)
REFRESHMENTS: 5:00-5:45 pm CT

A lecture to celebrate Libraries for Peace (L4P) Day as the world community observes International Day of Peace on September 21, 2022. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme for the International Day of Peace in 2022 is “End racism. Build peace.” Join the UN to #FightRacism.

For more information and to register for the lecture, visit library.illinois.edu/mortenson/lectures/.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Small Press Fest and Human Library at PYGMALION
September 22-24

The University Library will host Small Press Fest (part of Made Fest from 5-10pm on September 23) and Human Library (from 11-3pm on September 24) at PYGMALION. More information is forthcoming via LIB-NEWS. 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Chicago Immigrant Orchestra – IAS Library Outreach Event
September 27

The Chicago Immigrant Orchestra (CIO), a world music ensemble, will be visiting UIUC campus, sponsored by the International and Area Studies (IAS) Library in collaboration with the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (and other university co-sponsors). The CIO will give two performances, both free and open to the entire university community.

The CIO was originally established in 1999 by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Recently re-constituted by guitarist Fareed Haque and oud player Wanees Zarour, its performances typically involve 10-12 instrumentalists and singers representing musical traditions from all over the world, from East and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The group explores the relationships and differences among these traditions, creating a unique and cohesive tapestry of cultures.

A video of a virtual CIO concert from September 2020 can be found here.

The first performance, to be held in the IAS Library (321 Main Library) at 2:00 p.m., will feature a subset of the CIO at which listeners will be able to interact with the musicians and ask questions about the music and the instruments. Refreshments will be served.

At 7:30 p.m. the full ensemble will give a more formal performance in the Cowell Playhouse at the Krannert Center. Though admission is free to members of the university community and their guests, tickets should be reserved ahead of time at the Krannert Center website at this link

For any questions, please contact:
Atoma Batoma (batoma@illinois.edu) or Bob Geraci (rpgeraci@illinois.edu)

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
September 28 at 10am

Please keep a lookout for an email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.

Also, we’re always looking for volunteers who would be willing to host social time following the Hangouts. Please consider being on an “on-call” list. We need volunteers to keep the social times going! Use the form above if interested.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Recognition of William H. Mischo – Celebrating 40 Years of Library Leadership and Research
September 28 at 4pm

Please join us for a special celebration for William (Bill) Mischo, who served as Head of the Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, Information Systems Research & Development Librarian, and Professor from 1982-2022.

Professor Bill Mischo oversaw the planning and construction of the Grainger Engineering Library Information Center. His contributions were instrumental in establishing a leading engineering library at a world-class university. Professor Mischo is also known for his development of UIUC’s digital portal and the “Easy Search” gateway software, a cornerstone of the Library’s search and discovery strategy. In 2015, he was elected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Professor Mischo also held the Berthold Family Professorship in Information Access and Discovery from 2015-2022.

This celebration will be held Wednesday, September 28th from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at Grainger Engineering Library Information Center in the Grand Gallery, second floor.

Please RSVP to Alex Cabada by Wednesday, September 14.

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If you would like to submit content for the October issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by September 23, 2022.

August Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
As many of you are aware, we received the external review report in mid-July. You can read the full report here.

This report is a critical step in the Academic Program Review, a process coordinated by the Provost’s office. This process is intended to help academic units examine their strengths, deficiencies, and strategic goals. The two main components of this review include a self-study and external peer review, and these are complemented by regular reporting and discussion with the Provost.

This is the first year the Library participated. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 8/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services | Project Manager, Library Building Project

Project Meetings and Updates for July 2022

During the month of July, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met on several occasions to discuss elements of the project:

  • July 7th and 8th – Design Development (DD) Review Meeting – Following the June 9th submission of a final draft of the project’s design development, library and campus personnel compiled comments and suggested edits to the 600+ page submittal. These comments were reviewed during a two-day long meeting held on July 7th and 8th, 2022.
  • On July 19th – FFE Review – the project team met with the firm’s interior design team to conduct a preliminary review of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE).
  • On July 25th – Demolition Planning – Library personnel and F&S met to discuss the planned beginning of demolition on the Undergraduate Library. Presently, plans are under development to have construction fencing installed in mid-August 2022 with interior demolition work to being in September.
  • July 26th – Budget Review – A/E, F&S, Capital Projects, and Library personnel met with project estimator to review current status of library project budget and projections in advance of bidding period.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for August 2022 (as of 7/29/2022)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • August 4th: Lightning Protection – A/E and campus personnel to review lightning protection for facility.
  • August 15th: Generator Location and Refueling – A/E and campus personnel to review generator location and refueling procedures for facility.
  • August 16th: FFE Samples Discussion – Internal meeting with project team to discuss initial FFE samples.
  • August 17th: Public Safety Review – A/E and Campus personnel to review public safety in building.
  • August 22nd: Lighting Impact on Morrow Plots/Observatory – A/E meeting with Library personnel, F&S, Capital Programs, College of ACES, and Observatory representatives.

Other Activities

Personnel within the Library continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to touch base on progress, and members of the Library’s Administration continue meeting with Capital Programs project team on a weekly basis to check on progress associated with this project. 

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continue. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

As the project progresses, the schedule becomes increasingly more detailed and accurate going forward. At present, the schedule below outlines dates going forward for the development of construction documents (CD), their review, the bidding and negotiation phase, construction, and post-construction. This schedule was updated and is accurate as of June 8th, 2022.

Communications

Nothing to report.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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FACILITIES: Facilities Update
Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities

Library Facilities has been busy this summer and we look forward to the students return this month. We are in the process of finishing up the UGL to Main Library services move and the schedule continues to be updated. Please see link below. Once we’ve completed the moves, we will then be able to circle back with all other library unit needs. As Fall Semester starts, please remember to continue submitting tickets through the Team Dynamix system.

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/.
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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Dirk Ton – Library Specialist – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – 7/11/2022
  • Jennifer Gavel – Accountant II – Business and Human Resources Service Center – 7/18/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Sarah Bial – History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library – resigning 8/19/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Library Specialist – Teaching, Learning, and Academic Support (evenings) – offer pending
  • Library Specialist – Funk ACES Library (nights) – in-person Interviews August 5-12
  • Office Support Associate – Dean’s Office – posting closed 7/19/2022
  • Library Specialist (Government Documents) – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services – Posting soon

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Council Proposal Feedback Forums
August 2, 3, 11

The Task Force will be hosting open feedback forums on the Library Council Proposal (here) in the coming weeks. This is your chance to come ask questions, provide feedback, and recommend constructive criticism to improve the proposal prior to it being finalized and voted on. These feedback sessions have been scheduled as Zoom events on different days and times of day to try to accommodate different work schedules. Below is the schedule along with the Zoom links.

One point of clarification–the session on Tuesday, August 2 has an in-person attendance option and in fact given how hybrid sessions tend to go might even be described as in-person preferred. The location is 106 Main Library.

If you are unable to attend or would prefer to provide your feedback directly, you are welcome to reach out to any of the task force members:

Feedback Sessions

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: CARLI Professional Development Alliance Events

  • Building the Innovation Lab: A Technology Playground
    August 9 at 1 PM
    Learn about the development of the Innovation Lab (iLab), an exciting and expanding community hub that demonstrates what is possible with emerging technologies. On a shoestring budget, the iLab has grown into a respected community asset with a large impact. Get lots of ideas and hear what the presenter has planned for the lab’s future!
    Register for this event.
  • Through the Records: The Work of the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston (CSSC) at the College of Charleston
    August 11 at 1 PM
    Like so many other colleges and universities, the College of Charleston has worked to reexamine its role in American history and the role that diverse communities have played in that history. The creation of the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston (CSSC) is a part of this effort, which provides a way for faculty, staff, students, and the public to engage with issues of public history, history, education, and social justice. The presenters are archivists and will speak about how information and cultural heritage professionals can take part in challenging conversations about the nature of American history, engage in interpretation and exhibitions that forges emotional and intellectual connections, and how to use records to tell diverse stories.
    Register for this event.
  • Cultivating Civility and Resilience in Libraries: Challenges and Solutions
    August 16 at 1 PM
    Would you like to be part of the solution to creating a functional library work environment with workplace communications that are complete and clear?  During this webinar, the presenters will take you through the journey of their groundbreaking books Cultivating Civility and The Dysfunctional Library.  Hear their insights, suggestions, and solutions to a problem that has plagued some libraries for decades. 
    Register for this event
  • Transforming Scholarly Research with Blockchain Technologies and AI: A New Era of Possibilities
    August 17 at 1 PM
    Darrell W. Gunter, an experienced digital publishing executive, has been at the forefront of significant information industry initiatives, i.e., Factiva, ScienceDirect, Scopus, BiomedExperts.com, ReviewerFinder, Underline, and Ripeta. Gunter Media Group, Inc. has advised many CEOs from startups to the very most prominent publishers in his consulting practice. He is a published author of Transforming Scholarly Research with Blockchain Technologies and AI.
    Register for this event.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinars

  • Eliminating Outdated Workflows: Developing The New
    August 10 at 10 AM
    Could changing a workflow free up time for the information community — and the researchers we serve — to focus on other more valuable work? Hear from some of the professionals responsible for tweaking old workflows and processes and managing the resulting changes.
    Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.

     

  • Building Support for Non-Traditional Scholarly Outputs
    August 17 at 10 AM
    Following on from the previous webinar, this event will expand the discussion into the realm of non-traditional outputs. Video, audio, and data visualization are already increasingly common output formats, and those working in the arts and practice-based research require support for a host of other outputs, including images, performances, and more. What does this all mean for our research infrastructure? For editorial or content management systems? For discovery tools? For content platforms? We’re assembling a group of expert speakers (details to follow) for a round table discussion on this important and challenging topic.
    Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: GA Orientation
August 16-19

On behalf of the Reference Management Team and Organizational Development & Training, I’m happy to announce that the schedule for Library-wide GA Orientation is now complete and available here. 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 whose work relates to these areas and 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.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
August 24 at 10am

Please keep a lookout for an email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.

Also, we’re always looking for volunteers who would be willing to host social time following the Hangouts. Please consider being on an “on-call” list. We need volunteers to keep the social times going! Use the form above if interested.
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If you would like to submit content for the September issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by August 19, 2022.

July Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
While I’ve shared most of this information in library-wide discussions such as the “hangouts,” I wanted to put the information in writing to bring the various pieces of the 2022 budget and salary program together in one place. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 7/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services | Project Manager, Library Building Project

Project Meetings and Updates for June 2022

During the month of May, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met on several occasions to discuss elements of the project.

The A/E submitted the final draft of the project’s design development (DD) on June 9th, 2022. The 600+ page project books were made available to members of the project leadership team and their staff to review. Comments were compiled and submitted to F&S for transmittal to the A/E in late June in anticipation of a two-day long review meeting in early July 2022.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for July 2022 (as of 6/30/2022)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • July 7: Undergraduate Library Redevelopment Design Review Day 1
  • July 8: Undergraduate Library Redevelopment Design Review Day 2

Other Activities

Personnel within the Library continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to touch base on progress, and members of the Library’s Administration continue meeting with Capital Programs project team on a weekly basis to check on progress associated with this project.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continued over the last month. The RBML recently announced that they were 75% of the way through both their book and manuscript collections. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

The kick-off meeting included a review of the proposed project schedule from the point that “conceptualization” began on July 21, 2021 through what is called “substantial completion” of construction work. Those dates in the future become increasingly speculative. At present, the schedule is as follows:

a. Conceptualization

  • 07/21/2021 work session
  • 08/12/2021 submission date
  • 08/26/2021 est. Concept review meeting

b. Schematic Design

  • 11/09/2021 submission date
  • 11/23/2021 est. SD review meeting

c. Design Development

  • 01/22/2022 submission date
  • 02/04/2022 est. DD review meeting-BOT Preparation

d. Construction Documents 50%

  • 03/31/2022 submission date
  • 4/14/2022 est. 50% CD review meeting

e. Construction Documents 95%

  • 07/04/2022 submission date
  • 07/18/ 2022 est. 95% CD review meeting
  • 08/18/2022 100% CD completion

f. Bidding/Award

  • 08/18/2022 Advertise for Bids
  • 08/25/2022 Pre-bid /Pre-pricing meeting
  • 09/30/2022 Bid Opening – To be confirmed
  • 01/04/2023 Notice Proceed

g. Board of Trustees approval (required on if individual contract is over $2,500,000.)

h. Construction – Start/End *

  • 01/05/2023 – 05/29/2024

Communications

Nothing to report.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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FACILITIES: Facilities Update
Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities

Thank you everyone for your continued patience as we work in moving services from UGL across all our libraries.  Library Facilities continues to contact units, at least one week in advance, regarding status of moves. The UGL Move Schedule is also updated weekly. Please continue to submit tickets through Team Dynamix, as we look to prioritize needs to get everything ready for Fall 2022.

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/.
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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Leonel Ramirez – Application Integration Developer – Library IT – 7/5/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Paul Hollman – Interlibrary Loan – resigning 7/1/2022
  • Brenda Brown – Business and Human Resources Service Center – resigning 7/9/2022
  • Sarah Bial – History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library – resigning 8/19/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Accountant II – Business and Human Resources Service Center – final decision soon
  • Library Specialist – Grainger (evenings) – in-Person Interviews June 20-30
  • Library Specialist – Teaching, Learning, and Academic Support (evenings) – in-Person Interviews June 23-29
  • Library Specialist – Funk ACES (nights) – in-Person Interviews June 24-29
  • Office Support Associate – Dean’s Office – posting soon

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
August 24 at 10am (no July Hangout)

Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.

Also, we’re always looking for volunteers who would be willing to host social time following the Hangouts. Please consider being on an “on-call” list. Use the form above if interested!
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If you would like to submit content for the August issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by July 22, 2022.

June Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
Check back next month for a new Note from Dean Wilkin.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 6/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services | Project Manager, Library Building Project

Project Meetings for May 2022

During the month of May, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met with members of our Architecture/Engineering (A/E) Team on May 11th to discuss variances. Additionally, members of the Library Administration met with individuals from Facilities and Services, and Capital Programs to discuss requirements associated with bidding for shelving in the building.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for June and July 2022 (as of 5/31/2022)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • June 9, 2022: Design Development Submittal.
  • July 7: Undergraduate Library Redevelopment Design Review Day 1
  • July 8: Undergraduate Library Redevelopment Design Review Day 2

Other Activities

Personnel within the Library continue to meet on a bi-weekly basis to touch base on progress, and members of the Library’s Administration continue meeting with Capital Programs project team on a weekly basis to check on progress associated with this project.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continued over the last month. The RBML recently announced that they were 75% of the way through both their book and manuscript collections. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

The kick-off meeting included a review of the proposed project schedule from the point that “conceptualization” began on July 21, 2021 through what is called “substantial completion” of construction work. Those dates in the future become increasingly speculative. At present, the schedule is as follows:

  • Conceptualization
    • 07/21/2021 work session
    • 08/12/2021 submission date
    • 08/26/2021 est. Concept review meeting
  • Schematic Design
    • 11/09/2021 submission date
    • 11/23/2021 est. SD review meeting
  • Design Development
    • 01/22/2022 submission date
    • 02/04/2022 est. DD review meeting-BOT Preparation
  • Construction Documents 50%
    • 03/31/2022 submission date
    • 4/14/2022 est. 50% CD review meeting
  • Construction Documents 95%
    • 07/04/2022 submission date
    • 07/18/ 2022 est. 95% CD review meeting
    • 08/18/2022 100% CD completion
  • Bidding/Award
    • 08/18/2022 Advertise for Bids
    • 08/25/2022 Pre-bid /Pre-pricing meeting
    • 09/30/2022 Bid Opening – To be confirmed
    • 01/04/2023 Notice Proceed
  • Board of Trustees approval (required on if individual contract is over $2,500,000.)
  • Construction – Start/End *
    • 01/05/2023 – 05/29/2024

Communications

The Library’s Friendscript is scheduled to mail to library supporters on June 1, 2022.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Residence Hall Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge

Laura Poulosky, Residence Hall Librarian

U of I students, staff, and faculty are invited to visit Ikenberry Library to pick up a Summer Reading Challenge card.

Complete three challenges to receive a treat and to be entered in a raffle for a surprise incentive!

Starting June 6th, Ikenberry Library is open M-F Noon to 4 pm for the summer.
ISR Library is closed for the summer.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Wellness Committee Reminder
Sara Holder, Head, Teaching, Learning, and Academic Support

Among the variety of LibGuides, there are two that contain resources for mental and physical health in our community and online: Wellness and Personal Wellbeing and Local Health and Wellness Resources.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: IOPN Publications
Dan Tracy, Head, Scholarly Communication and Publishing

The Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN), based in Scholarly Communication and Publishing, is pleased to announce two new publications. Drug Use and Misuse: A Community Health Perspective is published as part of the OPN Textbooks series under the Windsor & Downs Press imprint. It is published in coordination with the College of Applied Health Sciences, and is the textbook for an undergraduate survey course at Illinois. Et Al.: New Voices in Arts Management, appearing under the Publishing Without Walls imprint, is an edited collections of multimodal essays that provide models for justice-centered arts management praxis.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Continued Growth in the Illinois Digital Heritage Hub
Megan Pearson, Visiting Metadata Services Specialist for the Illinois Digital Heritage Hub

The Illinois Digital Heritage Hub (IDHH) saw further growth this year as it surpassed half a million total items! As a statewide initiative bringing together unique digital assets about Illinois or created by Illinoisans, the IDHH hosts 510,614 digital resources from 150 cultural heritage institutions in Illinois as of May 2022, which include photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and videos.

On the IDHH home site, users can explore the collections with keyword searches or browse by categories such as topics, notable Illinoisans, format, and Partner Institutions. On our blog Illinois Highlights, we promote new collections, highlight older ones, and feature topics with materials relevant to Illinois and national history. On our Digital Exhibits site, we curate digital exhibits to highlight and contextualize the unique collections in the IDHH and provide insight into topics relevant to Illinois and national history; recent exhibit topics include The World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 and Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. Ongoing projects include developing primary source sets from the items available through the IDHH.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence
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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FACILITIES: Facilities Update
Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Library for Facilities

With the end of the Spring Semester, “construction season” is upon us and the Library will be no different. As UGL has now closed, Library Facilities is working feverishly to ensure all services are relocated and spaces open for Fall 2022. To keep everyone informed on space status, I’ve created a schedule that will continue to be updated. Additionally, a week before your unit is scheduled to move or have changes made, I will contact you to let you know what will be occurring and when. Please see the UGL Move Schedule, note the items in green are indicating complete and items in yellow are in-progress and/or forecasted.

Lastly, the project information document has been updated and will continue to be updated with progress going forward. As a reminder, if you are in need of any space renovations, maintenance, or services, please submit a ticket through Team Dynamix. This will help keep all projects straight as we work through the summer and into next fall.

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/.
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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Jacob Culbertson – Facility Operations Coordinator – Facilities – 5/2/2022
  • Tiffany Brenneman – Library Specialist – Communications Library – 5/16/2022
  • Stuart Turner – Coordinator, Grainger Engineering IDEA Laboratory (ITTA) – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – 5/23/2022
  • Neil Feuerhelm – SR Audio, Video, and Emerging Technology Specialist (ITTA) – Library IT – 5/29/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Mitchell Loyd – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – resigning 6/1/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Multi-level Application Integration Developer – Library IT – reference checks
  • Accountant II – Business and Human Resources Service Center – closed May 13
  • Library Specialist – Funk ACES (nights) – posting soon
  • Library Specialist – Teaching, Learning, and Academic Support (evenings) – posting soon

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HR NEWS: Searches in Progress

  • Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement Position, AP – Library Advancement – Javonda Pelman, Chair

Live on the job board with a closing date of May 20, 2022.

  • International Library Initiatives Specialist – Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, AP – Will Schlaack, Chair

Live on the job board with a closing date of June 17, 2022.

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Council Proposal Feedback Sessions
June 8, 16, 29

Please save the date and register for one of three open feedback sessions this summer regarding a forthcoming Library Council proposal from the Library Council Implementation Team. The proposal will be distributed via LibNews the week of June 6th but we realize that some of you need plenty of advance warning so you can make arrangements with your supervisors.

These sessions will be open to all library employees to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposal so that the final product which will be subject to an advisory vote is as inclusive as possible. There will be other opportunities to provide feedback (the June 22nd Library Hangout, the June 29th Faculty meeting, and via your Division Coordinators) but these open sessions are particularly important for focused conversation across classifications. The dates/times are registration links are as follows:

  • Wednesday, June 8th at 6:00pm
  • Thursday, June 16th at 3:00pm
  • Wednesday, June 29th at 10:00am

Zoom information was shared via LibNews email from Mara Thacker on April 14.

If none of the proposed time/dates work for you or you don’t have a suitable space to participate in an online meeting, please don’t hesitate to send feedback via email (mthacker@illinois.edu or jdlasko@illinois.edu) or let us know if there is another manner in which you’d like to provide feedback.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: The Power of Presentation: Enhancing Slides for Engagement
June 21 at 2 PM

Throughout your life you will, almost certainly, give presentations. We’ve all sat through presentations that were boring, confusing, and drab. How do you communicate your message most succinctly? What visuals will captivate and inform your audience the best? Is it only about your slide design or are there other techniques that leave a lasting impression? In this session, Jamie Nelson will distill the magic that just might take your next presentation from bland to grand.
Register for this event.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
June 22 at 9am

Please see the email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.
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If you would like to submit content for the July issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by June 24, 2022.

May Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
I am writing to update the Library on a number of administrative changes. Prior to the appointment of a new dean, I must carefully balance decisions that support organizational effectiveness with decisions that retain the flexibility my successor will need. In general, the act of balancing these two priorities will postpone permanent or long-term commitments (again, out of deference to the next dean) while making shorter commitments to ensure we continue to function well. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 5/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

This update marks four years since the first Library Building Project Update was posted on May 1, 2018.

Project Meetings for April 2022

During the month of April, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met with members of our Architecture/Engineering (A/E) Team on April 6th and 28th. These meetings included:  reviews of progress on Wiss, Jenney, Elsesnor’s (WJE) evaluative work associated with drainage and water penetration in the building, a meeting in order to discuss and evaluate variances to the campus building standards, and a discussion of campus communications standards related to building projects.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for May 2022 (as of 4/28/2022)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • At present, there are no meetings scheduled for May 2022.

Other Activities

As noted, the University Library, F&S, and other campus partners have been working with (WJE) on the site analysis. The preliminary draft report was submitted to F&S on April 22, 2022. We will share more details about the findings in the coming weeks, but preliminary reports indicate that there are few concerns identified. Indeed, the water protection systems and “design of the below-grade waterproofing system at the base and walls was advanced for this period of design. It consists of two general strategies for managing water:”. More information about WJE’s work is located here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/specialcollectionsbuilding/news/.

Personnel within the Library held preliminary discussions centered on pursuing a grant opportunity that would off-set some project costs. Further information will be forthcoming if this develops. The anticipated submission date is in early Fall 2022.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continued over the last month. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

The kick-off meeting included a review of the proposed project schedule from the point that “conceptualization” began on July 21, 2021 through what is called “substantial completion” of construction work. Those dates in the future become increasingly speculative. At present, the schedule is as follows:

a. Conceptualization

  • 07/21/2021 work session
  • 08/12/2021 submission date
  • 08/26/2021 est. Concept review meeting

b. Schematic Design

  • 11/09/2021 submission date
  • 11/23/2021 est. SD review meeting

 c. Design Development

  • 01/22/2022 submission date
  • 02/04/2022 est. DD review meeting-BOT Preparation

 d. Construction Documents 50%

  • 03/31/2022 submission date
  • 4/14/2022 est. 50% CD review meeting

 e. Construction Documents 95%

  • 07/04/2022 submission date
  • 07/18/ 2022 est. 95% CD review meeting
  • 08/18/2022 100% CD completion

f. Bidding/Award

  • 08/18/2022 Advertise for Bids
  • 08/25/2022 Pre-bid /Pre-pricing meeting
  • 09/30/2022 Bid Opening – To be confirmed
  • 01/04/2023 Notice Proceed

g. Board of Trustees approval (required on if individual contract is over $2,500,000.)

 h. Construction – Start/End *

  • 01/05/2023 – 05/29/2024 

Communications

The Senate Committee on the Library and the University Library co-hosted another open town hall-style discussion on April 28th, 2022. Tom Teper provided an update on the building project’s status. David Ward and Sara Holder presented on efforts associated with integrating services from the Undergraduate Library into other units throughout the library. Over 160 individuals registered for the townhall; approximately sixty individuals attended. There is also a reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) scheduled for May 2 from 1-3pm in this sub: https://www.reddit.com/user/UIllinoisLibrary/comments/uewx2m/the_university_library_will_host_an_ama_on_may/.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: AP Promotion Program Coming Soon!
The 4th year of the Library’s Academic Professional (AP) Promotion Program will launch this month, with the call for AP self-nominations planned for May 16, 2022. APs are strongly encouraged to discuss their interest in promotion with their supervisors.  A letter of support from one’s supervisor is not required but helps strengthen the case for promotion. More information about the program is available on the AP Promotion Process Page. In addition, virtual office hours will be held on the following dates for APs and supervisors to answer questions about the program, eligibility, and developing statements and letters:

  • Tue, May 24, 11AM-12PM
  • Mon, June 6, 2PM-3PM
  • Wed, June 22, 2PM-3PM

Reminders about these office hours will be announced on LibNews with Zoom links as we get closer to the dates.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: 9th Annual Image of Research – UR Edition Competition
Congratulations to this year’s award winners:

  • 1st place ($300): Mit Kotak, “3D Visualization of Binary Black Hole Merger”
  • 2nd place ($200): Jaylon Muchison, “Too Cool to Cry”
  • Honorable mentions ($50 each): Bhavya Pardasani, “Evolution of a Milky Way-like Galaxy and its Satellite Galaxies” and Neha Arun, “Pink, Green, and the Cure to HIV”

The winners were chosen by an interdisciplinary panel who judged entries on 1) connection between image, text and research, 2) originality, and 3) visual impact.

Many congratulations to Mit, Jaylon, Bhavya, and Neha!

You can view all of this year’s submissions online and all of the submissions will be on display Thursday, 4/28 at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Illini Union Ballroom from 9am-4:30pm. We hope you will stop by to see all of the submissions and to celebrate the amazing undergraduate research that is happening by our undergraduates at Illinois.

Also, entries will be on display on the digital signage in the Main and Undergraduate Libraries and our primary social media accounts – so be on the lookout! [Library Instagram: imageofresearch_ugr and the Office of Undergraduate Research Instagram: ugresearch_ui.] Second, all images will be archived in the institutional repository, IDEALS. You can view all of the past winners: https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/49052

With many thanks to this year’s judges: Sanga Sung, Janis Shearer, Eric Kurt, Merinda Hensley, and Natasha Mamaril (Program Director, Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research (ISUR) Program, The Grainger College of Engineering). The Image of Research at Illinois was inspired by the Image of Research competition at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The 2022 competitions are supported by a gift to the Scholarly Commons from Mrs. Mardell J. O’Brien.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
The University Library couldn’t serve the campus and the diverse user population without our graduate student assistants and graduate hourly employees. Many of them are graduating in May, including the Library Assessment Graduate Assistant Lindsay Taylor who is the creator of many of the “Do you know?” Library Assessment Factoids during the past two years. As a farewell, we invited Lindsay to create a factoid of her choice. Happy Graduation Lindsay!

As the last factoid before graduating and ending my time as the Library Assessment GA, I created a circle packing visualization of my work over the past two years from my work log. It can be difficult to describe what one does, but this graph shows my experience of library assessment in overlapping rings of the tools, data, and projects where I spent the most time. My supervisor Jen-chien Yu told me when I applied to be the Library Assessment GA that loving spreadsheets is key to enjoying this role and that’s true: I spent almost 200 hours in Excel alone! My favorite part of this assistantship was creating factoids – like this one! Factoids usually start in Excel, sometimes moving over to Tableau for ideas. I analyze and graph the data we have collected to find the underlying story. That story becomes the core of the factoid. Then comes the fun part of adding colors, shapes, and more! Though I’ve always been a creative person, making these factoids has been a rewarding challenge for me to work with a variety of data (qualitative and quantitative), to pull a clear message from the data, and to communicate visually.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Alex McHattie – Library Specialist – Music and Performing Arts Library – 5/16/2022
  • Chad Lewis – Grants and Contracts Coordinator – Business and Human Resources Service Center – 5/16/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Elonda Towns – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – retiring 5/31/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • SR Audio, Video, and Emerging Technology Specialist (ITTA) – Library IT – final interviews
  • Facility Operations Coordinator – Facilities – final interviews
  • Coordinator, Grainger Engineering IDEA Laboratory (ITTA) – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – final interviews
  • Multi-level Application Integration Developer – Library IT – interviews in progress
  • Library Specialist – Communications Library – interviews in progress
  • Accountant II – BHRSC – posting soon

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HR NEWS: Searches in Progress

  • Visiting Archives and Literary Manuscript Specialist – Rarebook & Manuscript Library, AP – Caroline Szylowicz, Chair
    Kick-off held January 27, 2022. Live on the job board with a closing date of May 1, 2022.
  • Visiting Residency Librarian (Three positions), FAC – Carissa Phillips, Chair
    Kick-off held March 23, 2022. Live on the job board with a closing date of May 13, 2022.
  • Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement Position, AP – Javonda Pelman, Chair
    Kick-off held March 28, 2022. Live on the job board with a closing date of May 20, 2022.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Engineering Change in Libraries: A Pathway for Meaningful Action
The aim of Engineering Change in Libraries is to understand the Other and mobilize our libraries to provide more effective and equitable services and programs to underserved communities. Inspired by Dr. Agnes Kaposi, a catalyst for change and 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture, Engineering Change is organized into two components: (1) the lecture (setting the context) and (2) a two-session workshop for library staff and stakeholders to engineer change in libraries in a process of understanding the Other and planning globally to create change locally.

THE LECTURE

An engineer of change, Dr. Agnes Kaposi (Engineer, Educator, Holocaust survivor, Author of “Yellow Star-Red Star”, recipient of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), and 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecturer), brings nearly a century of perspective as she tells her life story and the role of information as a source of power/control resulting in otherness, exclusion, propaganda, dislocation, as well as transformation in engineering change. A conversation, moderated by Dr. Valerie J. Matsumoto (George and Sakaye Aratani Endowed Chair on the Japanese American Incarceration, Redress, and Community, UCLA), connects Dr. Kaposi’s experiences with those of other marginalized and dislocated groups worldwide, such as Japanese Americans, to identify similarities and differences across time and locations, in order to understand the Other and rethink some of the most pressing issues that libraries face in promoting equitable communities in our information-intensive and networked society. The 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture took place on November 8, 2021. Watch recording at https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_ms3b4hao.

THE WORKSHOP

Engineer change in libraries in an international workshop to learn and plan globally to create change locally. Library staff and stakeholders are invited to attend a two-session workshop to understand the Other by learning from each other’s experiences and challenges, connect as a community of practice, engineer meaningful action, and implement the solution while supporting each other in their journeys to engineer real change in their libraries and communities.

Each interactive workshop, a pathway/process to engineer change in libraries, focuses on a specific area of action. It is presented in two 1.5-hour sessions, with the second session occurring two months following the first one, and virtual open consultation hours midway. The first session begins with a speaker introducing the topic; followed by group discussion of local experiences, brainstorming, and prioritizing an issue to be addressed; then collectively, participants develop an action plan that they will apply at their library. During a two-month period participants implement their action plan locally and have an opportunity to ask questions and obtain input midway through the process. After two months, the participants reconvene in the second session as a community of practice to reflect and improve on their action plan, as needed.

To understand the need to engineer change from one story of the Other/persecuted, participants are encouraged to listen to the recording of the Lecture.

WHO should attend?

  • Library personnel, particularly those with responsibilities for public libraries, community libraries, school or academic libraries
  • Educators, researchers and students in university departments of librarianship and cognate disciplines
  • Library trustees, friends and volunteers
  • Government officials, policy makers, and others responsible for libraries
  • Library stakeholders

HOW LONG are the workshops?

  • 1.5 hours per virtual workshop session
  • Each workshop is made up of 2 sessions, two months apart, with optional virtual open consultation midway

WHEN are the workshops, and WHAT is the focus of action?

  • Inaugural Workshop on Dislocation
    Feb 15, 8:00-9:30 am CT session 1
    March 15, 8:00-9:30 am CT open consultation
    April 19, 8:00-9:30 am CT session 2
    FREE registration <click here> for Inaugural Workshop on Dislocation.
  • Workshop on Propaganda
    March 1, 4:00-5:30 pm CT session 1
    April 5, 4:00-5:30 pm CT open consultation
    May 3, 4:00-5:30 pm CT session 2
    FREE registration <click here> for Workshop on Propaganda.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Incomprehension Workshop with Ann Morgan
May 3 at 10 AM

Register for FREE athttps://go.illinois.edu/MC-event-regn

Event Description:
An interactive online session exploring how embracing not knowing and focusing on the things we don’t understand in a text can enrich and broaden our relationship with reading, culture and ourselves. It draws on an approach to reading developed during Ann Morgan’s 2012 quest to read a book from every country (https://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/).

Biography: Ann Morgan is an author and editor based in Folkestone, UK. In 2012, she set herself the challenge of reading a book from every country in a year, recording her quest on the blog ayearofreadingtheworld.com. The project caught the imagination of readers around the globe, many of whom continue to correspond with her about books. In addition to widespread international media coverage, the quest led to a TED talk with more than 1.8 million views and the non-fiction book Reading the World. Nearly ten years after her original quest, Ann continues to blog, write and speak about international literature, as well as building a career as a novelist. Her debut novel, Beside Myself, has been translated into eight languages and optioned for TV. Her next novel, Crossing Over, was published as an Audible Exclusive in 2019. She is Literary Explorer in Residence of the Cheltenham Literature Festival for 2022 and 2023.

Ann Morgan was the 26th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecturer (2016), UK-based author, TED speakerRoyal Literary Fund fellow and editor.

For more information, please visit:
-Author’s Website: https://annmorgan.me/
-Author’s Blog inspired by her year-long journey through a book from every country in the world: https://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/
-Featured TED Speaker (September 2015) ‘My year reading a book from every country in the world’: https://www.ted.com/talks/ann_morgan_my_year_reading_a_book_from_every_country_in_the_world
(Transcript also available online)

Event posted online at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/mortenson/other-events/
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
May 24 at 9am

Please see the email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.
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If you would like to submit content for the June issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by May 20, 2022.

April Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
I was pleased to receive the recommendations from the Inclusion in Governance Task Force, and pleased that LCP, LSSC, and EC have embraced the recommendations, including a process for shaping a new governance mechanism. As you’ll see here, I am enthusiastic about this new direction for our library. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 4/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Project Meetings for March 2022

During the month of March, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met with members of our Architecture/Engineering (A/E) Team on March 2nd, 7th, and 31st. These meetings included:  reviews of progress on the design development; meetings to discuss directions on interior design, security needs, division of responsibilities (e.g., which entities are responsible for maintenance costs for various things within the building), and construction management.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for April 2022 (as of 3/31/2022)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • 4/6/2022 – U20118 UGL Redevelopment – WJE/Ratio Meeting

Other Activities

As noted, the University Library, F&S, and other campus partners have been working with Wiss, Jenney, Elsesnor (WJE) on the site analysis. We anticipate receiving their preliminary report in early April and sharing the outcomes more broadly in the coming weeks. More information about WJE’s work is located here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/specialcollectionsbuilding/news/.

Personnel within the Library held some preliminary discussions centered on pursuing a grant opportunity that would off-set some project costs. Further information will be forthcoming if this develops. The anticipated submission date is in early Fall 2022.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continued over the last month. The Special Collections Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

The kick-off meeting included a review of the proposed project schedule from the point that “conceptualization” began on July 21, 2021 through what is called “substantial completion” of construction work. Those dates in the future become increasingly speculative. At present, the schedule is as follows:

  • Conceptualization
    07/21/2021 work session
    08/12/2021 submission date
    08/26/2021 est. Concept review meeting
  • Schematic Design
    11/09/2021 submission date
    11/23/2021 est. SD review meeting
  • Design Development
    01/22/2022 submission date
    02/04/2022 est. DD review meeting-BOT Preparation
  • Construction Documents 50%
    03/31/2022 submission date
    4/14/2022 est. 50% CD review meeting
  • Construction Documents 95%
    07/04/2022 submission date
    07/18/ 2022 est. 95% CD review meeting
    08/18/2022 100% CD completion
  • Bidding/Award
    08/18/2022 Advertise for Bids
    08/25/2022 Pre-bid /Pre-pricing meeting
    09/30/2022 Bid Opening – To be confirmed
    01/04/2023 Notice Proceed
  • Board of Trustees approval (required on if individual contract is over $2,500,000.)
  • Construction –Start/End *
    01/05/2023 – 05/29/2024

Communications

The Senate Committee on the Library and the University Library will co-host another open town hall-style discussion on April 27th, 2022. Tom Teper will provide an update on the building project’s current status. David Ward and Sara Holder will present on efforts associated with integrating services from the Undergraduate Library into other units throughout the library.

As announced earlier this week, the project video produced by the Advancement and Communications was posted on the Campaign to Transform the University Library website and here: https://go.library.illinois.edu/NextPageVideo.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Image of Research Competition

Image of Research is an annual multidisciplinary competition celebrating the diversity and breadth of graduate student research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is organized by the Scholarly Commons and the Graduate College. The 2022 competition is supported by a gift to the Scholarly Commons from Mrs. Mardell J. O’Brien.  Thirty semifinalists were chosen by an interdisciplinary panel who judged entries on 1) connection between image, text and research, 2) originality, and 3) visual impact.

You can see this year’s semifinalists at the online exhibition now, and in person in Room 220 (Scholarly Commons) in the Main Library.  Please vote for your favorites by April 12 to determine the People’s Choice winner.  On Wednesday, April 13, we will announce awards for First Prize ($500), Second Prize ($300), Third Prize ($200), Honorable Mention ($100), and the People’s Choice Award ($100).
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: “Campaign to Transform the University Library: the Next Page of the Campus Story” Video
The Office of Advancement invites you to view its new video:
https://go.library.illinois.edu/NextPageVideo

This video has been added to the Campaign to Transform the University Library website and will be shared out widely in the coming weeks (including the Library’s social media channels).

A big thank you to everyone involved in making this video possible, including all of the actors and essential behind-the-scenes contributors.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Annual Library Walking Challenge Starts April 4
Do you need an excuse to get moving after a long winter and pandemic? Are you eager for a little friendly competition?

The Library Wellness Committee is pleased to bring you the 2022 Library Walking Challenge!

Starting Monday, April 4th through Sunday, May 1st you can participate in the Annual Library Walking Challenge!

The Library will once again be working together to walk to different places.  This year we will be walking four national scenic trails.  Participants, who have turned in their weekly steps on time for all four weeks, will receive a fabulous prize.

Rules and Procedures:

  1. Register as an individual or select a team of members from the Library. Students that work in your unit are welcome to join. Think of a team name and decide on a Team Captain.  The Captain or the individual will E-MAIL Walk@Library.illinois.edu the team name and the names of all team members by 5pm on April 4th.  If you would like to be assigned a team please note that on your registration.
  2. Wear a tracker every day from April 4th to May 1st, and record your steps on your calendar, through online tools, or calculate your steps using an app for your phone. Here are some walking route planner and app examples.
  3. On Monday morning each week, enter your steps in the online form that will be emailed to you.  Please try to stay with these deadlines so that we can send out results in a timely manner.
  4. Once we receive all of the numbers for the week, we will send out a list of all of the individual and team averages and total steps.  Try to increase your average each week!

If you have a tracking device such as a Fitbit or an app on your phone please use that to track your steps. If you do not have a activity tracker, the Library (courtesy of John Wilkin) will provide participants with a pedometer but supplies are limited.   Participants, who have registered for the walking challenge and need a pedometer should email Walk@library.illinois.edu beginning, Monday, March 28.

AT THE END…

For Teams and Individuals:

At the end of the four weeks, we’ll calculate the total average steps of each team over the course of the 4 weeks. Certificates will be awarded to the top team.  Top individuals not on a winning team will also receive a certificate. Teams and individuals who did not place in the top will be reviewed for the highest change in steps over the 4 weeks. The team and individual that improve the most will also receive certificates.  The team and the individual with the highest average, of course, will have bragging rights for the next year!

Everyone who turns in their steps on time for all four weeks will be eligible for a prize (courtesy of Dean Wilkin) if we meet our Library goal of walking the distance of all four trails.  We will have a time set aside in May to hand out our prize.  If we all start walking we can meet our challenge!

If you have any questions or concerns, please E-MAIL Walk@library.illinois.edu or contact a committee member.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
As a follow-up from our Return of the WiFi factoid of November 2021, Wi-Fi usage is on the rise from where it was in Spring 2021. Usage statistics like Wi-Fi tend to be lower in spring semesters than fall semesters generally. However, even though there were less Wi-Fi sessions this past Spring, more time in total was spent on the Wi-Fi, transferring more bytes than in Fall semester! All data represents use during Sweeps Weeks (as opposed to the whole semester).

Image and text created by Lindsay Taylor (Library Assessment Graduate Assistant). The data analysis and visualization of Wi-Fi usage would not be possible without assistance provided by Library IT and Chuck Hayes and Uros Marjanovic at Technology Services.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Andrew Hunt – Library IT Specialist – Library IT – 3/28/2022

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Hannah Brauer – Library Advancement – 2/27/2022
  • Wendy Mintz – Library Administration – 3/11/2022
  • Spencer Keralis – Scholarly Communication & Publishing – 3/15/2022
  • Karen Hogenboom – Scholarly Commons – 3/31/2022
  • Diane Griswell – Communications Library – 4/8/2022
  • Elonda Towns – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services – 5/31/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Library Specialist – Music and Performing Arts Library – Interviews concluded 3/30/2022
  • SR Audio, Video, and Emerging Technology Specialist (ITTA) – Library IT – Interviewing soon
  • Facility Operations Coordinator – Facilities – Interviewing soon
  • Grants & Contracts Coordinator – BHRSC – Interviewing soon
  • Multi-level Application Integration Developer – Library IT – Email screenings
  • Coordinator, Grainger Engineering IDEA Laboratory (ITTA) – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center – Email screenings
  • Accountant II – BHRSC – Posting soon

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HR NEWS: Searches in Progress

  • Classics Librarian – Literature and Languages Library, FAC – Marek Sroka, Chair
    Kick-off held October 5, 2021. EC approved JD. Job live on the job board. Job closed January 3, 2022. Phone screenings scheduled for Feb 10, Feb 14, and Feb 15. Final interviews are scheduled for March 30, April 5, 6, 7, and 19.
  • Head, Grainger Engineering Librarian – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, FAC – Chris Wiley, Chair
    Kick-off held November 15, 2021. EC approved PD. Job live on the job board with an extended closing date of February 17, 2022. Phone screenings March 22, 23, and 30.
  • Visiting Archives and Literary Manuscript Specialist – Rarebook & Manuscript Library, AP – Caroline Szylowicz, Chair
    Kick-off held January 27, 2022. Awaiting EC approved PD. PD with IHR for approval.
  • Program Director – Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, AP
    Kick-off held February 22, 2022 Awaiting EC approved PD. PD with IHR for approval.
  • Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement – Library Advancement, AP
    Kick-off schedule for March 28, 2022.
  • Visiting Residency Librarian (Three positions), FAC – Carissa Phillips, Chair
    Kick-off scheduled for March 23, 2022

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hub Training
Link for all sessions: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84378677162?pwd=ZlM0anY4ZUI4STdBZ1J4K1hxdlI3dz09

Please contact Sara Holder at sholder@illinois.edu if you have any questions.

  • Government Information in Reference
    March 29 at 2 PM and April 1 at 3 PM

Description: The federal, state, local, and international government entities produce a massive amount of information on a wide range of subjects that can be used for research in various academic disciplines as well as non-academic activities. This workshop will give an overview of major government resources particularly needed for library reference work and introduce best strategies for navigating them.
Learning outcomes: Participants will understand which online and print government resources are available and how they can be used to address library reference questions.
Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
Instructor(s): Sanga Sung

  • Versions of the Version of Record: Preprint Servers, Author Manuscripts, and More!
    April 12 at 2 PM and April 15 at 3 PM

Description: Increasingly, almost every journal article that is published (Version of Record) has another version — or multiple — that is freely available. Preprint servers, institutional repositories, ResearchGate, unpaywall, etc. are all important resources for helping users find copies that serve temporarily or completely instead of the publisher version when the library is not a subscriber.
Learning outcomes: Participants will be able to… describe the different journal article versions and their relationships to the version of record; develop a search strategy to locate alternatives to the version or record; articulate the benefits and caveats of using alternative versions.
Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
Instructor(s): Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe

  • Names and dates and places—oh my!: helping patrons with genealogical research questions
    April 19 at 2 PM and April 22 at 3 PM

Description: This session will provide an introduction to public-facing genealogical research resources, including Heritage Quest Online and HPNL’s Genealogy Resources LibGuide, as well as internal staff resources, such as the Reflib How-to entry in the Main/UGL Reference Hub wiki. It would also equip staff with some straightforward steps to help demystify and respond to family history related questions.
Learning outcomes: Participants will be able to: 1. Analyze genealogy related reference questions, as a first step in searching for appropriate resources to consult or refer to. 2. Locate resource(s) in the Library, and/or outside of Library, that may be helpful when responding to genealogical research requests.
Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
Instructor(s): Wendy Gregory
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Engineering Change in Libraries: A Pathway for Meaningful Action
The aim of Engineering Change in Libraries is to understand the Other and mobilize our libraries to provide more effective and equitable services and programs to underserved communities. Inspired by Dr. Agnes Kaposi, a catalyst for change and 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture, Engineering Change is organized into two components: (1) the lecture (setting the context) and (2) a two-session workshop for library staff and stakeholders to engineer change in libraries in a process of understanding the Other and planning globally to create change locally.

THE LECTURE

An engineer of change, Dr. Agnes Kaposi (Engineer, Educator, Holocaust survivor, Author of “Yellow Star-Red Star”, recipient of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), and 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecturer), brings nearly a century of perspective as she tells her life story and the role of information as a source of power/control resulting in otherness, exclusion, propaganda, dislocation, as well as transformation in engineering change. A conversation, moderated by Dr. Valerie J. Matsumoto (George and Sakaye Aratani Endowed Chair on the Japanese American Incarceration, Redress, and Community, UCLA), connects Dr. Kaposi’s experiences with those of other marginalized and dislocated groups worldwide, such as Japanese Americans, to identify similarities and differences across time and locations, in order to understand the Other and rethink some of the most pressing issues that libraries face in promoting equitable communities in our information-intensive and networked society. The 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture took place on November 8, 2021. Watch recording at https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_ms3b4hao.

THE WORKSHOP

Engineer change in libraries in an international workshop to learn and plan globally to create change locally. Library staff and stakeholders are invited to attend a two-session workshop to understand the Other by learning from each other’s experiences and challenges, connect as a community of practice, engineer meaningful action, and implement the solution while supporting each other in their journeys to engineer real change in their libraries and communities.

Each interactive workshop, a pathway/process to engineer change in libraries, focuses on a specific area of action. It is presented in two 1.5-hour sessions, with the second session occurring two months following the first one, and virtual open consultation hours midway. The first session begins with a speaker introducing the topic; followed by group discussion of local experiences, brainstorming, and prioritizing an issue to be addressed; then collectively, participants develop an action plan that they will apply at their library. During a two-month period participants implement their action plan locally and have an opportunity to ask questions and obtain input midway through the process. After two months, the participants reconvene in the second session as a community of practice to reflect and improve on their action plan, as needed.

To understand the need to engineer change from one story of the Other/persecuted, participants are encouraged to listen to the recording of the Lecture.

WHO should attend?

  • Library personnel, particularly those with responsibilities for public libraries, community libraries, school or academic libraries
  • Educators, researchers and students in university departments of librarianship and cognate disciplines
  • Library trustees, friends and volunteers
  • Government officials, policy makers, and others responsible for libraries
  • Library stakeholders

HOW LONG are the workshops?

  • 1.5 hours per virtual workshop session
  • Each workshop is made up of 2 sessions, two months apart, with optional virtual open consultation midway

WHEN are the workshops, and WHAT is the focus of action?

  • Inaugural Workshop on Dislocation
    Feb 15, 8:00-9:30 am CT session 1
    March 15, 8:00-9:30 am CT open consultation
    April 19, 8:00-9:30 am CT session 2
    FREE registration <click here> for Inaugural Workshop on Dislocation.
  • Workshop on Propaganda
    March 1, 4:00-5:30 pm CT session 1
    April 5, 4:00-5:30 pm CT open consultation
    May 3, 4:00-5:30 pm CT session 2
    FREE registration <click here> for Workshop on Propaganda.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Accessibility & Teaching Workshop
April 4 at 10AM

Come learn about incorporating accessibility best practices into your instruction! This session will provide both an overview of accessibility best practices and practical ways to approach accessibility in different teaching contexts. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the basics of accessibility and their importance in instruction from JJ Pionke and ways to incorporate accessibility best practices for both in-person and online instruction from Evie Cordell and Alex Deeke. Everyone interested in instruction and accessibility is welcome to this session, including GAs!

If you have any questions about the workshop, please email Evie Cordell or Alex Deeke.

Recommended reading and Zoom information was shared via LibNews email from Alexander Deeke on March 7.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: CARLI Professional Development Alliance Events

  • The Evolving Library School Curriculum
    April 5 at 1 PM
    In the last few years, library schools have reevaluated their offerings to ensure that a graduate level education aligns with the skills needed for the field. It requires striking a balance between the theories that underpin our profession and what it all looks like in practice. These changes may involve opening up more choices, allowing students to pick specialized tracks. In some cases, it may involve getting rid of some required courses altogether. Panelists from four library schools across the country will share what they have done to adapt their curriculum and what it means for the future of the profession.
    Please register for this event.
  • Learnabout: Google Forms
    April 11 at 4 PM
    Need to create a survey? Registration form? Attendance? Want to create a feedback form? Google forms is an easy-to-use and versatile tool for creating web forms. This webinar will give the basics and some of the more useful features of this tool.
    Register for this event.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: AI Infodemic Reading Group
This semester, we will explore the evolving relationship between library work and technology in a broader culture of surveillance. Participants will engage with ongoing debates from across the field of librarianship on patron privacy, library analytics, and professional legitimization in the face of pressure to collect increasingly more data on library use and users.

Location for all meetings: Main Library 428

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Funk ACES Library Panel Presentation – Food Insecurity
April 13 at 3 PM

We are pleased to announce that Funk ACES Library will host our fourth Solving the World’s Challenges panel on Wednesday, April 13th.

Solving the World’s Challenges: Food Insecurity

Three experts from across campus (Caitlin Kownacki, Illinois Extension; Esther Ngumbi, Entomology and African American Studies; Merin Oleschuk, Human Development & Family Studies) will each discuss their work related to food insecurity and respond to questions from attendees. Their work includes development of the Find Food IL community food map, research on how social inequalities shape the food labor and consumption of vulnerable individuals and families, and efforts to address food insecurity on university campuses and internationally. Dr. Roberta Johnson Killeen, First Lady at the University of Illinois, will serve as guest moderator.

This panel presentation will be an opportunity for people to come together with the Funk ACES Library to learn about and discuss food insecurity initiatives and research lead by members of our campus community.

Panelists

  • Caitlin Kownacki, Extension Specialist of Evaluation, Illinois Extension
  • Esther Ngumbi, Assistant Professor, Entomology and African American Studies
  • Merin Oleschuk, Assistant Professor, Human Development & Family Studies

Guest Moderator

  • Roberta Johnson Killeen, First Lady, University of Illinois

This virtual event is free and open to the public. Live-transcription will be available and the event will be recorded.

For more details, visit our Solving the World’s Challenges Panel Presentation Exhibit or learn about our past panel events.

Register here for the event: https://tinyurl.com/2p97bkbx
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
April 26 at 11AM

Please see the email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.
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If you would like to submit content for the May issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by April 22, 2022.

March Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
Check back next month for a new Note from Dean Wilkin.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 3/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Project Meetings for February 2022

During the month of February, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met with members of our Architecture/Engineering (A/E) Team on February 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th, 23rd, and 28th. These meetings included:  reviews of progress on the design development; meetings to discuss information technology needs in the facility; discussions of the curtain wall replacement; specifications and needs for the work Wiss, Jenney, Elsesnor (WJE) is conducting to examine the building for moisture risk; and to participate in the opening of RFP responses for the Construction Manager proposals.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for March 2022 (as of 2/28/2022)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • 3/2/2022 – U20118 UGL Building Project – Design Meeting
  • 3/2/2022 – U20118 UGL Redevelopment – Security Meeting
  • 3/4/2022 – U20118 UGL Site Design Discussion
  • 3/25/2022 – UGL Redevelopment Design Development: Scope Clarification Discussion

Other Activities

As noted, the University Library, F&S, and other campus partners have been working with WJE to kick off their work on the site analysis. More information about WJE’s starting is located here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/specialcollectionsbuilding/news/.

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continued over the last month. The Division is continuing work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

The kick-off meeting included a review of the proposed project schedule from the point that “conceptualization” began on July 21, 2021 through what is called “substantial completion” of construction work. Those dates in the future become increasingly speculative. At present, the schedule is as follows:

a. Conceptualization

  • 07/21/2021 work session
  • 08/12/2021 submission date
  • 08/26/2021 est. Concept review meeting

b. Schematic Design

  • 11/09/2021 submission date
  • 11/23/2021 est. SD review meeting

c. Design Development

  • 01/22/2022 submission date
  • 02/04/2022 est. DD review meeting-BOT Preparation

d. Construction Documents 50%

  • 03/31/2022 submission date
  • 4/14/2022 est. 50% CD review meeting

e. Construction Documents 95%

  • 07/04/2022 submission date
  • 07/18/ 2022 est. 95% CD review meeting
  • 08/18/2022 100% CD completion

f. Bidding/Award

  • 08/18/2022 Advertise for Bids
  • 08/25/2022 Pre-bid /Pre-pricing meeting
  • 09/30/2022 Bid Opening – To be confirmed
  • 01/04/2023 Notice Proceed

g. Board of Trustees approval (required on if individual contract is over $2,500,000.)

h. Construction – Start/End *

  • 01/05/2023 – 05/29/2024

Communications

On February 24, 2022, Tom Teper presented to the Champaign-Urbana Sunrise Rotary Club at their invitation in order to discuss the building project’s current status.

As noted earlier, efforts as underway to develop a video associated with the project.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: OTM Patent Data Integrated into Illinois Experts
A recent collaboration between the Library’s Scholarly Communication and Publishing unit and the University’s Office of Technology Management (OTM) has resulted in the integration of OTM’s patent data into Illinois Experts. Over 1,200 citations for patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to the University and its researchers are now available on the Experts portal and have been linked to both individual researcher and departmental profiles. Dating back to 1968, these citations represent several decades of University research and innovation that have produced beneficial societal and economic impact.

Illinois Experts is a research information management service that supports a variety of campus use cases—including facilitating discovery of campus research and scholarship via a public portal and suppling automatically updated publication data to faculty profiles across multiple campus websites. Researchers may export patent citations from their own Experts profile to the ORCID registry. Patent data from OTM will be routinely updated in Experts on a semiannual basis.

Questions about Illinois Experts may be directed to experts-help@illinois.edu.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Drop-in Consultation Services
Stop by the Scholarly Commons in Main Library Room 220 to consult with experts on a range of tools and topics, including geospatial data, copyright, media creation, and data collection, management, and analysis. Drop-ins are offered each week, Monday – Friday. No appointment needed. Full schedule below.

  • Mondays—Research Data Services (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
  • Tuesdays—Geographic Information Systems (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
  • Wednesdays—Copyright (11 a.m. – noon)
  • Thursdays—Qualitative Data Analysis (1 p.m.-3 p.m.)
  • Fridays—Media and Design (10 a.m. – noon)

Can’t make drop-in hours? No worries. Email us at sc@library.illinois.edu to set up an appointment with our team.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment

March is Women’s History Month and we thought we would use this to highlight the role of women at the University Library. Did you know that as of 2021, 65% of the library staff (including Academic Professional, Civil Service, and Faculty) is comprised of those who identify as women. Across campus that number is only 47% which is around the same number as students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate education.

A note regarding data timelines: UIUC statistics are an average of the past ten years (starting with academic year 2012-2013), while national data was collected from The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). National enrollment and post-secondary employment statistics are from the most recent data tables from academic year 2019-2020.

Bonus Historical Factoid: Katherine Lucinda Sharpe was Director of the Library from 1897-1907. Read more about her and the first “Lady Librarians” here.

Image created by Lindsay Taylor (Library Assessment Graduate Assistant). Text written by Belinda Bolivar (Library Assessment Specialist) and Lindsay Taylor.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

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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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Stephanie Luke – Metadata Librarian – Acquisitions and Cataloging – 3/16/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Library Specialist – Music and Performing Arts Library – closed 2/16/2022
  • SR Audio, Video, and Emerging Technology Specialist – Library IT – closes 3/3/2022
  • IT Specialist – Library IT – posting soon
  • Multi-level Application Integration Developer (ITTA) – Library IT – posting soon
  • Coordinator, Grainger IDEA Lab – posting soon

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HR NEWS: Searches Completed 

  • Metadata Librarian – Acquisitions and Cataloging, FAC – Dan Tracy, Chair

Kick-off scheduled for June 22, 2021. EC approved JD. Job live on the job board. Closing date August 20, 2021. Phone screenings held Sept 7, Sept 8, Sept 9, and Sept 14. Virtual interviews scheduled for Oct 13, Oct 15, Oct 19 and Oct 20. Offer extended. Stephanie Luke start date will be March 16, 2022.

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HR NEWS: Searches in Progress

  • Classics Librarian – Literature and Languages Library, FAC – Marek Sroka, Chair

Kick-off held October 5, 2021. EC approved JD. Job live on the job board. Job closed January 3, 2022. Phone screenings scheduled for Feb 10, Feb 14, and Feb 15.

  • Head, Grainger Engineering Librarian – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, FAC – Chris Wiley, Chair

Kick-off held November 15, 2021. EC approved PD. Job live on the job board with an extended closing date of February 17, 2022.

  • Visiting Assistant or Associate Archives and Literary Manuscript Specialist – Rarebook & Manuscript Library, FAC – Caroline Szylowicz, Chair

Kick-off scheduled for January 27, 2022. 

  • Program Director – Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, AP

Kick-off scheduled for February 22, 2022

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam 

  • Mavis E. (Bly) Bargon

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Starkiller to Skywalker: How Star Wars Evolved from Script to Screen

Ben Ostermeier, GA in RBML and Scholarly Commons, just released a new digital exhibition he has curated:
https://exhibits.library.illinois.edu/s/rbml/page/star-wars
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Engineering Change in Libraries: A Pathway for Meaningful Action
The aim of Engineering Change in Libraries is to understand the Other and mobilize our libraries to provide more effective and equitable services and programs to underserved communities. Inspired by Dr. Agnes Kaposi, a catalyst for change and 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture, Engineering Change is organized into two components: (1) the lecture (setting the context) and (2) a two-session workshop for library staff and stakeholders to engineer change in libraries in a process of understanding the Other and planning globally to create change locally.

THE LECTURE

An engineer of change, Dr. Agnes Kaposi (Engineer, Educator, Holocaust survivor, Author of “Yellow Star-Red Star”, recipient of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), and 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecturer), brings nearly a century of perspective as she tells her life story and the role of information as a source of power/control resulting in otherness, exclusion, propaganda, dislocation, as well as transformation in engineering change. A conversation, moderated by Dr. Valerie J. Matsumoto (George and Sakaye Aratani Endowed Chair on the Japanese American Incarceration, Redress, and Community, UCLA), connects Dr. Kaposi’s experiences with those of other marginalized and dislocated groups worldwide, such as Japanese Americans, to identify similarities and differences across time and locations, in order to understand the Other and rethink some of the most pressing issues that libraries face in promoting equitable communities in our information-intensive and networked society. The 31st Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture took place on November 8, 2021. Watch recording at https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_ms3b4hao.

THE WORKSHOP

Engineer change in libraries in an international workshop to learn and plan globally to create change locally. Library staff and stakeholders are invited to attend a two-session workshop to understand the Other by learning from each other’s experiences and challenges, connect as a community of practice, engineer meaningful action, and implement the solution while supporting each other in their journeys to engineer real change in their libraries and communities.

Each interactive workshop, a pathway/process to engineer change in libraries, focuses on a specific area of action. It is presented in two 1.5-hour sessions, with the second session occurring two months following the first one, and virtual open consultation hours midway. The first session begins with a speaker introducing the topic; followed by group discussion of local experiences, brainstorming, and prioritizing an issue to be addressed; then collectively, participants develop an action plan that they will apply at their library. During a two-month period participants implement their action plan locally and have an opportunity to ask questions and obtain input midway through the process. After two months, the participants reconvene in the second session as a community of practice to reflect and improve on their action plan, as needed.

To understand the need to engineer change from one story of the Other/persecuted, participants are encouraged to listen to the recording of the Lecture.

WHO should attend?

  • Library personnel, particularly those with responsibilities for public libraries, community libraries, school or academic libraries
  • Educators, researchers and students in university departments of librarianship and cognate disciplines
  • Library trustees, friends and volunteers
  • Government officials, policy makers, and others responsible for libraries
  • Library stakeholders

HOW LONG are the workshops?

  • 1.5 hours per virtual workshop session
  • Each workshop is made up of 2 sessions, two months apart, with optional virtual open consultation midway

WHEN are the workshops, and WHAT is the focus of action?

  • Inaugural Workshop on Dislocation
    Feb 15, 8:00-9:30 am CT session 1
    March 15, 8:00-9:30 am CT open consultation
    April 19, 8:00-9:30 am CT session 2
    FREE registration <click here> for Inaugural Workshop on Dislocation.
  • Workshop on Propaganda
    March 1, 4:00-5:30 pm CT session 1
    April 5, 4:00-5:30 pm CT open consultation
    May 3, 4:00-5:30 pm CT session 2
    FREE registration <click here> for Workshop on Propaganda.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: CARLI Professional Development Alliance Events

  • Intellectual Freedom and Social Justice: Core Values of Librarianship
    March 1 at 10 AM
    Throughout my work, I argue that intellectual freedom leads to social justice. A quick review of the 2020 American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom’s (2020) Most Challenged Books list demonstrates that the majority of the books on the list are focused on diverse topics including race and gender expression. Without support for intellectual freedom, the voices of people who are marginalized would not be heard. However, the discourse continues to focus on how support for intellectual freedom leads to the proliferation of hate speech and other harmful expression and is against the core value of social justice/social responsibility. I believe this is because the field of library and information science has not sufficiently integrated Kimberle Crenshaw’s (1989) concept of intersectionality into our core philosophical foundations. Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality argues that individual progress and development, social space, and group identity are all equally important for human flourishing.
    Register for this event.
  • Open Pedagogy Series Workshop 1: Introducing Open Pedagogy: From Open Resources to Equitable, Student-Centered Practices
    March 8 at 2 PM
    In this workshop Will Cross will introduce open pedagogy, an access-oriented commitment to learner driven education. Just as open educational resources (OER) can remove financial barriers for students, open pedagogy empowers faculty and students to build courses that reflect and connect out to the world in which they live. This workshop will introduce the core values of open pedagogy and walk you through successful models for putting open pedagogy into practice. You will leave with a deeper foundation in open pedagogy and be prepared to join us in our follow-up workshop on implementing open pedagogy.
    Register for Workshop 1
  • Sustaining the Infrastructure of OER Across Universities
    March 10 at 2 PM
    OER adoption requires more than the work of librarians. Collaboration is essential to have a long-term impact as well as weather the storms of turnover, a global pandemic, and piecemeal funding. Panelists will share practical advice on how to identify stakeholders, prioritize student success, and get buy-in from university administration. They will also cover the work of a task force in the UNC System that involves librarians, instructional designers, and university admin to streamline access to open educational resources.
    Register for this event.
  • Open Pedagogy Series Workshop 2: Implementing Open Pedagogy: Outreach and Advocacy for Developing Faculty Partnerships
    March 15 at 2 PM
    In this workshop we will explore strategies for making open pedagogy work at your institution. Building on the Introducing Open Pedagogy workshop, we will explore strategies for developing a team to support open pedagogy and develop a tailored action plan for connecting with faculty instructors. Because this session is focused on outreach and team building, attendees are encouraged to invite colleagues from across campus including instructional designers, learning technology experts and, of course, faculty instructors. You and your team will leave ready to implement open pedagogy strategies at your institution.
    Register for Workshop
  • Learnabout: Chrome Extensions
    March 21 at 4 PM
    Google Chrome web browser can be a valuable tool, especially if you take advantage of extensions. Confused? View this webinar to learn more about Chrome Extensions, how to use them, some of the most productive, and more!
    Register for this event.
  • Timely Talks with Library Leaders II
    March 22 at 1 PM
    This ASERL Series will give registrants an opportunity to find out what different library leaders are thinking, planning and strategizing as we navigate through the pandemic. Registrants will also have an opportunity to ask direct questions to the library leaders during the Q&A period.

A few topics that will be addressing on the panel:

Budgets — How are they advocating for additional money and resources in the middle of a pandemic?
Employee Retention/Morale — Do they have a plan to combat the Great Resignation/low morale and attracting new talent?
DEI/EDI – How do you maintain a commitment to EDI/DEI in today’s political climate?
Stakeholders – What strategies do you use to exceed stakeholder expectations while being empathetic to work life balance?
Connection/Communication – How do you maintain connected to your staff in a Zoom/webinar work environment?
Register for this event.

  • Navigating Difficult Conversations About Race: Awkward Dinners
    March 24 at 1 PM
    Awkward Dinners are intended to gather small groups of diners in public or private spaces for facilitated discussions on race. In contrast with our award-winning Unity360 Community Race Dialogues, where we can have from 30 to 70 participants, Awkward Dinners provide a more intimate setting in which to express feelings and be heard, and the chance to learn how to disrupt racism in our daily lives.  The “awkward” part comes when participants step outside of their comfort zones to share and learn from diverse perspectives on race.https://southfloridapoc.org/programs/#Dinners 

Join us for this interactive webinar where Roni and Ithan will share their success stories and how you can modify these strategies for your organization.  The session will include instructions on how to design, facilitate and evaluate these programs and how to keep the conversations going after the event ends.
Register for this event. 

  • CARLI OER Office Hour: Faculty & Student OER Collaborations
    March 29 at 1 PM
    The CARLI OER Committee invites CARLI members to an informal discussion on Faculty/Student OER Collaborations. Those working on local OER and affordable programs are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts and experiences, and learn from their CARLI colleagues.
    Register for this event.
  • CARLI OER Faculty Workshop: Supporting Academic Success: Open Educational Resources and Affordable Course Materials
    March 30 at 11 AM
    The CARLI OER Committee invites institutions to share with their teaching faculty this opportunity to attend a workshop to learn about open educational resources including open textbooks. The workshop will identify the problem are we trying to solve, explain open educational resources including open textbooks and affordable course materials, and provide options for what can we do. After attending, CARLI-member teaching faculty will be invited to write a short review of an open textbook in the Open Textbook Library.
    Register for this event.
  • The Evolving Library School Curriculum
    April 5 at 1 PM
    In the last few years, library schools have reevaluated their offerings to ensure that a graduate level education aligns with the skills needed for the field. It requires striking a balance between the theories that underpin our profession and what it all looks like in practice. These changes may involve opening up more choices, allowing students to pick specialized tracks. In some cases, it may involve getting rid of some required courses altogether. Panelists from four library schools across the country will share what they have done to adapt their curriculum and what it means for the future of the profession.
    Please register for this event.
  • Learnabout: Google Forms
    April 11 at 4 PM
    Need to create a survey? Registration form? Attendance? Want to create a feedback form? Google forms is an easy-to-use and versatile tool for creating web forms. This webinar will give the basics and some of the more useful features of this tool.
    Register for this event.

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hub Training
Link for all sessions:
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84378677162?pwd=ZlM0anY4ZUI4STdBZ1J4K1hxdlI3dz09

Please contact Sara Holder at sholder@illinois.edu if you have any questions.

  • Finding Statistics
    March 8 at 2 PM and March 11 at 3 PM

    Description: This session will cover the statistical reference interview as well as major sources for statistics, including the US Census.
    Learning outcomes: Participants will: 1. Learn to think systematically about the statistical reference interview and finding statistics in order to provide robust answers to statistical questions from users. 2. Understand Census surveys and geography in order to obtain desired content and geographic scope of data.
    Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
    Instructor(s): Karen Hogenboom & Sanga Sung
  • PSED – More than an acronym!
    March 22 at 2 PM and March 25 at 3 PM

    Description: This session will highlight the types of questions and subject areas that PSED specialists are trained to help with. We will discuss how best to identify queries that need that subject specialist to find, go over sample questions referring to our unique collections, and explore the different terminologies you might hear that will help you know when to refer those STEM questions.
    Learning outcomes: Participants will learn how to identify STEM questions quickly based on common vocabulary and terminology used in STEM fields, which resources are covered by PSED, which subject specialists to refer for specific STEM queries, and what specialized services the PSED provides for patrons.
    Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
    Instructor(s): Alex Cabada & Megan Johnson
  • Government Information in Reference
    March 29 at 2 PM and April 1 at 3 PM

    Description: The federal, state, local, and international government entities produce a massive amount of information on a wide range of subjects that can be used for research in various academic disciplines as well as non-academic activities. This workshop will give an overview of major government resources particularly needed for library reference work and introduce best strategies for navigating them.
    Learning outcomes: Participants will understand which online and print government resources are available and how they can be used to address library reference questions.
    Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
    Instructor(s): Sanga Sung
  • Versions of the Version of Record: Preprint Servers, Author Manuscripts, and More!April 12 at 2 PM and April 15 at 3 PM
    Description: Increasingly, almost every journal article that is published (Version of Record) has another version — or multiple — that is freely available. Preprint servers, institutional repositories, ResearchGate, unpaywall, etc. are all important resources for helping users find copies that serve temporarily or completely instead of the publisher version when the library is not a subscriber.
    Learning outcomes: Participants will be able to… describe the different journal article versions and their relationships to the version of record; develop a search strategy to locate alternatives to the version or record; articulate the benefits and caveats of using alternative versions.
    Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
    Instructor(s): Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe
  • Names and dates and places—oh my!: helping patrons with genealogical research questions
    April 19 at 2 PM and April 22 at 3 PM

    Description: This session will provide an introduction to public-facing genealogical research resources, including Heritage Quest Online and HPNL’s Genealogy Resources LibGuide, as well as internal staff resources, such as the Reflib How-to entry in the Main/UGL Reference Hub wiki. It would also equip staff with some straightforward steps to help demystify and respond to family history related questions.
    Learning outcomes: Participants will be able to: 1. Analyze genealogy related reference questions, as a first step in searching for appropriate resources to consult or refer to. 2. Locate resource(s) in the Library, and/or outside of Library, that may be helpful when responding to genealogical research requests.
    Who should attend: New session – strongly encouraged for everyone
    Instructor(s): Wendy Gregory

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Jai Chakrabarti Speaks: A Play for the End of the World
March 3 at 4PM

Please mark your calendars and join the International and Area Studies Library (with the support of a long list of co-sponsors) for a hybrid event featuring award winning author Jai Chakrabarti who will be speaking on his novel A Play for the End of the World.

People wishing to attend in person may come to the Asian American Cultural Center and enjoy free refreshments. Those who would like to attend virtually can register at: https://go.illinois.edu/PlayForTheEnd

We have a copy of the book in the library if you’d like to read the book in advance but that is not necessary to enjoy the event!
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Savvy Researcher Series – Basics of Congressional Information
March 9 at 2PM

The United States Congress produces various sources of information that can be valuable when researching a particular issue or policy or when looking in to members or procedures of the Congress or other organizations and institutions. In this workshop, we will go over the basics of the legislative process, the major publications including Congressional hearings, the Congressional Record, Serial Set, etc..

Zoom Registration
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Blood Drive
March 10 at 11:30AM

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
March 23 at 9AM

Please see the email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: AP and CSP Forum
March 29 at 10AM – 12PM

Academic Professionals and Civil Service Professionals are invited to a forum hosted by the LCP (Library Committee of Academic and Civil Service Professionals).
APs and CSPs: Watch for an email with the agenda and Zoom link!
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: LibGuide Training Sessions
March 30 at 12PM and March 31 at 2PM

The Office of Information Literacy will be offering two LibGuides training sessions in late March for those new to LibGuides, or those who would like to refresh their skills. Both sessions contain the same content, and will be taught by Anri Brod, the Information Literacy Graduate Hourly.

Zoom information sent via LibNews on February 8 from Anri Brod.
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If you would like to submit content for the April issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by March 18, 2022.

February Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
I think you all know that I don’t do much of that “well, at Michigan, they do X or Y,” so please take this observation in that vein. Michigan limits its deans to two five-year terms. No exceptions. Why? Well, it’s not explained anywhere, but, for me, it’s all about the necessity of change. Change is good. Organizations need changes in leadership to continue to thrive and respond to evolving challenges. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 2/1/2022
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Project Meetings for January 2022

During the month of January, representatives from the University Library, University Administration, and Facilities and Services met with members of our Architecture/Engineering (A/E) Team on January 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 19th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, and 28th. These meetings included multiple reviews of progress on the design development, meetings to review life safety concerns, the energy modeling for the building’s HVAC systems, preliminary reviews of campus standards for finishes, a meeting to review forthcoming discussions with the State Historic Preservation Officer, discussions related to campus policies related to information sharing, tours of collections storage in the Spurlock Museum, additional discussions on storage needs and backlogs in the three units, the first meeting of the Art & Architecture Meeting, a discussion about the forthcoming project manager design review, and three full-day sets of meetings to drill down on furniture and finishes within many of the developing spaces.

In addition to that, members of the A/E team made presentations to the University’s Board of Trustees on January 20th and the Board’s Audit, Budget, Finance, and Facilities Committee on January 19th. With approval secured from the BOT during the January 20th meeting, the project is greenlighted to continue work.

Project-Related Meetings Scheduled for from February 2022 (as of 1/31/2021)

The following meetings include both scheduled project meetings (with project designation of U20118) as well as additional meetings that involve select representatives of the A/E, F&S, and University Library.

  • 2/16/2022 – U20118 UGL UGL Redevelopment Design Development Meeting #4

Other Activities

Efforts to barcode and improve inventory management continued over the last month. The Division is already beginning preliminary work related to their opening exhibit.

Proposed Project Schedule

The kick-off meeting included a review of the proposed project schedule from the point that “conceptualization” began on July 21, 2021 through what is called “substantial completion” of construction work. Those dates in the future become increasingly speculative. At present, the schedule is as follows:

  • Conceptualization
    • 07/21/2021 work session
    • 08/12/2021 submission date
    • 08/26/2021 est. Concept review meeting
  • Schematic Design
    • 11/09/2021 submission date
    • 11/23/2021 est. SD review meeting
  • Design Development
    • 01/22/2022 submission date
    • 02/04/2022 est. DD review meeting-BOT Preparation
  • Construction Documents 50%
    • 03/31/2022 submission date
    • 4/14/2022 est. 50% CD review meeting
  •  Construction Documents 95%
    • 07/04/2022 submission date
    • 07/18/ 2022 est. 95% CD review meeting
    • 08/18/2022 100% CD completion
  • Bidding/Award
    • 08/18/2022 Advertise for Bids
    • 08/25/2022 Pre-bid /Pre-pricing meeting
    • 09/30/2022 Bid Opening – To be confirmed
    • 01/04/2023 Notice Proceed
  • Board of Trustees approval (required on if individual contract is over $2,500,000.)
  •  Construction – Start/End * 01/05/2023 – 05/29/2024

Communications

Elements from last month’s LON were incorporated as news items in the new project website at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/specialcollectionsbuilding.

Advancement’s last issue of the Friendscript carried a piece on the project’s progress.

On January 21, 2022, members of the project team were interviewed by WCIA.

As noted earlier, efforts as underway to develop a video associated with the project, and we anticipate the potential addition of new imagery to the website in the coming weeks.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Support and Representation for Library Employees Affected by PER
Illinois HR’s “Professional Employment Redesign” process began in October 2018.  Through this process, Illinois HR has undertaken a review of Academic Professional (AP) positions across all campuses.  This has affected the University Library through the reclassification to Civil Service Professional of some AP positions during the ongoing campus review as well as AP vacancies being approved for posting. Reclassification may also result from AP promotions, as revised position descriptions are reviewed. This process has been a concern for Library APs since it began. In 2021, the Library Committee of Academic Professionals (L-CAP) submitted comprehensive recommendations for support and representation for Library employees in reclassified positions. The recommendations are based on the principle that reclassification does not alter the nature of the work expected of the employee or the support needed for their success in performing that work for the Library. The support provided by the Library and our campus are important in recruitment, retention, and performance of Library APs, and extending that support to those in reclassified positions is in the best interest of the employees and the University Library. The L-CAP recommendations are in two sections, those completely under the Library’s control, and those that are dependent on Campus-level action. The University Library is moving forward with implementing those recommendations within its control, including:

  • Expanding the constituency and charge of L-CAP to include representation of employees in positions reclassified from AP to Civil Service Professional (CSP)
  • Extending the same investigation time policy and travel/training funds APs now enjoy, as well as RPC funding eligibility, to employees in positions reclassified from AP to Civil Service Professional
  • Equivalent Library Committee eligibility for APs and those in positions reclassified from AP to Civil Service Professional
  • Ensuring necessary building access and IT equipment is available to employees in positions reclassified from AP to Civil Service Professional

Though the Library is implementing the recommendations within its control, campus-level action on issues such as campus-level representation are pending. Luckily, the Library currently has two representatives on the Council of Academic Professionals, so we have some input. We encourage APs and CSPs to reach out to L-CAP with concerns. Library HR is also happy to answer questions. There will be a brief presentation/discussion on this at the February 22 Library Wide Hangout.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Downs Intellectual Freedom Award
The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks nominations for the 2021 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2022. The award is co-sponsored by SAGE Publishing.

More information can be found here: Nominations invited for annual Downs Intellectual Freedom Award
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Revised OEC Grant Proposal Requirements
The Outreach and Engagement Committee (OEC) has revised its grant proposal requirements to make everything simpler and hopefully less time-consuming. We accept proposals on a rolling basis, with funding up to $500 per person/year.

Information about the grant is on the OEC committee page, along with the proposal form and evaluation rubric.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment

In celebration of Black History Month, we collected data about DEIA activities in each unit from the Unit Annual Reports (https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/administration/services/annualreports/). The data collected from the reports are by no means a conclusive list of all the DEIA-focused activities going on in the library. However, the unit annual reports provided a snapshot of each unit’s efforts over the years. We counted any project or goal mentioned in each report that aimed to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, or accessibility in the library’s spaces, collections, programming, online content, or endeavors. Each contribution to DEIA counted as one activity. Examples of DEIA activities include unit staff attending pronoun training, collecting newspapers of marginalized communities, creating an anti-racist plan, collaborating with the culture houses on campus, creating accessible spaces, and more!

In five years, the number of DEIA activities in the annual reports have nearly doubled throughout the library. There are many ways each unit works towards this goal in their respective areas and the initiatives have been grouped very generally in this Marimekko chart. In FY2021, the top categories are: supporting diverse collections (30% of FY2021 initiatives), followed by creating inclusive spaces or content (24%).
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Task Force Meeting Minutes
Minutes from past DEIA Task Force meetings are online on the Task Force web page.
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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/
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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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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence
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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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Evan Barber – Library IT Specialist – Library IT – 2/7/2022
  • Stephanie Luke – Metadata Librarian – Acquisitions and Cataloging – 3/16/2022

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • SR Audio, Video, and Emerging Tech Specialist – Library IT – closes 2/7/2022
  • Accountant II – BHRSC – posting soon
  • Application Integration Developer/Sr Application Integration Developer – Library IT – posting soon
  • Facilities Operations Coord – Library Facilities – posting soon
  • Assistant Distribution Services Supervisor – Library Facilities – posting soon

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HR NEWS: Searches Completed 

  • Metadata Librarian – Acquisitions and Cataloging, FAC – Dan Tracy, Chair

Kick-off scheduled for June 22, 2021. EC approved JD. Job live on the job board. Closing date August 20, 2021. Phone screenings held Sept 7, Sept 8, Sept 9, and Sept 14. Virtual interviews scheduled for Oct 13, Oct 15, Oct 19 and Oct 20. Offer extended. Stephanie Luke start date will be March 16, 2022.
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HR NEWS: Searches in Progress

  • Classics Librarian – Literature and Languages Library, FAC – Marek Sroka, Chair

Kick-off held October 5, 2021. EC approved JD. Job live on the job board. Job closed January 3, 2022.

  • Head, Grainger Engineering Librarian – Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, FAC – Chris Wiley, Chair

Kick-off held November 15, 2021. EC approved PD. Job live on the job board with a closing date of Jan 28, 2022.

  • Visiting Assistant or Associate Archives and Literary Manuscript Specialist – Rare Book & Manuscript Library, FAC – Caroline Szylowicz, Chair

Kick-off scheduled for January 27, 2022.
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HR NEWS: In Memoriam 

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: The Imperfect Saxophone: Not Just a Clown’s Instrument
Onsite Exhibit through December 9, 2022 at the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Online Exhibit: theimperfectsax.web.illinois.edu/

The Sousa Archives’ online version of its new exhibit, “The Imperfect Saxophone: Not Just a Clown’s Instrument,” is now available for viewing. Like our onsite exhibition, this online show examines America’s complex relationship with the saxophone between 1900 and 1930, a period known as the “saxophone craze.” Prior to earning its place as a serious instrument among jazz and orchestral musicians, the saxophone was treated as a clown’s horn, a novelty act performed by various saxophone ensembles and virtuoso performers. Later, Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies: Music Land (1935); Lucille Ball’s episode The Saxophone (1952); the Muppets’ introduction of Zoot the saxophonist (1975); and the Simpsons’ episode, Lisa’s Saxophone (1997), continue to reflect America’s conflicted appreciation of Adolphe Sax’s most recognized instrument.

The Sousa Archives’ new exhibit highlights the saxophone’s evolving legacy and the early musicians who made it a truly unique instrument. Special thanks go to Nolan Vallier for his collaborative research on the exhibition and Maia Perez for her technical work on the virtual exhibit. To see and hear historical saxophones in action, please visit either our online or onsite shows.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Blood Drive
February 3 at 11:30AM

All donors will receive a voucher for a St. Patrick’s Day themed t-shirt or a $5 gift card!

See below for details on our upcoming blood drive, and please consider scheduling an appointment. To see the time slots available for appointments, just click on the blood drive name, below.

University of Illinois Library
Thursday, 02/03/2022 (11:30 am – 02:00 pm)
1408 W Gregory, Urbana, IL 61801
Undergraduate Library Circle Drive – Bloodmobile

Our blood drive will provide a critical resource that helps save lives at hospitals in our community and across our region.

*Don’t forget to bring a picture ID, wear a mask, drink lots of extra water and eat a meal prior to donating.*

Thank you for your support, and I hope to see you at the blood drive!
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Energy Never Dies: Afro-Optimism & Creativity In Chicago
February 16 at 7PM

Register for this online event at http://go.library.illinois.edu/Febevent.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: American Bandmasters Association’s Little Light During the Great Depression
February 17 at 12PM

Archivist for Music and Fine Arts and Sousa Archives Director Scott Schwartz will talk briefly about the work of the Center for American Music and its upcoming exhibit, American Bandmasters Association’s Little Light During the Great Depression.

These presentations are part of a virtual series hosted by the Friends of the Library and initiated by the Library Board of Advocates to share the wonders of the University Library at Illinois.

For more information and to register:
https://calendars.illinois.edu/detail/5771/33426946
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Hangout
February 22 at 9AM

Please see the email (with a Zoom link) from Lucretia Williams via LIB-NEWS. Complete and submit the Library Hangout Suggestion and Volunteer Form if you have a topic to share.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Fair Use Gameshow
February 22 at 6PM

Are you interested in fair use, but not interested in long lectures on the topic? Would you like to test your fair use knowledge and have some fun? If the answer to either or both of these questions is yes, then join us as we play the Fair Use Gameshow! Your host, Sara Benson, the Copyright Librarian at the University of Illinois will ask fun, challenging fair use questions to the audience and our panel of esteemed copyright experts will chime in with their opinions. Join the fun as the panel including Melissa Ocepek, Assistant Professor at the iSchool, Pia Hunter, Access Librarian and Online Learning Consultant at the University of Illinois College of Law, and Barbara Kaplan, Faculty Outreach Librarian at the University of Illinois College of Law discuss the many nuances of fair use.

To register for this event please visit the CARLI Event Calendar.
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If you would like to submit content for the March issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by February 18, 2022.