January Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Alma Squad Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

Utilization of Mobile Access QR Code as Link in Primo Catalog
The December release of upgrades for Primo introduced the QR code in the catalog. The QR code appears in the upper right of any search results page. This allows users to copy QR as a link to a single record. In addition, a QR code can be produced for a canned search to promote and expose a set of records, search results, or collections. See the image below for an example with the QR button circled in the upper right of the display.

Monthly upgrades to Alma and Primo Catalog
Ex Libris pushes out upgrades to both systems the first weekend of each month. We do get access to the upgrades and changes in the UIUC Sandbox versions two weeks before the eventual roll out to our Production versions.  To see the new changes, Ex Libris posts release notes in their Knowledge Center documenting the changes and fixes coming in the next release. You can see Alma Release Notes here: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2020
and for Primo VE: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Release_Notes/002Primo_VE/2020

Integration of InterLibrary Loan (ILL) into Primo Catalog and Alma Linkresolver Service
We continue to integrate the InterLibrary Loan service into the Primo. In Alma/Primo, the Linkresolver service is integrated and managed in Alma. Unlike SFX, when clicking on the Discover UIUC Online in the indexing and abstracting services (EBSCO, ProQuest, Scopus, Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, PubMed, etc.), the Alma Linkresolver determines if the Library has full-text access or not. If the service does not determine the Library has access (inventory), it generates an InterLibrary Loan request link. Sometimes, the appearance of this Linkresolver page is taking 10-12 seconds to appear. Ex Libris announced there should be improvements in this lag time with the January 2021 upgrade. 

Web Browser compatibility Issues with Primo Catalog
Intermittently, there are times we are having compatibility issues with the Primo Catalog and the latest versions of web browsers when logging into one’s My Account. Primo should be compatible with these browsers, e.g. Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge (they do note issues with Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 version). If you encounter this issue, 1) check to see if the latest version of these browsers is being used and/or 2) institute a refresh of the page if results in My Account are not showing properly (Control button and F5 to refresh).
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Progress of the Undergraduate Library/Main Library Integration Working Group
The Undergraduate Library/Main Library Integration Working Group has met a number of times and has agreed upon four sub-group topics: Consultations & Programming; Instruction; Study and Other Student Focused Spaces; and Logistics & Operations. Charges were written for each sub-group, and members have been appointed (full lists included below). There was a large group meeting of all members the Thursday before Winter Break where we talked about plans for moving forward with our work and took questions from sub-group members. The co-leads of each group have planned meetings throughout Spring, starting in January. Sub-group reports are due in April, and the final report will be due in May.

Consultations & Programming
Sara Holder – co-lead
Antonio Sotomayor – co-lead
Eric Kurt
Janis Shearer
Sara Benson
Carolyn Wisniewski
Gregg Homerding

Instruction
David Ward – co-lead
Kelli Trei – co-lead
Merinda Hensley
Alex Cabada
Jess Hagman
Alex Deeke
Joe Lenkart

Logistics and Operations
Mary Laskowski – co-lead
Tom Teper – co-lead
Cherie Weible
David Morris
Nancy O’Brien
Geoff Ross
Esra Coskun

Undergraduate Student-focused Study Space
Kirstin Johnson – co-lead
David Ward – co-lead
Paula Carns
JJ Pionke
Michelle Self-Ballard
Mara Thacker
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Grants and Contracts: Proposal submission guidance and Principal Investigator (PI) Handbook
It is important to ensure that all projects are properly resourced either via grant funding or other institutional commitments and to comply with University and Library policies.  When developing proposals or working with proposers from other units/colleges or institutions, please consult with the appropriate partners, such as associate and assistant deans/directors, and unit heads to ensure that technology, facilities, and other project support needs have been assessed and incorporated into the budget planning. In addition, please contact Wendy Balthazor (balthazr@illinois.edu) when you or another unit are planning/considering a proposal.

Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) has released an updated Principal Investigator (PI) Handbook.  The PI Handbook is designed to provide all investigators, especially new faculty, with guidance on sponsored project related policies and practices, to serve as a quick reference for general questions, and to identify helpful resources.  The PI Handbook is available on the SPA website: http://sponsoredprograms.illinois.edu/education-outreach/principal-investigator-handbook
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Tip of the Month
The Library sends a monthly email to new faculty at Illinois during the fall and spring semesters. These emails introduce many of our services and resources to this important audience.

You can view the December LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/2139906160.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 NEWS: Update
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: Vacancies

  • Visiting Project Conservator – Visiting Academic Professional (one year appointment) –Preservation Services Unit – Closes 1/22/2021
  •  Visiting Design & Materials Research Librarian and Visiting Assistant Professor – Visiting Assistant Professor – Ricker Library of Architecture and Art – Closes 1/29/2021
  • Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA) – Academic Professional – Business and Human Resources Service Center (BHRSC) – Closes 2/12/2021

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HR NEWS: Searches Completed

  • ACS Electronic Resources, FAC – Tom Teper, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 20, 2020. EC approved position. IHR approved JD July 1, 2020. Live on job board with closing date of August 21, 2020. Phone screenings held Sept 30, Oct 5, Oct 6 & Oct 7. Virtual interviews held Nov 11, 16, and 17. Offer Pending
  • Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Library – Undergraduate Library – Sara
    Holder, Chair Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 25, 2020. EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of April 10, 2020. Closing date extended to May 15, 2020. Phone screenings held June 1, June 2, June 3, June 4 & June 8. Virtual interviews scheduled July 17, July 20, July 22 & July 23. Offer extended to Alex Deeke. Started Nov 16, 2020.
  • Head, Scholarly Commons – Scholarly Commons, FAC – Kyle Rimkus, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for March 24, 2020. Interim Head position offered to Sara Benson: Phone screenings held 9/9 & 9/10. Virtual interviews held Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 & Oct 6. Offer extended to Michelle Reed. Start date March 16, 2021.

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HR NEWS:  Searches in Progress or Pre-announcement

  • Asst. Dean of Business and Human Resources, AP – Mary Laskowski, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 19, 2020. On Hold. Live on job board with closing date of August 28, 2020. Phone screenings held Oct 1, Oct 5, Oct 9 & Oct 15. Virtual interviews held Nov 18, Nov 24, Dec 3, Dec 8 and Dec 9. Pending recommendation for hire
  • ACS Cataloging Coordinator, AP – Mara Thacker, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 13, 2020. EC approved position. IHR approved JD Oct 7, 2020. Live on job board. Closed Nov 6, 2020. Phone screenings scheduled for Jan 4, Jan 5, Jan 6 & Jan 7, 2021.
  • Student Success Librarian – Undergraduate Library, FAC – Sara Williams, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 19, 2020. EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of March 27, 2020. Closing date extended to May 1, 2020: Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held 10/29/2020. Live on job board. Search closed Dec 11, 2020. Search committee reviewing applicants
  • Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility – Business and Human Resources Services, AP – Cindy Ingold, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for March 5, 2020. Position description pending approval. Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held Oct 28, 2020. Awaiting
    for EC to approve JD. EC approved JD. Awaiting IHR approval to post.
  • Visiting Design and Materials Research Librarian – Ricker Library, FAC – Kirstin Dougan Johnson, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for April 14, 2020. Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held Nov 2, 2020. Awaiting for EC to approved JD. EC approved JD. Live on job board with a closing date of Jan 29, 2021.
  • Library Assessment Specialist, AP – Sara Benson, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 4, 2020. Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held Nov 4, 2020. Awaiting IHR JD approval.\
  • Visiting Project Conservator, AP – Tom Teper, Chair
    Kick-off meeting held Nov 5, 2020. JD approved by EC. Live on job board with closing date of Jan 22, 2021.

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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: Annual Library Recognition Event
January 13 at 8:30 AM

This event will be held virtually. There will be an optional virtual coffee in small groups
beginning at 8:30AM until the event formally starts at 9:00AM. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Sean Garrick, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Following Dr. Garrick’s talk, there will be a recognition of service years, new employees, and a presentation of the Library Outstanding Academic Professional and Civil Service awards. We encourage everyone to attend!

Agenda:
8:30      Optional virtual coffee in small groups
9:00      Opening comments and welcome by Dean Wilkin
9:10      Guest speaker Dr. Sean Garrick, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
9:30      Introduction of new Library employees
9:35      Acknowledge Outstanding AP & Civil Service Award Recipients
9:40      Acknowledge Service Milestones
9:50      Acknowledge retirees
10:00    Closing
10:30    Libraries open

Service Year Recognition Recipients:

5 Years
Susanne Belovari
Clara Chu
Adam Doskey
Kirsten Feist
Krista Gray
David Griffiths
Aneitre Johnson
Hueih-Lirng Laih
Jake Metz
Chloe Ottenhoff
JJ Pionke
Tiffany Rossi
Celestina Savonius-Wroth
Rosemary Trippe
Preston Wright

10 Years
Erik Chapman
Sarah Christensen
Joseph Lenkart

15 Years
Vicki Sparks

20 Years
Stephanie Baker
Lee Galaway
Tony Hynes
Mary Laskowski
Kim Lerch
Chad Lewis
Lisa Miller
Wendy Shelburne
Ellen Swain
Elonda Towns
David Ward
Cherie Weible

25 Years
David Pherigo

30 Years
Tim Cole
Lisa Romero

40 Years
Jeff Loftiss

More information about the event and the Zoom invite were shared via a LibNews email from Skye Arseneau on December 17.
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Events and Training: NISO Webinar – Libraries and University Publishing Operations
January 13 at 10 AM

In a variety of (mostly US) universities, presses have been brought under the auspices of the library. What insights do libraries have to offer about the processes of manuscript acquisition or production workflow? What innovations have they introduced? Is scholarly communication being changed by this shift? Is it working? This Roundtable Discussion will bring together representatives from presses and libraries to spotlight successes and lessons learned.

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings
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Events and Training: Kaltura: Making Instructional Videos
January 13 at 1 PM

You are invited to participate in a training to learn about how to create online learning
objects, in this case, videos.

This training event will be led by Alan Bilansky (Technology Services), he is an expert in
Kaltura and MediaSpace and teaches for the Savvy Researcher.

The agenda:

  • An introduction to the Kaltura software and how to get started in making videos
  • How to upload videos to MediaSpace
  • How to share and publish the videos
  • Best practices for creating online learning objects (in this case, videos)
  • We have scheduled for 90 minutes so there should be plenty of time for questions

Registration: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/59858644
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Events and Training: WebTools and Alchemer: Choosing Between Survey Tools
January 15 at 1:30 PM

Dawn Owens from CITL will teach the basics of using WebTools and Alchemer (this is the new name for SurveyGizmo) for survey research. The first hour will be dedicated to WebTools and Alchemer will be presented during the second hour and you may choose what works best for you.

Registration: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/591691269
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If you would like to submit content for the February issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by January 15, 2021.

December Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 12/1/2020
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Phase One Architect/Engineer Selection
Representatives from the Library continue working with representatives from F&S to advance planning associated with the first phase of the Library Building Project. As outlined in our conceptual planning process, that first phase is the initial construction of a facility to support special collections and archives within the existing Undergraduate Library footprint.

F&S posted the program statement on the State of Illinois’ procurement portal on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The posting remained active until 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 12, 2020. The posting resulted in twenty-five (25) bids from firms interested in competing to secure the contract. Representatives of the Library met to discuss the proposals. Our collective evaluation was brought together with the evaluations from F&S, the Provost’s Office, University Administration, and Capital Programs. The insights gained from the presentation materials helped identify seven firms who will present to the selection committee in December. The proposals and presentations will be used to identify an Architect/Engineer to help translate the conceptual design work into a more concrete reality.

Communications – Website
With the initial steps in discussing the project with the campus community well-advanced, communication and outreach efforts will increasingly pivot toward communicating the vision to potential donors. John Laskowski, Heather Murphy, Tom Teper, Kathrine Risor-Heise, and Wendy Wolter discussed options for developing a new, donor-focused website for the next project phase. Wireframes are in process with a goal of posting a final site by January 16, 2021.

Committees and Working Groups – Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)
The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) Working Group continues to meet. The working group staffed out subgroups to focus on particular aspects of the project.

The framework under which these and other working groups directly associated with this project will work is posted here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/the-library-as-catalyst-project-a-framework-for-working-groups-and-input-solicitation/

Communications

  • Monthly Updates – Monthly updates about the Library Building Project are distributed via LON. The intent is to ensure open communication of specific information related to the Library Building Project.
  • Website – The Library Building Project has a website located at  https://www.library.illinois.edu/library-building-project/. Here you can read about the vision behind this program, seek answers to many of the Frequently Asked Questions that might arise, and read about upcoming events or project news. You can also submit additional questions to the project team at librarybuildingproject@library.illinois.edu.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Alma Squad Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

We are continuing to refine and improve both Alma and Primo systems each month. Ex Libris pushes out upgrades to both systems the first weekend of each month. We do get access to the upgrades and changes in the UIUC Sandbox versions two weeks before the eventual roll out to our Production versions.  To see the new changes,

Ex Libris posts release notes in their Knowledge Center documenting the changes and fixes coming in the next release. You can see Alma Release Notes here: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Release_Notes/2020 and for Primo VE: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Release_Notes/002Primo_VE/2020

With the latest upgrade in November, we encountered problems occurring with the Request functionality working properly in Primo. We did encounter a similar occurrence of requesting problems back in July 2020 as well. The Alma Squad will work to test all upcoming changes prior to new upgrades occurring in our Alma and Primo production instances. 

Alma/Primo Open Office Hours each month

To help inform about upcoming changes to Alma and the Primo Catalog, the Alma Squad will have Open Office Hours the first Monday of the 4th week of each month. Watch for an email to LIBNEWS to announce the dates and Zoom session information for these Open Office Hours on Alma/Primo. 

Alma and Primo Analytics work sessions

We gained access to the New Alma and Primo Analytics suite on November 8th and are in the process of learning the new system. We will have weekly information sessions on working in Alma Analytics each week starting on December 2nd. The weekly schedule will be each Wednesday at 1 pm:

Topic: Alma Analytics Work Sessions

Join Zoom Meeting
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/89899828282?pwd=eStmMDZUa3VqTE5uZ0l5L3hkbDBjQT09 
Meeting ID: 898 9982 8282
Password: 531383

Recording of Session on Advanced Searching and List Making in Alma

The Alma Squad held information sessions on producing lists and sets of titles/items in Alma for collection development work. In Alma, we can do some advanced and very detailed searches and then export those searches out as Excel spreadsheets (see image below for sample search). We did highlight these advanced search functionalities and exporting results. The recording of one session is accessible here: https://uofi.box.com/s/jimd2bvv25m4acposhfo70cfpk5y1rby
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Grants: Open Office Hours & SPA Holiday Closure and Proposal Submission Deadlines
First, I want to say thank you to everyone who has welcomed me as well as those I have already had the pleasure to work with as the new Grants Coordinator in the Library’s Business and Human Resources Service Center.

Second, I will be holding Open Office Hours for Grants and Contacts on December 7, 2020, from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, I welcome you to join me via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/82543520136pwd=Z1ovTE1xMUJJTEhVUFN4by9QODZKdz09
Meeting ID: 825 4352 0136
Password: 828389

Finally, please note that SPA will be closed for the Christmas holiday break starting at 5 pm Wednesday, December 23rd through and including Friday, January 1st.  They will reopen for business on Monday, January 4th at 8:00 am. All proposals that require submission between the dates of December 17th and January 1st will need to be submitted to SPA by Wednesday, December 16th at 5:00 p.m. to allow sufficient time for review and submission.  If you are planning to submit a proposal anytime between now and January 15, 2021, please contact me by Monday, December 7, 2020, to discuss the details.

Thank you – Wendy (balthazr@illinois.edu)
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN) New Releases 
IOPN has released its first print-on-demand option for a title! The textbook, Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introduction, was published online in August and is already adopted in fall courses.

IOPN is now the publisher of the open access journal Vivliofika: E-Journal of Eighteenth-Century Russian Studies. The back issues are now available, with the first issue published through IOPN to be released shortly.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
From the first day of class to the start of fall break, the Ask a Librarian (LibChat) virtual reference service has answered 3,791 questions from students, faculty, and the broader user community. In those conversations over LibChat, there were feelings of frustration, encouragement, gratitude, and more – and they were sometimes expressed with the use of emojis. Using emojis during a live chat can add a human touch to online conversations, help patrons feel more at ease, and improve the overall user experience. Take the September chats as an example – 615 emojis were found in the chat transcripts and 64% of the emojis were sent by the Library staff. 🙂

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

You can view the November LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/1507692794.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 NEWS: Update
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

  • Genevieve Schmitt – SCaRS Software Developer – Started 11/16/2020
  • Tabby Garbutt – Digital Imaging Specialist I – Preservation – Starts 12/1/2020

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Student Success Librarian – Undergraduate Library – Open Ranked Faculty – Closes 12/11/2020

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Tim Cole – Mathematics Library – Retires 12/15/2020

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HR NEWS: Searches Completed

Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Library – Undergraduate Library – Sara Holder, Chair 
Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 25, 2020.  EC approved position. Live on job board with a closing date of April 10, 2020. The closing date extended to May 15, 2020. Phone screenings held June 1, June 2, June 3, June 4 & June 8. Virtual interviews scheduled July 17, July 20, July 22 & July 23. Offer extended to Alex Deeke. Started on November 16, 2020.

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HR NEWS:  Searches in Progress or Pre-announcement

Head, Scholarly Commons – Scholarly Commons, FAC – Kyle Rimkus, Chair 
Kick-off meeting scheduled for March 24, 2020.  Interim Head position offered to Sara Benson: Phone screenings held 9/9 & 9/10. Virtual interviews held Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 & Oct 6. Offer Pending.

Asst. Dean of Business and Human Resources, AP – Mary Laskowski, Chair
Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 19, 2020. On Hold. Live on job board with a closing date of August 28, 2020. Phone screenings held Oct 1, Oct 5, Oct 9 & Oct 15. Virtual interviews scheduled Nov 18, Nov 24, Dec 3, Dec 8, and Dec 9.

ACS Cataloguing Coordinator, AP – Mara Thacker, Chair
Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 13, 2020.  EC approved position. IHR approved JD Oct 7, 2020. Live on job board. Closed Nov 6, 2020. 

ACS Electronic Resources, FAC – Tom Teper, Chair 
Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 20, 2020.  EC approved position. IHR approved JD on July 1, 2020. Live on job board with a closing date of August 21, 2020. Phone screenings held Sept 30, Oct 5, Oct 6 & Oct 7. Virtual interviews scheduled for Nov 11, 16, and 17. Fourth candidate withdrew.

Student Success Librarian – Undergraduate Library, FAC – Sara Williams, Chair 
Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 19, 2020.  EC approved position. Live on job board with a closing date of March 27, 2020. Closing date extended to May 1, 2020: Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held 10/29/2020. Live on job board with a closing date of Dec 11, 2020

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility – Business and Human Resources Services, AP – Cindy Ingold, Chair 
Kick-off meeting scheduled for March 5, 2020.  Position description pending approval. Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held Oct 28, 2020

Visiting Design and Materials Research Librarian – Ricker Library, FAC – Kirstin Dougan Johnson, Chair 
Kick-off meeting scheduled for April 14, 2020.  Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held Nov 2, 2020

Library Assessment Specialist, AP – Sara Benson, Chair
Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 4, 2020.  Vacancy Suspended until further notice. Kick-off meeting held Nov 4, 2020

Visiting Conservator – Paula Carns, Chair 
Kick-off meeting held Nov 5, 2020. 

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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
September 8 – December 4

On behalf of the Reference Management Team, I would like to invite you to attend Fall 2020 Hub Training. The sessions are included in the Staff Calendar and on the Hub Wiki Training Schedule page (login with your NetID and password).

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. and Fridays from 3-4 p.m. via Zoom. You can attend either the Tuesday or the Friday session. If you are new to working at one of the Hubs – please attend one session for each of the topics. Others who will be working at a Hub during the 2020-21 academic year – please attend as many sessions as you can. Even if you have learned this material before, your knowledge and experience are essential to making the most of this opportunity to learn from each other. If you are not working at one of the Hubs but are interested in the training topics being presented, you are more than welcome to attend.

Zoom details were emailed via LibNews on August 2nd from Sara Holder. Please contact Sara if you have any questions.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Assistant Dean for Business and Human Resources Candidate Presentations
November 18 – December 9

The search committee for the Assistant Dean for Business and Human Resources (Skye Arseneau, Susan Edwards, Mary Laskowski, Kathryn Risor-Heise, Suzanne Rinehart) is hosting five candidates for interviews. We have asked each of the candidates to present on the following topic:

Describe how you will use your experience and expertise to ensure trust and engagement as the Library navigates challenges and opportunities in human resource development and budget management issues facing academic libraries in the next few years.

We hope this topic will generate a good discussion, and you are all invited to attend. The names, dates, and times for each presentation are below, the presentation invites are attached to this message, and the candidate information is attached as well.

  • Nichole Hemming. November 24, 2020. 11:00 – 12:00
  • Aaron Darnall. December 3, 2020. 11:00 – 12:00
  • Sonya Chambers. December 8, 2020. 11:00 – 12:00
  • Susan Breakenridge. December 9, 2020. 11:00 – 12:00

Zoom invites for these presentations were sent via a LibNews email from Mary Laskowski on November 10.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Live RBML Event: Hindsight 19/20s!
Friday, December 4, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Join curator Caroline Szylowicz for a live virtual presentation on some literary happenings during the 1920s. Drawing on collections from the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, we’ll explore ways in which publishers and writers whose writings crossed established cultural boundaries, fostered creative collaborations across borders to foil censors and ensure that their works would reach their readers.

This event is part of a joint initiative of the University of Illinois Library’s Special Collections units celebrating “The Roaring Twenties: Illinois and the World”.

This event is free and public, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED; please register here:
https://illinois.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pRYe5BfPR7qhCWdc8efiCg
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Change Management Webinar Series – Rethinking Spaces
December 9th at 10 am

Some organizations and institutions in the information community have now started to return to a form of face-to-face operations, requiring even more planning and adaptation on their part in order to safely bring their workforce back to an office setting. How can available spaces be re-allocated in order to accommodate social distancing? Where are plexiglass shields needed? How many workers could or should continue to work remotely and how many will only be in the office part-time? This discussion will look beyond narrow issues such as managing shelving or foot traffic, to focus on how we need to rethink the functional space and shared environments of 21st-century knowledge workers.

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Connecting and Collaborating with Patron Communities
Friday, December 11th, from 2-3 pm

There are many different communities of patrons whose teaching, learning, and research needs overlap with our professional expertise but it can be challenging to make meaningful connections with these groups and to build strong and lasting working relationships. Peg Burnette, Chris Bailey, Carissa Phillips, and Antonio Sotomayor will share examples of how they have developed and grown these relationships. Time for questions and group discussion will follow, including opportunities for those attending to share their own experiences.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/87590724797?pwd=Mk5MaUNkaVl5YXZwS21KbFJvSzVQQT09
Meeting ID: 875 9072 4797
Password: 376953
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Change Management Webinar Series – Moving into the Future
December 16 at 10 am

The impact felt by institutions and organizations in this pandemic — past, present, and future — is impossible to evaluate. In less than a year, the information community has already seen both their budgets and their workforce cut. How do we move forward? How do we plan ahead for the short and longer time frames? All information organizations must re-evaluate their mission, their offerings, and their strategies in order to continue to thrive. In this final webinar of the series, roundtable participants will look to the future. They will discuss how they and their organizations are navigating the changes and the additional adaptations that may be required or made possible as we start to think about a post-COVID world. We’re living through a pandemic, one that has caused an acceleration in community shifts that were already unfolding. How do NISO members and the broader information community navigate those changes and make the most of this opportunity to shape a better future?

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.
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If you would like to submit content for the January issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by December 18, 2020.

November Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 11/1/2020
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Overall

As noted last month, the \Library received approval to move ahead with planning associated with the first phase of the Library Building Project – as outlined in our conceptual planning process. That first phase is the initial construction of a facility to support special collections and archives within the existing Undergraduate Library footprint.

F&S posted the program statement on the State of Illinois’ procurement portal on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The posting will remain active until 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 12, 2020. The resulting bids will be used to identify an Architect/Engineer to help translate the conceptual design work into a more concrete reality.

With the initial steps in discussing the project with the campus community well-advanced, communication and outreach efforts will increasingly pivot toward communicating the vision to potential donors. John Laskowski, Heather Murphy, Tom Teper, Kathrine Risor-Heise, and Wendy Wolter discussed options for developing a new, donor-focused website for the next project phase. Wireframes are in process with a goal of posting a final site by January 16, 2021.

Committees and Working Groups – Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)

The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) Working Group continues to meet. The working group staffed out subgroups to focus on particular aspects of the project.

The framework under which these and other working groups directly associated with this project will work is posted here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/the-library-as-catalyst-project-a-framework-for-working-groups-and-input-solicitation/.

Communications

  • Monthly Updates – Monthly updates about the Library Building Project are distributed via LibNews. These will be posted in a separate section of LON. The intent of both is to ensure open communication of specific information related to the Library Building Project.
  • Website – The Library Building Project has a website located at https://www.library.illinois.edu/library-building-project/. Here you can read about the vision behind this program, seek answers to many of the Frequently Asked Questions that might arise, and read about upcoming events or project news. You can also submit additional questions to the project team at librarybuildingproject@library.illinois.edu.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Alma Squad Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

We have been live on Alma/Primo for over 4 months now. We are continuing to learn and optimize both systems. The Content Access Policy and Technology group created the Alma Squad Team to oversee and manage the setup and configuration of the Alma system and we will be producing regular reports to inform about any upcoming changes or implementation of new features in Alma.

There are three major changes to Alma coming in November:

New Alma UI LayoutStarting on November 1st, there will be a new Alma User Interface (UI). When one logs into Alma, the new UI will appear (see the screenshot below).

The most prominent change will be the functional areas (Acquisitions, Resources (Cataloging), Fulfillment, Discovery, Analytics, etc.) have moved to the left-hand side of the display area. The Advanced Search button has moved to the upper left corner of the display as well.

Each individual will have the ability to switch back to the current Alma layout if desired through March 2021. At that point, the new Alma layout becomes permanent.

There is a short 3-minute video showcasing the new Alma UI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXrWOVB1BNo

New Metadata Editor in Alma – The New Metadata (MD) Editor is now available in Alma production version. The metadata editor has been reconfigured to streamline cataloging workflows, creating new work areas for records and templates, provide more detailed record and editing information, provide better navigation between records, includes more record editing tools, and is always active when one needs to catalog or edit a title/item (see image below of the Metadata Editor).

The new MD Editor can be activated today if one wants to explore the new version by clicking the new MDE button within Alma.

For more information about the new Metadata Editor in Alma, see this 4-minute video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUL_N8FzFIs

New version of Alma Analytics: The new version of Alma Analytics will become available on November 1st as well. The Oracle Business (OBI) instance that Alma/Primo Analytics uses is being upgraded to Oracle Analytics Server (OAS) which includes Data Visualization (DV) options not previously available and the ability to work with larger sets of data.

For more information on the move to Oracle Analytics Server and new options available in the OAS DV version, see this presentation at the IGELU session last month at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nk5sv8xC7Y.

The Alma Squad is working to formalize the structure of data analyses and generating reports in Alma/Primo (within both the Alma system itself and utilizing the Alma and Primo Analytics services separately).

Later in November, we will have several information sessions on using Alma to create collection management lists. We will get emails out with the Zoom login information for these sessions shortly.

The dates for these information sessions are:

Creating lists and sets in Alma for collection management purposes
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 – 2 to 3 pm
Friday, November 13, 2020 – 10-11 am
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 – 11 am to 12 pm
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN) New Journals
Two journals with IOPN launched their inaugural issues in October! The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies (JAMS) is edited by library GA alum Billy Tringali. The Journal of Library Outreach and Engagement is edited by U of Illinois librarians Mara Thacker, Matt Roberts, and Sarah Christensen and is the outcome of a Library Innovation Grant proposal. You can read more about the launch of these first issues at the IOPN News blog.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Publicity for Awards/Recognitions/Grants
Our Library employees are winning awards, receiving grants, and earning recognitions. In an effort to help publicize these wonderful accomplishments, and to demystify and streamline the process, please see the following set of guidelines.

  • To initiate a request for publicity, employees (or their supervisors) should submit this Awards/Recognitions/Grants Publicity Request Form including information about the award, recognition, or grant.
  • All submissions are forwarded to the Library’s CCO and a Recognizing Excellence blog post is scheduled. The Recognizing Excellence blog features Library employees (all classifications) and the external awards, recognitions, or grants they’ve received or earned. These blog posts will be shared in the monthly Library Office Notes (not in separate emails via LIB-NEWS as in the past). A link to this blog is also found on the Library’s Faculty & Staff Achievements page. The Dean of Libraries and University Librarian makes the determination if an award, recognition, or grant gets posted to the Library’s News page and/or wider dissemination is recommended.
  • Fall, Spring, and Summer publications and presentations by Library employees will still be featured in the Recognizing Excellence blog. Calls for those go out separately three times a year via LIB-NEWS.

The set of guidelines above has been added to the Communications page on the staff website.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
In October 2020, the first of two short library satisfaction surveys was circulated among randomly selected undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.  The goal of the survey was to assess the students’ needs and attitudes with respect to the services and resources offered by the University Library during the pandemic.  In the survey, students were asked to rate eleven library services (i.e., study spaces, checkout items, librarian consultation) as easy, neither easy or difficult, or difficult to use.  Students were also given an option to select that they have never used the service.  Of the 215 responses, three of the most used services were e-books or e-journals (72% of respondents have used), checking out books, equipment, or other library items (45%), and consultation with a librarian (44%).  Of those who have used each service, 69% of respondents selected that e-books or e-journals are easy to use, 52% selected that checking out library items is easy to use, and 66% selected that the consultation with a librarian service is easy to use.  The second of this survey series will be sent in November to a different population of students.  The comments from this survey have already revealed key areas of improvement for making the library’s services more easily accessible to students during the pandemic.

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

You can view the October LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/1912475512.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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Facilities News: Update
On behalf of the Library Facilities team, I would like to thank everyone for their patience and flexibility over the last 7 months.  The Facility team has worked through all COVID measures to ensure that all library spaces have met or exceeded guidelines for barriers, social distancing, and PPE requirements.  With the rush of COVID preparations becoming manageable, we are now refocusing our attention back to the multitude of projects that were scheduled prior to the pandemic.

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

  • Alexander Deeke – Undergraduate Teaching and Learning – Starts 11/16/2020

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HR News: Vacancies

  • SCaRS Software Developer – Closed 8/28/2020
  • Digital Imaging Specialist I – Library Preservation – Closed 10/12/2020
  • Cataloging Coordinator – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services – Closes 11/6/2020

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HR News: Departures

  • Erich Burkhardt – Library Assistant – Preservation – 11/30/2020

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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
September 8 – December 4

On behalf of the Reference Management Team, I would like to invite you to attend Fall 2020 Hub Training. The sessions are included in the Staff Calendar and on the Hub Wiki Training Schedule page (login with your NetID and password).

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. and Fridays from 3-4 p.m. via Zoom. You can attend either the Tuesday or the Friday session. If you are new to working at one of the Hubs – please attend one session for each of the topics. Others who will be working at a Hub during the 2020-21 academic year – please attend as many sessions as you can. Even if you have learned this material before, your knowledge and experience are essential to making the most of this opportunity to learn from each other. If you are not working at one of the Hubs but are interested in the training topics being presented, you are more than welcome to attend.

Zoom details were emailed via LibNews on August 2nd from Sara Holder. Please contact Sara if you have any questions.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: The Mystery Recordings of Langston Hughes: A Poet Visits the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
November 5, 12:00 p.m.

A Special Presentation by
Jameatris Rimkus, Archives Program Officer

The University Archives is a repository whose mission is to preserve and document the institution’s story. One never knows what they will find within the boxes of the archives. Each box, each folder, each item is a mystery waiting to be solved and a story to be told. One mystery is a recording of Langston Hughes reading his work to a live audience. The recording contained no documentation other than it was created by WILL Radio. Why was Mr. Hughes at the University of Illinois sharing his work and telling his story? So many questions and very little clues. Sam Spade isn’t available to solve the case, but an archivist can.

Registration Required: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/23214726
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: 30th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture 
November 16, 12:00-1:30pm CT

30th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture with BBC World Affairs Correspondent, and Presenter Mike Thomson, author of Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege (Public Affairs 2019)

FREE Online Event – Register at https://go.illinois.edu/distinguishedlecture

ABOUT MIKE THOMSON: 
Mike Thomson is one of the BBC’s most distinguished and experienced World Affairs correspondents. During his career, he has interviewed many military and political leaders including Margaret Thatcher, George Bush, Joseph Kabila, King Hussein, Meles Zenawi, and most recently the Liberian President, George Weah. Read more…

THIS EVENT IS CO-SPONSORED BY:
Center for Global Studies through support from the US Department of Education’s Title VI NRC Program
Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Department of Journalism, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
School of Information Sciences
University of Illinois Library Urbana-Champaign

MORTENSON CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION:
Questions? Please email: mortenson@illinois.edu
Distinguished Lecture Website: https://www.library.illinois.edu/mortenson/lectures/
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Task Force for Research Support Forum
November 16, 3:00pm

Research support for Library faculty and academic professionals.
Registration is required for this event. Please register on the Library Staff Calendar.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Change Management Webinar Series – Team Building
November 18, 10:00am

Over the past few months, everyone has had to become accustomed to meeting in
virtual environments, as well as mastering other technologies that allow us to continue
to work together collaboratively — within and outside our organizations. This roundtable
discussion will address both the fun side of learning new ways of working together and
the deeper issues of setting expectations, accommodating different requirements, and
identifying the constraints that made clear where boundaries would be needed.

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Bring Your Own Book+ Club Zoom meeting 
November 18, 6:00pm
Sign up today: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1194719520

Have you been reading something you can’t wait to share with the world? Are you looking to get book recommendations from other readers? Look no further than Bring Your Own Book Club+! Hosted by the Residence Hall Libraries and the UGL, come together with others and discuss the books you’ve been reading recently. Not into books? No problem! We want to hear about video games you couldn’t stop playing, TV shows you binge-watched, and movies that stuck with you well after they ended!
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If you would like to submit content for the December issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by November 20, 2020.

October Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 10/1/2020
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Overall

With the enforced separation and refocusing of attention on other issues, regular updates related to the Library Building Project slipped by the wayside. Project work, however, continued. 

While we were working from home, the Library received approval to move ahead with planning associated with the first phase of the Library Building Project – as outlined in our conceptual planning process. That first phase is the initial construction of a facility to support special collections and archives within the existing Undergraduate Library. 

Currently, Library personnel are working with F&S on the program statement and documentation necessary to secure the services of an Architect/Engineer to execute that planning. I submitted comments on the draft program statement to Dennis Craig late last week. Those comments should be incorporated this week, and the call for applicants should go out in the coming weeks. 

The Library is also working with JLK – the firm engaged for the conceptual design phase – to develop some visual renderings of what some of the new and renovated spaces may look like. The renderings will help us to better communicate the vision to potential donors, members of the campus community, etc…. Late last week, I also submitted comments solicited on the final set of these drawings.  

In the realm of communications, John Laskowski, Heather Murphy, Tom Teper, and Wendy Wolter completed revisions to the Library Building Project’s website. This revision maintains all of the documentation from the entire process to date, but it will address some feedback received about the original page’s functionality. It will be posted shortly, and we will also begin discussions about how to develop a page that will focus more explicitly on the currently approved portion of the project. 

Committees and Working Groups – Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)

The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) Working Group continues to meet. Recently, the working group presented EC with a revised charge and structure for the process going forward. The Executive Committee approved the charge, and the working group is currently on staffing out subgroups to focus on particular aspects of the project. 

The framework under which these and other working groups directly associated with this project will work is posted here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/the-library-as-catalyst-project-a-framework-for-working-groups-and-input-solicitation/

Communications

  • Monthly Updates – Monthly updates about the Library Building Project are distributed via LibNews. These will be posted in a separate section of LON. The intent of both is to ensure open communication of specific information related to the Library Building Project.
  • Website – The Library Building Project has a website located at https://www.library.illinois.edu/library-building-project/. Here you can read about the vision behind this program, seek answers to many of the Frequently Asked Questions that might arise, and read about upcoming events or project news. You can also submit additional questions to the project team at librarybuildingproject@library.illinois.edu

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
The library started using Voyager as the integrated library system in April 2002. On June 24th, 2020, we said goodbye to Voyager, along with VuFind and Classic Voyager (WebVoyage), and welcomed Alma and Primo. During the past 18 years, millions of transactions were processed using Voyager. Looking at the circulation statistics alone, there were more than 8.5 million initial checkouts, 5.8 million renews, and 8.1 million returns recorded in Voyager. That equals to 1.2 million circulation transactions per year and an average of 2 transactions per minute.

We thank you for your service, Voyager. Bon Voyage!

Thanks to Michael Norman, Janelle Sander, Cherie’ Weible, and Heather Murphy for providing data and consultation. Image created by Library Assessment Graduate Assistant Lindsay Taylor.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Tip of the Month
The Library sends a monthly email to new faculty at Illinois during the fall and spring semesters. These emails introduce many of our services and resources to this important audience.

You can view the September LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/2059436028.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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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
September 8 – December 4

On behalf of the Reference Management Team, I would like to invite you to attend Fall 2020 Hub Training. The sessions are included in the Staff Calendar and on the Hub Wiki Training Schedule page (login with your NetID and password).

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. and Fridays from 3-4 p.m. via Zoom. You can attend either the Tuesday or the Friday session. If you are new to working at one of the Hubs – please attend one session for each of the topics. Others who will be working at a Hub during the 2020-21 academic year – please attend as many sessions as you can. Even if you have learned this material before, your knowledge and experience are essential to making the most of this opportunity to learn from each other. If you are not working at one of the Hubs but are interested in the training topics being presented, you are more than welcome to attend.

Zoom details were emailed via LibNews on August 2nd from Sara Holder. Please contact Sara if you have any questions.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Task Force for Research Support Forum
October 13, 11:00am

Research support for Library faculty and academic professionals.
Registration is required for this event. Please register on the Library Staff Calendar.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Podcasting Workshop
When: October 14, 6:00pm
Where: Zoom

Want to start your own podcast? Not sure where to start? Join the co-creator of JK, It’s Magic, as she walks you through choosing your equipment, recording, and the editing process. Sign up today: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1576214811
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Change Management Webinar Series – The Information Community Adapts
October 14, 10:00am

In the early months of the pandemic, institutions and organizations were forced to make rapid decisions about whether to close, whether or when to re-open, which parts of normal operations might be managed remotely and which would simply have to be dispensed with. Some organizations had emergency preparedness plans that enabled them to adapt swiftly, but others had to become agile as a day-by-day learning experience. The Roundtable Discussion format will bring together stakeholders from across the information community to discuss the decision-making processes they and their organizations used to deal with the pandemic and the key factors that enabled them to successfully react and adapt to the uncertainty.

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: 10th Anniversary Scholarly Commons Event

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Scholarly Commons opening. To celebrate this milestone, the Scholarly Commons will be presenting a digital exhibition commemorating our history. This digital exhibition will highlight the projects, partnerships, and people that supported the unit over the past ten years. The exhibition will include an interactive timeline of the Scholarly Commons history showcasing past initiatives, events, and collaborations that we have built over the years and a GIS mapping project highlighting former Scholarly Commons graduate assistants. Beyond showing the global influence of the Scholarly Commons, the map will also include descriptions from the graduate assistants describing how working in the department impacted their professional and academic careers.

Additionally, there will be a digital event on October 20 at 3:30 p.m. with guest speaker and former Scholarly Commons GA, Thomas Padilla. Mr. Padilla is the Interim Head of Knowledge Production at the University of Nevada Las Vegas Libraries and his presentation, Responsible Operations: Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI in Libraries, will discuss how cultural heritage practitioners can responsibly use machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve collection description and discovery and create space for members of their organizations to deepen cross-functional community partnerships.

To learn more about when and how to access these events, please visit the Scholarly Commons homepage.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Change Management Webinar Series – Supporting the Workforce
October 21, 10:00am

During the months of full and partial lockdown, organizations have had to support their workforce in a variety of ways. Budgets have been revisited. Equipment has been provided and deployed to enable staff to work remotely. And, importantly, working practices — including meetings, staff management, deliverables, and more — have had to change, often significantly What has the impact been on information workflows and internal systems? How did institutions and organizations in our community work to mitigate some of the significant challenges experienced by their workforce? In this webinar, we will hear from information industry professionals about how they and their organizations supported the people in their workforce and what they learned they could do to support them. 

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Bring Your Own Book+Online Meeting on Racial Justice
Wednesday, October 21, 6:00pm
Sign up today: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1194719520

We’re back with a new edition of Bring Your Own Book Club! This time around we’re talking about books about racial justice. Hosted by the Residence Hall Libraries and the UGL, come together with others and discuss the books you’ve been reading recently. Not into books? No problem! We want to hear about TV shows, movies or documentaries that got you thinking!

Need help looking for a book? We’ve got you covered!
Check out the RHL Black Justice Resource List!
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Change Management Webinar Series – Delivering Services in a Pandemic
October 28, 10:00am

Whether working remotely, on-site or in some hybrid form, information organizations and institutions found that many basic services had to be managed and delivered in new and different forms. From providing remote support to customers, to delivering seamless online access to content, to meeting the needs of scattered students and faculty, everyone’s workflows had to be adapted. Standard access services that are normally taken for granted had to be rethought. This webinar will address what these changes meant for all those who provide information services of any sort. 

Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings.
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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 16, 2020.

September Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

IT NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: ILS Coordination Team Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

We have been live on Alma/Primo for about two months now. We have gained knowledge and expertise in working in both systems. Working with the CARLI Office and the Ex Libris Implementation Team, we are continuing to optimize and upgrade the systems to best suit our work environment in the Library. New layouts are coming for the Alma back office work in Acquisitions, Cataloging, and Fulfillment. A new metadata editor will arrive in September that should improve work processes and the new procedures we are implementing. In addition, there will be a new upgrade to the Alma Analytics suite (Oracle OBIEE) by the end of the month as well. We will keep everyone informed about these new changes and highlight the differences in each of these areas in information sessions later in September. Watch for those announcements on LIBNEWS soon.

Courtesy Letters Re-enabled for Items with Due Dates Upcoming
The CARLI Office has completed re-enabling the courtesy letter and courtesy job for each I-Share library. Starting on August 29, the first run of the regular courtesy letter for items with due dates upcoming in 3 days was initiated. Courtesy Letters for short loan materials (minute/hourly loan periods) should begin generating for patrons at 15 minutes before the item’s due date/time.

Primo Library Catalog as Part of COVID Response
To assist with any issues users may encounter with accessing materials through the online catalog, we have added a public banner in the Primo Library Catalog: “As part of our COVID response, we have temporarily reconfigured display and linking options in our online catalog. Please contact us if you require assistance.”

We continue the ongoing work to update all titles in the online catalog where users will have access to the Hathi ETAS copy. Contact us at the Report a Problem link if you encounter issues accessing full-text content of these titles.

Retirement of the ILS Coordination Team
The ILS Coordination Team has successfully completed its charge of implementing Alma and the Primo Catalog. The Team will retire at the end of August 2020. Some of the members of the Coordination Team will transition to the new Alma Squad to continue to configure and manage the day-to-day operation of both systems. Thank you to the group for all the good work! 

Formation of the Alma Squad
As there are continuous upgrades and enhancements occurring in the Alma and Primo systems, a new team has formed to manage all changes to both. The Alma Squad will consist of Michael Norman (chair), Janelle Sander, Stephanie Baker, George Gottschalk, Cherie’ Weible, Megean Osuchowski, MJ Han, Alisha Taylor, Wendy Shelburne, John Laskowski, and Heather Murphy. The Alma Squad will report to Content Access Policy & Technology (CAPT) and update the Library of upgrades to Alma and the Primo Catalog. For more information about the new Alma Squad, see the July 2020 CAPT minutes.

Report a problem or provide feedback on Alma/Primo
If you need to report problems or issues with Alma and the Primo Library Catalog or have comments or questions about either system, contact the Alma Hotline.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
This year’s first day of classes for the fall semester, August 24, 2020, was far different than any other first day that the university has had. There were no long lines at the coffee shops, and no one asked where Room 66 was or where they could print out class schedules. While it was quiet in library buildings and spaces, library services were busy at work, serving faculty, staff, and students who were on or away from campus. Here is what happened in the Library (virtually) during the first day of classes.


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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 meetings 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: Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN) New Series
The Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN) has launched a new series, OPN Textbooks, under the Windsor & Downs Press imprint, with two textbooks in library and information science. The titles in the series include Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introductionby Laura Saunders and Melissa A. Wong, and A Person-Centered Guide to Demystifying Technology: Working together to observe, question, design, prototype, and implement/reject technology in support of people’s valued beings and doings by Martin Wolske.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

Please forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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IT NEWS: Print Release by QR Code or URL (No More Print Release Stations)
Print jobs can now be released by using a QR Code or URL address from any device. Library IT is in the process of removing print release stations throughout the Library. Print instructions have been updated on the web and can be found here:

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IT NEWS: Zoom
Everyone is spending much more time on Zoom and there have been a lot of updates to Zoom over the last few weeks. To see the running list of changes, consult this knowledge base article from Technology Services: Zoom Change Log.

If you are experiencing any issues with Zoom, you may want to first check the campus System Status Page to see if there are current service interruptions or degradations.  If you still need support, please feel free to reach out to the Library IT Help Desk at help@library.illinois.edu or 217-244-4688.
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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Katie Clayton – Senior Library Specialist, ACS – Retiring 09/30/2020

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HR NEWS: Vacancies 

  • Software Developer, SCaRS/SR Software Developer, SCaRS (2 levels-single hire) – Library IT (Custom Class) – Closed 8/26/2020
  • Assistant Dean of Business & Human Resources – Closed 8/28/2020

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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
September 8 – December 4

On behalf of the Reference Management Team I would like to invite you to attend Fall 2020 Hub Training. The sessions are included in the Staff Calendar and on the Hub Wiki Training Schedule page (login with your NetID and password).

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. and Fridays from 3-4 p.m. via Zoom. You can attend either the Tuesday or the Friday session. If you are new to working at one of the Hubs – please attend one session for each of the topics. Others who will be working at a Hub during the 2020-21 academic year – please attend as many sessions as you can. Even if you have learned this material before, your knowledge and experience are essential to making the most of this opportunity to learn from each other. If you are not working at one of the Hubs but are interested in the training topics being presented, you are more than welcome to attend.

Zoom details were emailed via LibNews on August 2nd from Sara Holder. Please contact Sara if you have any questions.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Virtual Craft Night
Tuesday, September 8th at 7pm-8pm
Sign Up: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1140272051

Looking to share your craft genius with others? Want to spend some time relaxing and enjoying time with others? Join the Residence Hall Libraries in a virtual craft night! Bring whatever you’re working on and enjoy some time with other artsy folks! And if you need some inspiration, check out the craft books available to you from the Residence Hall Libraries!
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar
September 9 at Noon

NISO Webinar: Demonstrating the Return On Investment: The Library’s Role and Contribution
Assessment practices can be used by libraries to demonstrate to administrators and key decision-makers the return on investment from the services they offer. They can help show that, rather than being a drain on institutional resources, the library is a cost-effective and impactful part of an institution’s educational offering. 

This webinar will focus on how assessment exercises are critical to helping position the library in this way, and on effectively presenting the data generated by the assessment to those passing judgment. The panel will address questions such as: How can you show that library initiatives are aligned with institutional goals? How effectively is the library allocating its space in serving students and faculty? How much is being spent on licensed content, and are those resources being used? 

Librarians and library vendors, administrators, and publishers alike will benefit from a better understanding of how and why to demonstrate the ROI of a library.
Please email training@library.illinois.edu for login credentials or recordings
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Task Force for Research Support Forum
September 16 at 1 PM

Research Support for Library Faculty and Academic Professionals
Registration is required for this event. Please register on the Library Staff Calendar.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: “Global CU: Poetry of home and community identity” (A virtual dialogue)
Welcoming Week Event

Thursday, September 17, 2020; 7-8 pm CST
Speakers: TBA

The Mortenson Center for International Library Programs (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library) and the UNESCO Center for Global Citizenship invite you to a virtual dialogue by Champaign-Urbana (CU) residents, who have made CU home, whether they were born here or elsewhere. The dialogue will be based on poetry that speakers have selected and will read that reflects their sense of home (is the poetry from home — near or far — or about home?) and discuss how or whether the poetry contributes to their identity to CU as a community.  What fills our heart, provides comfort, creates memory, reduces loneliness, feels familiar, creates connections and what is the meaning of place? are some of the questions we will explore.  During the session, we welcome attendees to engage by asking questions, and sharing their poetry of home and community identity.

Register at: https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvduGtqT0rGdMAHSi8VqpvcxQYQzThIOvG

This is a Welcoming Week 2020 event of Champaign County: https://universityymca.org/welcome/ww20/

For more information, see https://www.library.illinois.edu/mortenson/ and https://www.facebook.com/UnescoCenterForGlobalCitizenship/.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: ALA ISLD Co-Sponsored Event
Transcending Borders: From Librarians Collaborating Abroad To Reconsidering Opportunities in a Virtual World
Monday, September 21, 2020, 10:00-11:00 am CST
Speakers: Dallas Long, Deborah Chavez and Janet Lee
Moderator: Clara M. Chu

Three professional librarians, who have worked outside the United States, will share their international experiences. In this time of social distancing and travel limitations, participants will discuss means and opportunities for international virtual engagement. A resource list will be made available to registered participants.

Sponsored by: International Sustainable Library Development (ISLD) Interest Group of the ALA International Relations Round Table, Mortenson Center of International Library Programs, and Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)

Registration will be available soon at http://www.ala.org/rt/irrt/initiatives.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Libraries for Peace Day Event
SAVE THE DATE! Monday, September 21, 2020
Libraries Shaping Peace Together: A Global Dialogue of Association Leaders
(A Webinar)

Since launching the Libraries for Peace Initiative, the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs has invited the library and information community to celebrate Libraries for Peace (L4P) Day as the world community observes International Day of Peace on September 21 every year. 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 2020 is “Shaping Peace Together”. In this panel discussion, association leaders will discuss how their organizations provide leadership for libraries to shape peace together.

More information and registration will be available soon at https://www.library.illinois.edu/mortenson/.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Special Literacy Month Webinar with Clara M. Chu
“Libraries, Rotary, and their Partners Developing Peaceful Communities”
Tuesday, September 22, 2020; 5-6pm CST/6-7pm EST

Clara M. Chu, Director and Mortenson Distinguished Professor of the Mortenson Center for International Libraries, has received many prestigious humanitarian awards. Her specific topic, “Community-Library Inter-Action (CLIA)” is a mindful practice, co-designed internationally, for libraries to facilitate community dialogue and action of, by, and for the community, that leads to social transformation. Facilitating conversations and Working WITH, not just FOR communities, will be presented, including using literacy to address social equity issues.

FREE EVENT – Register at https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUkde2uqDIpHt1oh_SuKorxcMae74N8TAjM
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Bring Your Own Book Club+
Wednesday, September 23rd at 6pm-7:30pm
Sign up: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1194719520

Have you been reading something you can’t wait to share with the world? Are you looking to get book recommendations from other readers? Look no further than Bring Your Own Book Club+! Hosted by the Residence Hall Libraries and the UGL, come together with others and discuss the books you’ve been reading recently. Not into books? No problem! We want to hear about video games you couldn’t stop playing, TV shows you binge-watched, and movies that stuck with you well after they ended!
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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 18, 2020.

August Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: ILS Coordination Team Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

The ILS Coordination Team wanted to get an email out with an update on the Alma/Primo Library Catalog implementation. We have been live on Alma/Primo for a little over one month. We do think we had a good roll-out of both systems but continue to work on optimizing Alma/Primo now that we are in production mode and working with a live system with daily activity.

Feedback on Alma/Primo: While we have received positive comments about the new Primo Library Catalog as users start to search and use the new catalog, we have also received some complaints and requests to bring back some of the features from the VuFind catalogs, particularly with the My Account options and display of records. We will continue to investigate improvements to the new Primo Catalog; please continue to forward the ILS Team any issues and suggestions you hear from Library users.

Data cleanup work in Alma continues: We are continuing to work on the cleanup projects of the legacy catalog bibliographic, holdings (including library locations), and item-level metadata that we knew would need to be updated to conform to the national standards that Alma/Primo requires now. We are making good progress on those cleanup projects and you should be able to see improvements in these areas daily.

Work Orders and Item Statuses in Alma/Primo: We are still figuring out how to best perform certain tasks in the new systems. Alma/Primo is different from Voyager in many ways and we continue to work through the best setup for certain processes and activities. An area in particular is working through the different Item Statuses that items could be assigned in Voyager including In Process, Withdrawn, At Bindery, Damaged, Being Digitized, etc. Many of these actions/processes are handled using Work Orders in Alma/Primo rather than assigning an item status or associating the item with a processing location. There will be more information coming out in a few weeks about new procedures in working with these previous item statuses and how this will be represented in the Primo Catalog to users. Watch for future emails on documentation on these item processes and tracking of these materials through the various workflow processes.

We appreciate your patience as we work through how best to work with these processes in the new systems.

Future information sessions on Primo Library Catalog: Janelle Sander and I will have several information sessions coming up over the next couple weeks to give updates on working in the new Primo Library Catalog. These Zoom sessions will be:

  • Primo Library Catalog – Searching and navigating in Primo – August 5, 2020, at 10:00am
  • Primo Library Catalog – Requests and the I-Share Automated Fulfillment Network – August 6, 2020, at 10:00am

These sessions will be recorded and links put on the Alma Staff page at https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/alma/.
Watch for a separate email soon for the Zoom login information.

Report issues and questions/comments: If you encounter issues or have questions and comments about the Alma and the Primo Library Catalog, contact us through the ILS Hotline at https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/4430910.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
In a survey conducted in Fall 2018, the library asked 974 undergraduate students to indicate their level of agreement to this statement “When I am in a campus library building, I feel that I belong” using a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). The chart below shows how male, female, and students who did not identify with either gender responded to the question. 

Male students were more likely to support the statement (n=617, median=6) than female students (n=219, median=5). It is unclear how the “Don’t identify with either” subgroup felt about this statement since it had less than 20 participants. However, understanding and acknowledging the differences in perceptions and needs across all student demographic subgroups is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest. Several studies of college student experiences during the pandemic have found that underrepresented or marginalized student groups are dealing with a higher level of stress and financial or social worries. For example, a study conducted by the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS)* found that non-binary and female college students felt more stressed and worried about paying for rent or food than male students. Another study conducted by Ithaka S+R** revealed a similar trend about non-binary and female students. The Ithaka S+R report also showed that students lacked a sense of belonging and felt socially disconnected.

*HEDS COVID-19 Institutional Response Surveys 
**Student Experiences During the Pandemic Pivot
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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Susan Avery, Assoc Prof/UGL Instr Svs Lib – Retired 7/31/2020
  • Karl Germeck, Vst Digtl Preserv Resid Librn – Resigned August 15, 2020
  • Madina Grace, Library Specialist – ACS – Resigning 8/2/2020

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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Megan Pearson – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services as the Visiting Metadata Services Specialist for Illinois Digital Heritage Hub – 7/6/2020

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HR NEWS: Vacancies 

  • Head of the Scholarly Commons – Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor – Closes 8/14/2020
  • Electronic Resources Management LibrarianAssistant Professor – Closes 8/21/2020

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam

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HR NEWS: Updated Onboarding Checklists & Forms
Are you in the process of searching for a new employee? If so, please fill out the Workspace Readiness form to give Library IT & the Office of Library Facilities lead time in case your future employee’s workspace needs repairs or upgrades. This form is available at https://go.library.illinois.edu/workspace_readiness.

And if you recently completed the search process and will have a new Civil Service, Academic Professional or Faculty employee starting soon, please use the updated onboarding checklists to help them have a smooth start in their new role. The checklists are available at https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/training/resources/new_employee/.

Please be sure to fill out the New Employee Starting form (listed as an item on the supervisor’s version of the checklist) to provide Library IT and Facilities with specific information about your new employee for arranging access, equipment, etc. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to any member of the Library HR team!
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HR NEWS: New Ambassador Program
The Ambassador Program matches newcomers to the Library to an existing employee (“Ambassador”) to help them feel welcome, enable them to more quickly build connections to the community and campus, and learn about Library culture. If you are interested in applying to be an Ambassador, please go to the following URL to review the criteria for becoming an Ambassador and submit your application: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/3342896
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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: LibCal Appointments Session
August 4, 1:00pm

Do you use the LibCal Appointments feature to schedule consultations? Join the Reference Management Team for a live demo and troubleshooting session on Tuesday, August 4th from 2 – 3 pm via Zoom. If you are not currently set up for appointments in LibCal and would like to be, please reach out to the Reference Management Team (rmt@library.illinois.edu) before the Zoom session. You need an individual LibCal account to use this feature. 

The Zoom information will be sent via a LibNews Email closer to the time of the event.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: The Residence Hall Libraries Present: The Great At Home Bake Off

Place: Zoom meeting
Cost: None
Time: Monday, August 10, 7:00pm

You’ve been honing your baking skills while staying at home and binge-watching The Great British Baking Show. Now it’s time to put your skills to the test with the all-important technical challenge! One week before the program, you’ll be sent the recipe and the amount of time you have to bake. Bring your baked good to the meeting and we can talk about the baking process, your triumphs, and how to improve your bakes in the future!

So that a wide range of baking levels can participate, there will be multiple recipe options, so you can try something new or maybe try baking for the first time. Paul Hollywood doesn’t need to know!

Register: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/2796400
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Two-Part Webinar: Part One – By Faculty and For Students: Supporting Open Educational Resources

Two-Part Webinar: By Faculty and For Students and Open Access Monographs
August 12, 12:00pm

Open Educational Resources (OER) might seem like a win/win for students and faculty alike, but adoption isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. For example, some texts may not lend themselves to being printed out — the subject matter may dictate an interactive design or one that is heavily image-driven. And, while the creation of low-cost textbooks and curriculum support is recognized as important, how is the information community dealing with the challenges of ensuring currency and quality? How do we ensure equal access for all in a world of differing access to technology?

In the first session of this two-part webinar, a panel of experts will address some of the key challenges, including: How can you successfully drive buy-in by your undergraduates? What design elements are most likely to engage them? What indicators of use should you be measuring, how, and why?  How can you support faculty members who are interested in developing these materials?

To request login information or recordings please contact Zoe Revell.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: GA Orientation
August 17 – 19

The GA Orientation schedule is now complete and published here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2020/07/Graduate-Assistant-Orientation-fall-2020_final.pdf. The Library events calendar has been updated for each session; supervisors of GAs should work with their Fall GAs to sign up for the sessions via the events calendar: https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff

Supervisors can sign their GAs up individually, or ask GAs to sign up themselves for these sessions.  Supervisors should advise GAs which sessions to attend based on what type of work they will be doing so that they take sessions that are relevant to their roles.

 As with prior years, all of these sessions are also open to any Library employee (Faculty, Academic Professional, Civil Service) who would like the opportunity for some fun and friendly professional development.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Two-Part Webinar: Part Two – Open Access Monographs: What You Need To Know

Two-Part Webinar: By Faculty and For Students and Open Access Monographs
August 19, 12:00pm

A 2019 article in The Atlantic observed that the current disruption in scholarly book publishing might result in the Great Sorting, what the author saw as a beneficial “matching of different kinds of scholarly uses with the right media, formats, and locations.”

In that context, the second session of this two-part webinar focuses specifically on OA monographs. Which stakeholders are currently delivering them and using them? Which current business models are most likely to represent sustainability for those stakeholders? And, with a population of interested readers of these works that may be far larger than their actual revenues, what can publishers, librarians, vendors, and others do to help drive discovery and usage of high-value OA monographs?

Our panel of expert speakers representing all these key stakeholder communities will share their experiences and expertise, as well as answering your questions about OA monographs.

To request login information or recordings please contact Zoe Revell.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Virtual (OCT) Programs for the 2020 Sweetcorn Festival
August 22, 10:00am – 9:00pm

Sweet

This year’s 45th Sweetcorn Festival and the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music’s One Community Together (OCT) programming, a late-summer staple of the Urbana-Champaign-University of Illinois community, is canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s virtual programming will take place on Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/urbanasweetcorn) between 10:00am and 9:00pm on August 22. The music segments will be broadcast on the hour throughout the afternoon and the virtual children’s activities will be presented on the half-hour. Our virtual programming will conclude with the Downtown Get Down session and a special retrospective finale showing images of past OCT performances by the Urbana, Central, and Centennial High School Marching Bands that will be accompanied by Carmen Dragon’s and Jay Dawson’s arrangement of America the Beautiful which was performed by the joined ensembles in 2013.
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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 21, 2020.

July Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note 
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: ILS Coordination Team Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

As of June 24, we are live on Alma and the Primo Library Catalog. The implementation of both systems went as expected and we will continue to work over the summer to optimize the setup of Alma and the Primo Catalog to be ready for the beginning of the Fall Semester. The Library’s Home Page is actively pointing to the new Primo Library Catalog. All internal and external work should now occur in the Alma and Primo VE systems. To see the production version of the Primo Library Catalog, navigate to this url to view the production interface: https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01CARLI_UIU:CARLI_UIU&lang=en

We do still have access to static copies of Voyager and VuFind catalogs. From June 24, 2020, until October 30, 2020, CARLI plans to provide a static copy of Voyager for staff clients, MS Access reporting, and Voyager Web Reports. CARLI will also continue to provide read-only versions of the UIUC Library’s local library catalogs and the I-Share union catalog that are derived from Voyager data (including New VuFind, VuFind 0.6, and Classic Voyager (WebVoyage). All three catalogs will be retired on October 30.

Training information for Alma and Primo Library Catalog
The ILS Coordination Team has created a site to centralize our training documentation and recordings of the various training sessions that have occurred over the past several months. Check out the site at https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/alma/ to see full training calendar occurring over in May and June and the informative sources collected for working in Alma and Primo VE.

Also, recordings of the many Alma and Primo training sessions that have occurred in May 2020 (and earlier ones as well) can be discovered at the ILS Coordination Team page at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/discoveryservices/ils-coordination-team/

Questions about Alma or Primo Library Catalog
If you have questions or need to report problems about Alma and/or the Primo Library Catalog, there is a new section on the Alma Staff Training page in the Contact Us section at https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/alma/
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Grants: Welcoming Wendy Balthazor and New PI Handbook
In case you missed the LibNews announcement, we are delighted to announce Wendy Balthazor will be starting remotely on July 13th as the Library’s new Grants and Contracts Coordinator in the Business and Human Resources Service Center. We’re fortunate to have been able to recruit Wendy into the Library, and we look forward to welcoming her as she starts. We will be setting up an open office hour later in July to give you an opportunity to speak with Wendy and discuss any upcoming grant opportunities.

Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) offers a very well-done Principal Investigator (PI) Handbook and they’ve just released a new update.

The PI Handbook is designed to provide all investigators, especially new faculty, with guidance on sponsored project related policies and practices, to serve as a quick reference for general questions, and to identify helpful resources. The PI Handbook covers the entire lifecycle of a sponsored project.

Topics include:

  • Proposal Grant Writing Basics
  • Finding Funding
  • Proposal Development
  • Anticipation Accounts
  • Award negotiation
  • Non-Disclosure & Material Transfer Agreements
  • Research Compliance
  • Subawards
  • Cost Principles
  • Project Expenditures
  • Semi-Annual Confirmations
  • Cost Sharing
  • Cost Transfers
  • Effort and Compensation on Sponsored Projects
  • Administrative Costs
  • Equipment
  • Travel
  • Proposal Income
  • Sponsored Project Closeout

The PI Handbook is available on the SPA website: http://sponsoredprograms.illinois.edu/education-outreach/principal-investigator-handbook.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
Business Information Services (BIS) has been providing the Business 101 Library Workshop to students who enroll in BUS 101 (Professional Responsibility and Business), a 3-credit course and a core requirement for business majors. In Fall 2019, BUS 101 instructors required all their students to complete the Workshop. 704 students (out of 791 who enrolled) completed an evaluation after attending the Workshop. 66% of those students (n=464) ranked the Workshop “Very Good” and identified the elements they liked the most: Instruction, Hands-on Practice, and Availability of Resources. In addition, a comparison of BUS 101 course grades from Fall 2018 (students were not required to complete the Workshop) found that the students from Fall 2019 had higher grades (t test results).


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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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HR NEWS: Departures

    • William Mischo – Retirement – June 30, 2020
    • Faraba Parish – Retired from ACS – June 30, 2020

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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Wendy Balthazor – Grants & Contracts Associate/Coordinator – BHRSC – July 12, 2020
  • Mary Borgo Ton – Digital Publishing Specialist – Scholarly Communications and Publishing – July 1, 2020
  • Victor Riveros – Web Application Developer – Library IT, July 1, 2020
  • Sanga Sung – Visiting Government Information Librarian – Research and Information Services – July 16, 2020
  • Wenjie Weng – GIS Specialist – Scholarly Commons – June 16, 2020

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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: Mindful Movement and Meditation
The Wellness Committee is pleased to announce a multi-part Mindful Meditation course open to Library employees this summer. 

Mindful Movement & Meditation
Mindful movement is intentional stretching, muscle activation, and release to help counter common tensions and improve posture. 15-20 min of movement is then followed by a guided meditation practice such as breath awareness or body scan.

Specific physical focus options: 

  • May 27 – Breath Awareness
  • June 3 – neck/shoulders — relieve common tension area in the upper body, countering slumped shoulders, etc.
  • June 10 – hands/wrists — stretches for the hands/fingers/wrists, carpal tunnel/strain preventative
  • June 17 – low back/core/hips — release strain in low back, tightness in hips, strength core
  • June 24  – face — soften tension in jaw, eye/brow strain, strength breathing and neck muscles the  ‘yogi facelift’
  • July 1 – Loving-Kindness/Metta Meditation

The instructor is Kristina Reese from Hatha Yoga and Fitness. At each session, Kristina will guide participants through gentle meditation techniques. Methods vary across sessions to give participants a taste of different ways of approaching meditation. The program builds gradually over six sessions as participants become more comfortable meditating. The sessions are appropriate for all levels of practice.  Attending all sessions is recommended and helpful for learning and practicing the various tools presented, but not required. 

Place: Zoom meeting
Cost: There is no cost to attend but class size is limited, so please register for each session separately.
Time:  12:00-1:00 pm, Wednesdays 
Register: https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff

What is Mindful Meditation & Why is it Helpful
Whether you’re thinking about family life, work, school, what you’re going to make for dinner, what you said at yesterday’s meeting, or all of the above, it’s easy to get caught in a pattern of swirling thoughts. Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that can be helpful in these situations. It brings you and your thoughts into the present, focusing on emotions, thoughts, and sensations that you’re experiencing “in the now.”  Through this series, you will learn how to cultivate tools for mindfulness including breath awareness, visualization, body scan practices, and focus techniques. Each session includes specific mindfulness meditation tips and techniques, a guided meditation session, and time for reflection. By the end of the series, participants will be equipped to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives and maintain their own meditation practice (again, participation for all sessions recommended, but not required).

Mindfulness can help you:

  • Reduce stress hormones linked to heart disease and immune function
  • Improve emotional steadiness, gain mental clarity and peace of mind
  • Build techniques for managing pain, anxiety and sleeplessness
  • Enhance brain efficiency and improve concentration and focus
  • Increase compassion and improve communication and relationships

This series is sponsored by the Wellness Committee with the generous support of Dean Wilkin. For questions, please email me at revell@illinois.edu.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar Picking and Choosing Titles for Use

NISO Webinar:  No More Big Deal?  Picking and Choosing Titles for Use – July 6, 2020 (recording available upon request)
More than 20 years since it was first introduced, some institutions are moving away from the “Big Deal”, which licenses institutional access to a critical mass of content. There are pros and cons of doing so, and this roundtable discussion will bring together speakers from institutions that have already stepped back from such deals and those for whom taking that step is — for whatever reason—- not yet an option. They will consider questions such as: What do their respective collection budgets permit? Do researcher or departmental needs run the risk of being sidelined or overlooked in either scenario? Is it really possible — or desirable — to go back to selecting content just for your own community’s needs?

This webinar is for everyone who wants to know more about this important topic, whether you work at an institution that is considering making — or has already made — this change, or at a publishing or other organization that is interested in understanding more about the decision-making process.  

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Keith Webster, Dean of University Libraries, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Evviva Weinraub Lajoie, Vice Provost for University Libraries, State University of New York at Buffalo
  • Curtis Brundy, Associate University Librarian, Scholarly Communications and CollectionsIowa State University

Recording available upon request – send email to Zoe Revell (revell@illinois.edu).
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: HR Info Session on Onboarding & Ambassador Program
Tuesday, July 7, 11 AM

Members of the Library HR team will present on updated tools and resources for onboarding employees, as well as the new Ambassador Program, which helps new employees learn about and build connections in the Library and the broader campus community.  

More details and Zoom link will be sent via LibNews.
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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 17, 2020.

June Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: ILS Coordination Team Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

We are 23 days from the Go-Live date of Wednesday, June 24, 2020, for implementing the Alma and Primo VE systems. For this stage of the implementation, we have completed the setup and configuration of both systems. Any additional configuration will occur after June 24th. We have made good progress in optimizing Alma and the Primo Catalog and we will be ready to release the new Primo Library Catalog to our users on June 24th. To see the production version of the Primo Catalog (when we regain access to the online catalog later in June), navigate to this URL to view the updated interface: https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01CARLI_UIU:CARLI_UIU&lang=en

We are currently in the Cut-Over period for the implementation of Alma and Primo VE. The Technical Freeze for acquisitions and cataloging work is ongoing. Within the Voyager Cataloging and Acquisitions systems, we have stopped adding, updating, deleting BIBs, Holdings, and Item records. All acquisitions and serials receipt information is frozen until we Go-Live in Alma on June 24th. And, activation work of electronic resources and databases has been suspended in SFX and will begin again once we are live in Alma.  

Access to the Voyager and VuFind catalogs still remains available and local circulation of the Library’s materials in Voyager can continue through June 19th. Updates to Patron data can also continue through June 19th. All circulation activity and patron user record management occurring in Voyager from May 14th to June 19th will be migrated to Alma/Primo after Go-Live. 

For the period of June 19th to June 23rd, the Library will stop circulation in Voyager and start using Alma offline circulation. More information for this offline circulation work in Alma will be coming in a LIBNEWS email soon.

On June 24th, the Library will Go-Live on Alma for all Acquisitions, Cataloging, Fulfillment, User Management, and Analytics work. The Primo Library Catalog will also become available to our user communities with all links on the Library’s Home Page actively pointing to the new Library Catalog.

Training information for Alma and Primo Catalog
The ILS Coordination Team has created a site to centralize our training documentation and recordings of the various training sessions that have occurred over the past several months. Check out the site to see full training calendar occurring over in May and June and the informative sources collected for working in Alma and Primo: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/alma/

Recordings of the many Alma and Primo training sessions that have occurred in May 2020 (and earlier ones as well) can be discovered at the ILS Coordination Team page at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/discoveryservices/ils-coordination-team/

Reporting Alma and Primo issues and problems
To report problems or have comments or suggestions for improvements with Alma or the Primo Library Catalog, please send to the Feedback queue at: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/4430910

For more detailed information about the Alma/Primo implementation, the most recent report of the ILS Coordination Team is posted at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/discoveryservices/ils-coordination-team/

Message Points
Please see this document in Box with message points about the new Primo Library Catalog.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Transformative Agreements with IEEE and the Microbiology Society
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has established transformative publishing agreements with two organizations. IEEE announced its agreement with the University of Illinois on May 13, 2020. In addition, a new agreement between the university and the Microbiology Society went into effect earlier this year. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: IOPN News
The Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN) now has a news feature on its website. Check out the first post to read a little bit of background on what we are doing and why. You can also follow our Twitter feed @iopn_uiuc!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Special Recognition for ORCID@Illinois
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been named a 2019-2020 ORCID US Community Award Winner for Institutional Achievement for the successful release of the Library’s custom integration ORCID@Illinois and will receive special recognition in the upcoming June issue of ORCID’s US Community Newsletter. The Scholarly Communication & Publishing and Library IT units, in coordination with Technology Services and Public Affairs Web services, were responsible for developing and launching the app.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: June Grant Support Office Hours and Last-Minute Grant Submission Alert
We’re continuing to offer Grant Office Hours (remote!) twice a month to facilitate proposal preparation and submission. Skype details will be sent out the day before. Look for those emails for these dates this month:

  • Thursday, June 11, 9:30 – 10:30 AM
  • Thursday, June 25, 9:30 – 10:30 AM

In general, we’re thankfully very good in the Library about working ahead of grant deadlines. The Library policy to let the AUL for Research and the Business Office know of your planned proposal 10 days prior to the posted deadline. This lets us review materials and get them to SPA “at least four (4) business days prior to the sponsor deadline date.” This leeway allows for mishaps that can happen at the last-minute, such as one that happened in April. The grants.gov system experienced a glitch that nearly prevented last-minute submissions. Most deadlines for grant applications are absolute. If the deadline is missed–for any reason–you have to wait until another opportunity comes up. It’s an unforgiving system!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
After the campus closed and all classes resumed online on March 23rd, the use of the Library’s EZproxy and electronic resources by all user groups, particularly by the students, has increased. More than 36,000 students have accessed the EZproxy server since September 2019. The chart below compares the percentages of students who accessed the EZproxy, using aggregated data from the fall semester (blue bars) and both fall/spring semesters (orange bars). The percentages were increased for all colleges, most notable for Fine + Applied Arts (FAA), Liberal Arts Sciences (LAS) and Vet Med (VMED).

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

You can view the May LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/4630189.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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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: Mindful Movement & Meditation
The Wellness Committee is pleased to announce a multi-part Mindful Meditation course open to Library employees this summer. 

Mindful Movement & Meditation
Mindful movement is intentional stretching, muscle activation, and release to help counter common tensions and improve posture. 15-20 min of movement is then followed by a guided meditation practice such as breath awareness or body scan.

Specific physical focus options:

  • May 27 – Breath Awareness
  • June 3 – neck/shoulders — relieve common tension area in the upper body, countering slumped shoulders, etc.
  • June 10 – hands/wrists — stretches for the hands/fingers/wrists, carpal tunnel/strain preventative
  • June 17 – low back/core/hips — release strain in low back, tightness in hips, strength core
  • June 24  – face — soften tension in jaw, eye/brow strain, strength breathing and neck muscles the  ‘yogi facelift’
  • July 1 – Loving-Kindness/Metta Meditation

The instructor is Kristina Reese from Hatha Yoga and Fitness. At each session, Kristina will guide participants through gentle meditation techniques. Methods vary across sessions to give participants a taste of different ways of approaching meditation. The program builds gradually over six sessions as participants become more comfortable meditating. The sessions are appropriate for all levels of practice.  Attending all sessions is recommended and helpful for learning and practicing the various tools presented, but not required. 

Place: Zoom meeting
Cost: There is no cost to attend but class size is limited, so please register for each session separately.
Time: 12:00-1:00 pm, Wednesdays
Cost: There is no cost to attend but class size is limited, so please register for each session. 

Register: https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff

What is Mindful Meditation & Why is it Helpful
Whether you’re thinking about family life, work, school, what you’re going to make for dinner, what you said at yesterday’s meeting, or all of the above, it’s easy to get caught in a pattern of swirling thoughts. Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that can be helpful in these situations. It brings you and your thoughts into the present, focusing on emotions, thoughts, and sensations that you’re experiencing “in the now.”  Through this series, you will learn how to cultivate tools for mindfulness including breath awareness, visualization, body scan practices, and focus techniques. Each session includes specific mindfulness meditation tips and techniques, a guided meditation session, and time for reflection. By the end of the series, participants will be equipped to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives and maintain their own meditation practice (again, participation for all sessions recommended, but not required).

Mindfulness can help you:

  • Reduce stress hormones linked to heart disease and immune function
  • Improve emotional steadiness, gain mental clarity and peace of mind
  • Build techniques for managing pain, anxiety and sleeplessness
  • Enhance brain efficiency and improve concentration and focus
  • Increase compassion and improve communication and relationships

This series is sponsored by the Wellness Committee with the generous support of Dean Wilkin. For questions, please email me at revell@illinois.edu
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Picking and Choosing Titles for Use

NISO Webinar: No More Big Deal? Picking and Choosing Titles for Use – June 10, 2020 (recording available upon request)
Some institutions are moving away from the “Big Deal”, those licensing arrangements that allow institutional access to a critical mass of content. In that context, library collections may be managed rather than “developed”.  To further complicate taking such a step, the institution must be prepared to rely on resource-sharing, borrowing from other collections. This roundtable discussion will bring together those who have both stepped back from such deals as well as those for whom taking that step is — for whatever reason — not yet an option. What does the collection budget permit? What researcher or departmental needs to run the risk of being sidelined or overlooked? Is it even possible to go back to selecting just that content a particular institution actually needs for their community?

Recording available upon request – send email to Zoe Revell.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: World Refugee Day

Join libraries in celebrating World Refugee Day 2020 – June 20th

World Refugee Day 2020 is June 20th! This international observance honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.

The Mortenson Center for International Library Programs and the American Library Association (ALA) invites libraries to commemorate World Refugee Day 2020 and affirm:

We are the United States*, welcoming people born here or afar.
We are neighbors, diverse cultures, connected in common humanity.
We are libraries**, welcoming all – people, ideas and knowledge.
We strengthen our communities from the most vulnerable to the most affluent.

Note: We invite other organizations to use this statement, replacing the * with their own location, and the ** with their own organization type/name.

To connect safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage virtual activities to support and celebrate refugees. For ideas and resources, go to:

Join us for a Webinar: From Refugee to Librarian: In our own words
Date/Time: June 18th, 12-1 pm CST
Registration: https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GfxBtMCtT-aD7HI1-5f0bA

Abstract:
As librarians, we have worked to create welcoming spaces and services for refugees. We have learned about them in order to support their resettlement and integration. The refugee stories we read about come from the communities we serve. How about the refugee stories that come from our own professional and academic community? In this webinar, we give voice to refugees who have become librarians or library educators. They will share their journey from persecution to resettlement to a professional career, giving the listener a glimpse into their experiences of struggle, resilience, hope, and belonging.

Co-sponsors: Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, ALA Office for Diversity, Literary and Outreach Services, ALA International Relations Office, and ALA Services to Refugees, Immigrants, and Displaced Persons (SRIDP) Sub-Committee

For questions, write to mortenson@illinois.edu and/or diversity@ala.org.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar: Annual Meeting and Standards Update

NISO Webinar: NISO Annual Meeting and Standards Update – Open to the Public – June 26, 2020 (recording available upon request)
Join us for our Annual Meeting to learn about the status of the organization, all the work that took place in 2019 and what’s happening now in 2020. The meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to participate. The NISO Update provides the latest news about NISO’s current efforts, including standards, recommended practices, and community meetings covering many areas of interest to the library community. Working group members will provide updates on projects newly underway or recently completed.

Recording available upon request – send email to Zoe Revell.
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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 19, 2020.

May Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

IT NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
I’ve temporarily suspended my Dean’s note for LON in light of the communications surrounding our response to COVID-19. Please see library.illinois.edu/staff/covid-19/ for the full list of notes that have come out. We will continue to adjust and respond to circumstances as they change, and I will send out notes on changes in the way we deploy our services and budget implications for the University and Library as the implications become clearer. I am ever grateful for the ways that you have all adapted and contributed to our engagement with the campus during the stay-at-home period, and I look forward to our being back in our library buildings with all of you.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sara Benson Appointed Interim Head of the Scholarly Commons
We are pleased to announce that Sara Benson has been appointed Interim Head of the Scholarly Commons starting June 16th. Sara joined the Library in 2016 as the Copyright Librarian, and she has brought boundless energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to the position. Sara has gained tremendous respect on campus for her work in this role. While formally part of the Scholarly Communication and Publishing unit, Sara has worked in the Scholarly Commons throughout her time in the Library by providing instruction, desk coverage, and regularly contributing to Scholarly Commons meetings and planning. We are grateful for Sara’s outstanding contributions and her willingness to step into a leadership position during this critical time.

Sara will continue her copyright role so while you can rest assured she’s still at the ready to be contacted for copyright questions, please feel free to send her congratulations, too!.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: ILS Coordination Team Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

We are 54 days from the Go-Live date of Wednesday, June 24, 2020, for implementing the Alma and Primo VE systems. Many in the Library are working to complete the setup and configuration of both systems. We have made good progress in optimizing Alma and the Primo Catalog and we will be ready to release the new Primo Library Catalog to our user communities on June 24th. To see the production version of the Primo Catalog, navigate to this URL to view the updated Discovery interface:

https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01CARLI_UIU:CARLI_UIU&lang=en.

New Zoom information session on Alma and Primo implementation
On May 9, 2020, the ILS Coordination Team will have a new overarching session on both Alma and the Primo Catalog. Michael Norman, Janelle Sander, Alisha Taylor, and Stephanie Baker will demo each of the individual work sections of Alma including Acquisitions, Cataloging, and Fulfillment/Circulation. Also, we will show the interoperability of the backend functionality with the Primo Catalog and how all this impacts our users. 

An email will be sent to LIBNEWS soon with the login information for this Zoom session.

Training information for Alma and Primo Catalog
The ILS Coordination Team has created a site to centralize our training documentation and recordings of the various training sessions that have occurred over the past several months. Check out the site to see full training calendar occurring over in May and June and the informative sources collected for working in Alma and Primo:  https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/alma/ 

Updated Calendar for May and June 2020 to prepare for Go-Live of Alma/Primo:
We continue to progress on the timeline for the final implementation of Alma and Primo Catalog. The important dates over the next two months for the remaining schedule includes:

  • May 8 – Library stops updates to SFX; no new activations of e-resources will occur after this date and we are active in Alma and Primo
  • May 14 – Voyager Technical Freeze begins; Stop adding, updating, deleting BIBs, Holdings, Item records in Voyager; Stop updating acquisitions and serials data in Voyager
  • May 14 – Voyager and VuFind public catalogs will remain available; local circulation of Library materials would continue through June 19
  • May 14 – Patron updates in Voyager will continue through June 19th
  • June 11 – Universal Borrowing (UB) of I-Share resources in Voyager and VuFind catalogs has been suspended currently;  if I-Share borrowing is re-instituted, this date would be the last day for placing Universal Borrowing (UB) requests in Voyager and VuFind catalogs and would not resume until after June 24th 
  • June 11 to June 18 – Continue Local UIUC Library Circulation in Voyager
  • June 19 – Stop Circulation in Voyager; Start to use Alma offline circulation (more information to come from CARLI regarding using Alma offline circulation)
  • June 24 – Go-Live on Alma and Primo Library Catalog for all use

For more detailed information about the Alma/Primo implementation, the most recent report of the ILS Coordination Team is posted at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/discoveryservices/ils-coordination-team/
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: May Grant Support Office Hours, OVCRI Grant Announcement List Reminder, and SPA COVID Info
Our first month of Grants Office hours went pretty well, with multiple people attending the April 2 and 16, but none on the 29th. We’ll continue to monitor need and timing to adjust. To facilitate proposal preparation and submission, we’ll be holding Grant Office Hours (remote!) twice a month. Skype details will be sent out the day before. Look for those emails for these dates in May:

  • Thursday, May 14, 9:30 – 10:30 AM
  • Thursday, May 28, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Our thanks to SPA, and Kathie especially, for working out this arrangement with us.

If you’re interested in a digest of open grant opportunities across disciplines, the OVCRI’s list is still going strong and you can subscribe at https://groups.webservices.illinois.edu/subscribe/19149. There is also an “archive” of past announcements if you’d like to peruse content before signing up: https://research.illinois.edu/resources-research/archive-email-annoucements-and-opportunities-research-funding

Finally, Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), our campus’ office for managing proposal submissions and resulting awards for all externally sponsored projects, has assembled a page on the impact of COVID-19, including guidance from specific agencies such as IMLS, etc. https://sponsoredprograms.illinois.edu/covid19-sponsoredprojectFAQs
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
While all University Library locations are closed to the public in accordance with the “stay-at-home” order, the Ask a Librarian virtual reference service continues to support students, faculty, and the broader user community. Data show that the Ask a Librarian service answered 201 chats during spring break 2020 (March 14-22) – a 100% increase compared to spring break 2019. During the first week after classes resumed online (March 23), the Ask a Librarian service answered 252 chats, which marks the busiest week since October 2019.

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

You can view the April LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/3486513.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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IT NEWS: WordPress Training
Looking to further your skills in WordPress?

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

WordPress Essentials Training will be held on Zoom.

  • Wednesday, May 20th 10:00 – 11:00 AM, Zoom link will be e-mailed (fully booked)
  • Wednesday, May 27th 10:00 – 11:00 AM, Zoom link will be e-mailed

Space is limited, so please be sure to register beforehand.

*Note: If you want to log in to our practice site please download the University VPN software PRIOR to the training session.

If you have any questions about training opportunities or need to request training at a different time, please contact John Rutherford at johnrr3@illinois.edu.
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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Retirement – Lynne Rudasill, Global Studies – April 30, 2020
  • Retirement – Diane Pye – Library Specialist,  MPAL – May 31, 2020
  • Resignation – Courtney Horry – Office Support Specialist, Mortenson – May 1, 2020

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HR NEWS: Searches in Process (Approved and Posted)

  • Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Librarian – closing date extended to May 15, 2020
  • Head, Scholarly Commons – position description reviewed by EC, more information coming soon
  • Assistant Dean of Business and Human Resources – Currently – Kick-off meeting scheduled for May 19, 2020
  • Software Developer, SCaRS/Assoc Software Developer – With IHR
  • Web Application Developer – Interviews being scheduled
  • Grants and Contracts – With IHR
  • ACS Cataloguing, faculty position – Search committee TBD
  • ACS Electronic Resources, faculty position – Search committee TBD

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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: Becoming a Trans Inclusive Library: “Pronouns in Practice”

Please join us for the second Becoming a Trans Inclusive Library brownbag workshop, “Pronouns in Practice,” Friday, May 1, 2020, Noon-1:30. We’ll conduct the workshop via Zoom, so grab your lunch and get ready to learn together!

In this workshop you will:

  • Learn about the work pronouns do for us.
  • Learn about why personal pronouns are important.
  • Learn how to manage and correct common pronoun mistakes.
  • Learn about microaggressions and what to do when you encounter them.
  • Learn practical applications for this information in a library setting.

To register for the workshop, please complete this webform. Registration is limited to 30 participants and will close at 5 p.m. on  April 29. Registrants will receive an Outlook calendar invitation with the Zoom information after registration closes.

This workshop is facilitated by Spencer Keralis and Karl Germeck. The workshop is supported by a Strategic Programs Initiative Fund award from the Library Executive Committee, and is offered in conjunction with the Diversity Committees of the Library and the School.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Financial Wellness in Uncertain Times Webinars
Many employees are concerned about the implications of COVID-19 for their personal finances. These unprecedented times are fueling a heightened level of concern and anxiety for some.

Our financial wellness provider has crafted some new sessions to help people deal with their financial wellbeing during times of crisis. We will be offering these as live virtual seminars on Wednesdays through May 6. All sessions run from 12-noon to 1 p.m. The remaining session is:

  • Wednesday, May 6: Budgeting and Debt Management (how to prioritize bills, tips for saving and investing)

All sessions are free and can be accessed from a computer or phone. To register, visit this page
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Campus Wellbeing Webinar – Stress Management
Campus Wellbeing is hosting its May webinar featuring tips on how to manage stress. To register visit the registration page.

Managing stress takes thought and practice but is something that everyone can do. This program highlights the most important things you need to know to get a handle on your stress. Participants will learn valuable tips. This program is also a good foundation for our more in-depth stress management series:

  • Understand why the same stressor can affect two people differently (and what to do about it)
  • Build awareness of what creates stress in your life
  • Understand why you need several stress management tools
  • Discover the primary stress management categories: Physical, behavioral, perception, social, self-nurture and relaxation
  • Comprehend the role of control (or lack of it) in choosing a stress management strategy

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EVENTS AND TRAINING: NISO Webinar
NISOWebinar:  May 20, 2020 (recording available upon request)

NFAIS Forethought: Artificial Intelligence #2 – Processes for Media Analysis and Extraction

  • In order to implement artificial intelligence in a meaningful way, those holding large collections of material seek support for processing, analysis, and extraction of meaningful data. What should such providers know before engaging services from technology providers? This event will allow attendees to learn from the experience of others. Speakers will address the practical needs, barriers and benefits of embarking upon this process.

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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 22, 2020.

April Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

IT NEWS

FACILITIES NEWS

HR NEWS

EVENTS AND TRAINING



ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
It seems a bit odd to be sending out a note on something as mundane as the FY21 budget meeting in the midst of COVID-19 preparations, but life goes on! The budget meeting on March 6, 2020, was exceptionally good. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update – 4/1/2020
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Overall

With the final submission of the conceptual design drawings, the University Library completed the Conceptual Design phase of the planning process. The next step associated with the building process for the Library and campus partners involves developing a program statement. This program statement will draw heavily upon the conceptual plans, input received from the Library Consultation Working Group, and other individuals on campus. This process is anticipated to take between 6 – 8 months. After that point, the University Library will enter a phase of Schematic Design.

In order to enter that phase, the University Library continues tackling various administrative aspects of the project. This includes preparing materials for the Campus Capital Review Committee’s April meeting, finalizing aspects of a capital funding request, and, eventually, developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional services that will be used to secure an architect for the design phase.

In the meantime, other work continues within the Library. Prior to the COVID-19 pivot, efforts began to solicit more direct input from student constituents. Conceptual design documents were posted in the Undergraduate Library in mid-February, the Library held its second Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) associated with the building project, and a small assessment team consisting of John Laskowski, Tom Teper, David Ward, and Jen Yu have begun outlining several options for gathering further input in the spring semester. Those efforts, however, will need to be rethought or put on hold until circumstances permit better solicitation of undergraduate feedback.

Internally, other operational discussions continue. Heads of departmental libraries involved in the Main Library aspect of this project met with Tom Teper and others from the Library’s Collection Management Working Group on March 31, 2020, to discuss mapping out collection space needs.

In the realm of communications, John Laskowski, Heather Murphy, and Tom Teper met to discuss updating the Library Building Project’s website; Tom Teper is reviewing updates to the FAQ page; and Advancement is developing new materials to help the fundraising process.

Committees and Working Groups – Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)

The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) Working Group continues to meet. Recently, the working group focused on discussing steps that might be taken among the units anticipated to move into the facility to address topics such as (a) preparing collections to be moved, (b) discussing high-level security protocols for the facility, and (c) continuing to develop a better cross-unit understanding of operations.

The framework under which these and other working groups directly associated with this project will work is posted here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/the-library-as-catalyst-project-a-framework-for-working-groups-and-input-solicitation/.

Committees and Working Groups – Library Consultation Working Group (Campus Level Cmte)

The LCWG submitted its final report to the Provost shortly before the end of February 2020. With that submission, the working group’s official charge comes to an end. There may be subsequent meetings involving members of the working group and others in the campus administration; however, the LCWG is largely sunsetting its operations.

Communications

Outreach and Engagement

Tom Teper’s scheduled meeting with the Library Student Ambassadors on March 27, 2020, was canceled.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: ILS Coordination Team Report
Michael Norman, Discovery Services Librarian and ILS Coordinator

The ILS Coordination Team wants to get you an important update about where we are at with the Alma/Primo VE implementation. We are 95 days from the Go-Live date of June 24, 2020, for implementing the Alma and Primo VE systems. We are continuing to configure Alma and the Primo Library Catalog to the optimum settings for the Library. We are close to finalizing these setups and ready to go into production. Many individuals in the Library and at the CARLI Office are currently helping test these settings for Acquisitions, Cataloging, Fulfillment, Resource Sharing, and Discovery functionality. The ILS Team wants to say thank you to all in the Library and the CARLI Office for the extraordinary work that is going on with transition to and test the Alma and Primo systems.

The implementation and Go-Live date for transitioning to the Alma and Primo system still remain in effect. We are continuing to plan for the Go-Live for all use in both Alma/primo systems on June 24th, 2020. We will also use the remaining 3 months to get everyone familiar with daily work functions in Alma. Many of these activities are different than what we are used to in Voyager and will take a little time for us to adjust to the changes. But we do have many capabilities for online training online and we will be offering lots of opportunities to learn and explore both Alma and Primo.  For more detailed information about the Alma/Primo implementation, the most recent report of the ILS Coordination Team is posted at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/discoveryservices/ils-coordination-team/

Updated Calendar for April, May, and June to prepare for Go-Live of Alma/Primo:
We have received updates from the CARLI Office and Ex Libris Implementation Project Team regarding the schedule for the months of April to June 2020 leading up to Go-Live for Alma and the Primo Library Catalog. These important dates are:

  • April 25 – Bulk loads of BIB records into Voyager stop
  • April 25 – Library stops adding e-resource BIBs to Voyager
  • May 8 – Library stops updates to SFX
  • May 14 – Voyager Technical Freeze begins; Stop adding, updating, deleting BIBs, Holdings, Item records in Voyager; Stop updating acquisitions and serials data in Voyager
  • May 14 — Voyager and VuFind public catalogs will remain available; circulation of local materials has been suspended currently but, if re-established, local circulation of Library materials would continue through June 19
  • May 14 — Patron updates in Voyager will continue through June 19th
  • June 11 – Universal Borrowing (UB) in Voyager and VuFind catalogs has been suspended currently and may not be re-instituted for this period from late April to June 11th;  if re-instituted this date would be the last one for placing Universal Borrowing (UB) requests in Voyager and VuFind catalogs
  • June 11 to June 18 – Continue Local UIUC Library Circulation in Voyager
  • June 19 – Stop Circulation in Voyager; Start to use Alma offline circulation (more information to come from CARLI regarding using Alma offline circulation)
  • June 24 – Live on Alma and Primo Library Catalog for all use

Future online information sessions on Alma/Primo
There will be two additional overview information sessions occurring within the next six weeks. These Zoom online sessions will give updates of where we are at with the Alma/Primo implementation, go over the remaining timelines and deadlines leading up to June 24th, give live demos of both systems, and highlight the advanced Alma training sessions occurring in April and May 2020. These two overview sessions will occur on:

  • Tuesday, March 31st Zoom online session from 10 to 11:30 am
  • Wednesday, April 29th Zoom online video session from 10 to 11:30 am

Both of these sessions will be recorded and posted to the ILS Coordination Team page.

New weekly Zoom training sessions on Primo Catalog and Alma systems
And, a new weekly schedule for the Zoom interactive information sessions on the new Primo Library Catalog. These occur every week on Tuesday at 2 pm. The login link is below. In the coming weeks, we also will be talking about the integration of Primo catalog results into Easy Search Bento too. 

The ILS Team also will be starting new weekly Zoom online sessions for the Alma backend system as well. We will have an email announcement about the scheduled days and times soon for these Alma sessions soon.

As with all the previous Zoom webinars, these sessions will be recorded and posted to the ILS Coordination Team page at: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/discoveryservices/ils-coordination-team/
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Update on Grant Support (with Kathie!) and Policy Reminder
While we continue our search for a new Grants and Contracts person, we’ve been able to make an arrangement with SPA for Kathie Veach to continue working with us on proposals, and on post-award activities in a more limited capacity, as well. To facilitate proposal preparation and submission, we’ll be holding Grant Office Hours (remote!) twice a month on Thursdays. Skype details will be sent out the day before. Look for those emails for these two dates in April:

  • Thursday, April 2, 2-3 PM
  • Thursday, April 16, 1:15-2 PM

Our thanks to SPA, and Kathie especially, for working out this arrangement with us.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get time to update a few erroneous links in time for LON, but the principles of the Library’s Policy on Library Grants, Contracts, and Agreements for Sponsored Research, Instruction and Other Activities remain the same: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/policies/policy_grants_contracts_agreements_sponsored_research/

Please review this policy and note that proposals, contracts, or agreements must be shared with the business office and the AUL for Research prior to being submitted. We’ll be sure to share again with when the links to additional resources have been corrected. In the meantime, please let me (Heidi Imker – imker@illinois.edu) know if you have any questions.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
Usage of library electronic resources has increased after the university began alternative online course delivery. Based on the year-to-date data, the highest daily transactions by faculty/staff and students were both recorded on Monday, March 30th. There were 2,989 EZproxy transactions initiated by Illinois students and 2,419 transactions initiated by Illinois faculty and staff.

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

You can view the March LTOTM at https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/263828.html.

If you have ideas for future emails, please feel free to share them with Heather Murphy.
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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 meetings 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 forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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IT NEWS: Library IT Help Desk Service Update
Tracy Tolliver, Director of Library IT

The Library IT Help Desk onsite location is closed along with the rest of the Library, and services are available virtually only. We have the same support hours, 8:30 – 5:00 Monday – Friday, and will continue to be available by OTRS, phone (217-244-4688), and email (help@library.illinois.edu).
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IT NEWS: Security Awareness during COVID-19
Tracy Tolliver, Director of Library IT

Please be particularly vigilant during this time.  Bad actors often take advantage of situations such as this to propagate phishing attempts and other attacks.  With many staff working from home, possibly with unfamiliar desktop environments or software, it is an ideal time for these attacks. To learn more about how to protect yourself from Phishing read this page.
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FACILITIES NEWS: Update
Timothy Newman, Assistant Dean for Facilities

With the COVID-19 pandemic and per University and State of Illinois measures, all Library facilities are closed until further notice. The Facilities team is making daily building welfare checks at Main Library, UGL, ACES, and Grainger Engineering Library, along with checking doors remain locked at the Archives Research Center (Horticultural Field Lab).  If you discover any facility emergencies, please notify us immediately, as we are standing by to react to any emergency.  We continue to check and respond to OTRS tickets, as necessary.

Lastly, all building projects are currently on-hold; however, some projects (ie. Room 200 flooring) may be authorized to continue barring acceptance of a contractor health and safety plan submitted by the contractor and approved by F&S.  If any project is approved to continue, impacted occupants/libraries will be notified and further coordination amongst other library departments will be conducted.

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: Departures

  • Tammra Keaton – Senior Library Specialist – SSHEL

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HR NEWS: Filled Positions

  • Hanna Lafond-Hyman – Office Support Associate – BHRSC 127 Library – March 9, 2020
  • Bruce Yao-Ming – Library Specialist with Asian language specialty – ACS – March 9, 2020
  • Arianna Adkins – Library Specialist with Spanish specialty – ACS – March 23, 2020
  • Katie Ebeling – Office Support Specialist – Mortenson Center – March 30, 2020
  • Mary Borgo Ton – Digital Publishing Specialist – Scholarly Communications and Publishing – July 1, 2020
  • Sanga Sung – Visiting Government Information Librarian – Research and Information Services – July 16, 2020

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Web Application Developer – Library IT – posted with closing date of April 6, 2020
  • Grants & Contracts Specialist/Coordinator – BHRSC – posted with closing date of April 30, 2020

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam

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HR NEWS: Searches Completed

  • Collections Care Coordinator – Antonio Sotomayor, Chair
    Kick-off meeting May 21, 2019.  Job description sent to IHR for approval.  Posted with close date of August 2, 2019. Extended to August 30, 2019. Phone screenings held 10/4, 10/7 & 10/8. Interviews to be scheduled 11/8 & 11/12. Offer extended to Shelby Strommer.  Start date February 16, 2020.
  • Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Agriculture Librarian – Erin Kerby, Chair
    Kick-off meeting July 15. Job live on job board. Close Date August 30, 2019.   –  Job Extended – Phone screenings held 11/4, 11/8 & 11/11. Onsite interviews scheduled Jan 8, Jan 9 & Jan 13. Offer extended to Michael Dickinson.  Start date May 16, 2020.
  • GIS Specialist – Scholarly Commons – Jenny Johnson, Chair
    Job live on job board with closing date of October 28, 2019. Phone Screening completed. Onsite interviews scheduled Dec 16, 2019, Jan 6, Jan 7, & Jan 16, 2020.  Offer extended to Wenjie Weng. Start date pending OPT approval June 16, 2020.
  • Digital Publishing Specialist – Scholarly Communications and Publishing – Merinda Hensley, Chair
    Sent to EC for approval.  EC has approved.  Job pending IHR classification approval.   Job posted.  Closing date 3/25/19.  Phone screenings held April 15 & 18.  Interviews complete.  Close without hire.  Pending reopening. Job live on job board- closing November 15, 2019. Interviews completed. Onsite interview scheduled for Feb 5, 10 &11. Offer extended to Mary Borgo Ton. Start date July 1, 2020.
  • Visiting Government Information Librarian– Research and Information Services – Carissa Phillips, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for October 24, 2019.  EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of 12/6/2019. Phone screenings completed. Onsite interview scheduled Jan. 29, Feb 5 & 6. Onsite interviews COMPLETED. Offer extended to Sanga Sung. Start date July 16, 2020.

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HR NEWS: Searches in Process (Approved and Posted)

  • Media Instructional Specialist – Lisa Romero, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for October 21, 2019.  EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of 12/6/2019.  Phone screenings completed. Onsite interview scheduled Jan 21. Pending Committee Review.
  • Student Success Librarian– Undergraduate Library – Mara Thacker, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 19, 2020.  EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of March 27, 2020.
  • Emerging Technologies and Immersive Learning Librarian– Grainger Engineering Library – Carissa Phillips, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 17, 2020.  EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of April 3, 2020.
  • Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Library– Undergraduate Library – Sara Holder, Chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for February 25, 2020.  EC approved position. Live on job board with closing date of April 10, 2020.
  • Assoc. Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility – Business and Human Resources Services – Cindy Ingold, chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for March 5, 2020.  Position description pending approval.
  • Head, Scholarly Commons – Scholarly Commons – Kyle Rimkus, chair
    Kick-off meeting scheduled for March 24, 2020.

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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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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 24, 2020.