Agenda:
- Moodle and Course Hub Review (Shel)
- Liaison program (Brenda &/or Shel or Carrie?)
- Help Desk Assessment (Shel)
- information literacy survey (Brenda)
- library collection development issues (Brenda)
- anything faculty want to raise

Purpose of meeting:  Get feedback from faculty about what needs are being met, and where we need to improve our services.  Also to get word out about what we’re working on.

Moodle and Course Hub Review (Shel)
Question about course hub:  How does link to e-res get added to course hub?  Reserves adds it.

Course Hub (http://go.middlebury.edu/hub):

Overview:  Even if you do nothing, description and time shows up.  E-res link is added if you have e-res.  Can add additional resources.  Hub was created for the students, based on feedback.  Course sites can be on many different platforms.  Hub can bring them together for the student.

How broadly is this being used by faculty?  In fall 2011 (keep in mind, there was insufficient time for faculty to make transition from Segue to new platforms), there were 599 sites:  112 had e-res, 135 used moodle, 29 used wordpress, 129 uploaded syllabus.

Discussion:
·     All 3 faculty in attendance are using the hub.
·     Useful?  No students have asked for syllabus!
·    One hangup:  Wanted to upload a document to supplement the syllabus (eg, a writing prompt), but course hub does not allow this.  Reason:  We wanted to avoid creating another Segue.
·     Another issue:  Wanted to upload PowerPoints.  Alternative:  classes folder (eg, handouts folder or public_html folder), Moodle, e-res.  Just have to get used to the idea that the course hub just directs students to material in other places; it doesn’t house all materials.
·     One faculty member is tweeting, would like to stream tweets to hub, but can’t set hub to display anRSS feed; hub will only link to Twitter page.  Can’t seem to display RSS feed in moodle either.  WordPress will allow though.
·     Suggestion:  Could create a Facebook group.  But do students think this is a good idea?  In some cases, students have created the group for a class.

Liaison Program
Going well.  It’s so easy to get information; seamless; we wouldn’t know how much work you’re doing to keep us connected til you’re out.  Kudos to Kellam, she’s great.

Communication via email good, sending smaller targeted messages rather than one large update is preferred.

Comment:  Need to find a better way to deal with assignment submission.  Right now, using email.

Suggestion:  Could use the classes folder on middfiles.  Or could use Moodle, which allows you to respond.

Question:  When to do Moodle workshop?  Right after classes end (Senior Week), with lunch.  Late August?  Perhaps not, many faculty not back on campus yet.

Comment:  Faculty miss having students do screenings.  Some faculty don’t live near campus.  Question:  What service would faculty be more willing to give up?  Can’t think of anything.  Faculty understand that cutbacks hit LIS hard and feel like this is the “lifeblood” of the campus and shouldn’t have been cut.

Helpdesk Discussion:
·     Most would say they’ve received excellent help.  There are great people working in the helpdesk.
·     Feeling that helpdesk is understaffed, people are stretched thin.
·     Walk-in is closed at the middle of the day (lunch).
·     One recent issue:  Library printer was printing jobs that weren’t released from print release station.
·     Just get the sense that we’re overworked, spread thin, since the budget cuts.  Numbers went from (~100) to (~80).
·     Loaner laptops don’t have printer drivers installed on them.  (Matters because when faculty laptop fails, they use a loaner.)
·     When a person experiences a failure, they avoid the service in the future.  For example, one prof had a laptop failure and it took a long time to get it, so he bought his own.
·     Network in this building seems “wacky.”  Recent?  Yes.  One potential reason is that Sophos roll-out has created some issues.  Another potential reason is firewall, our attempts at protection.
·     Some have reported missing email messages—sometimes message isn’t received here, sometimes message isn’t sent out.  Email will go to gmail but not Midd email. Not in junk mail folder.  Can add a person to a “Safe sender” list (in Outlook 2007:  Actions>Junk email>Add to safe senders list…).
·     Question:  What is the upgrade schedule?  Every 4 years. People will be contacted.  Can check status by filling out form at http://go.middlebury.edu/upgrade.

 Information Literacy Survey
We performed a baseline assessment of research and technology skills of first-year students this fall.  Brenda shared the summary report.  Later, we’ll be able to compare our students with students at other schools.  If you read nothing else, read the last page.

Some of the findings:  Students don’t know when to cite.  Students don’t know what “scholarly” means.  Students don’t know where to go for help; they’re used to going to their teachers but don’t know they can get help from a librarian (they more often go to friends and parents).  We’ll share with all faculty.

Library collection development
Rebekah Irwin, Head of Collections and Digital Initiatives introduced herself.

go/requests:  Easy way to make purchase requests.

News:  If you want a new journal subscription, you may request through the go/requests form.  The one-for-one policy no longer applies; we no longer need to drop a subscription to add a subscription.  We’re more cautious in making decisions about journal subscriptions since they are an ongoing expense, but we now can consider them throughout the year and we can add a title even if we don’t cancel a title.  Please do request journal subscriptions if you see a need.

Planning to do a journal subscription review for each department in the next 1-2 years.

Discussion:  Can we revisit decisions about purchases?  For example, our China Data Online subscription doesn’t include data from the local level (it’s expensive).

1. Impact of the current financial crisis and budget cuts on LIS services and resources. (Carol Peddie)

2. Updates and announcements:  LIS and the CTLR are looking for examples of innovative uses of technology to feature in our new Teaching with Technology Blog and to participate in the Pedagogy and Technology Fair next spring. (Shel)

3. Status of new College web site and departmental support.

4. Old items:
a. Final Cut Pro
b. Video storage solution

5. New business

An issue of scheduling concerns the use of Axxinn 105. It is a scheduled lab, non-proprietary digital video editing facility that is controlled by the scheduling office. It is also configured for seminars and sminars that don’t need the video equipment are sometimes scheduled there, precluding use of the video equipment.   It was agreed that it makes sense to give video use top priority in this space.

Item for Consideration: this issue has arisen in different locations on campus, not necessarily for access to video per se, but for computer labs that are scheduled for non-computer purposes. It is a tricky issue but LIS should discuss internally and consult with the Scheduling Office. It would be advantageous to all if Axxin 105 was used as a video space instead of the Wilson Media Lab which is more heavily utilized.

Software needs for the Arts include:  In Design, Photoshop (for graphic design), Final Cut Pro (currently in need of an update), Vectorworks, DVDStudioPro, Lightwright.

There is a great need for a video storage solution. Jennifer Ponder noted that there are students using external hard drives (2 terabytes on Jennifer’s two machines) without backup. An archival system is needed.  This is an issue that it is campus-wide when it comes to video storage for projects in process.

Item for Consideration: LIS should evaluate potential solutions to the needs for video storage while projects are under construction.

The issue of video storage also arose in terms of the accumulated videotapes, DVD’s in Wright Theather that was transferred to Andy Wentink in Special Colections. It was agreed that we need a plan for archiving projects and should consider making them available on line.

Jason Mittell would like a system in whch a student does a video project and it would then be his/her responsibility is to upload it to whatever system is currently in place and decide who has access.  Andy noted that there is a form and process in use for the senior theses  which might appropriate for this situation.   Further, he noted that ContentDM might be a solution since it supports metadata for organizing the content. And in terms of dealing with volume, we may need to investigate some type of system where we weed a digital collection and make only the most recent and highly demanded items available for instantaneous access. The rest would have to be requested.

FMMC:
Jason thinks things have been tumultuous but going well. It was noted that the response rate of Media Services in dealing with classroom issue in Axxinn has been slow. Interestingly,Jennifer reported the opposite.  Looking further into this issue, there have been bad amplifiers in Axxinn that have taken months to get fixed and remain an issue. A further issue is that there are within the building both spaces dedicated to FMMC and maintained and managed by Ethan; and, spaces that are the purview of Media Services and LIS. For the latter, the timeliness of response is not always satisfactory – the example cited was programming the touchpad to change the volume controls in one of the Axxinn classrooms.

Theater:
It was noted that one of the issues for the Theater Dept. is how best to use the music library. The Theater Dept. needs to be aware of and more famliar with the resources that are currently available so that, for example, plays that need to be read for auditions can be made available on reserve.

Currently theatre designers don’t use technology (don’t teach Vector Works), they teach hand drafting. Apparently, the designers rationale is pedagogical and they clearly think that this is the best way to teach.  Alex related that a friend of his in the industry when asked to hire Midd students as interns named Vector Works as one program that students would need to be very familiar with in order to be useful during the internship.

Theater has a reading list of what graduating seniors should read before graduation. It seems that some of the plays are missing.

Item for consideration: Find someone in the library to work with the Theater Dept. to determine what we actually have and what we are missing.

It was also noted that there are features in MiddCat that have not been enabled and are not until requested. How to create lists was one topic in this area.

Some requests for DVD’s have had no response and there seems to be some ambiguity as to how reqests for DVD’s should be make and to whom. Andy noted that these requests should come to him.

Item for consideration: Figure out how best to inform the various departments as to the preferred process for requesting DVD’s.  There was a question as to how new faculty learn about these process – for example, there is a web-based form. Jennifer raised the role of the music library – the dance visual collections are there, theater has plays, etc there – - SHOULD the name of the music library be changed to the performing arts library and should there be a group workshpace there in which theater dande and music students could collaborate on

The division of space in the Center for the Arts is divided up very much by department and there is a lack of common space in which collaborations might be possible. Alex noted that when students were working on a play with live musicians, there was no place in the building that is not so tethered to a specific department that it made this type of collaboration difficult.

Music Library:
Apparently, it is freezing in there – an HVAC problem – heat and air conditioning are often on at the same time. Facilties is aware of the problem but it remains unremedied.
Meeting participants agreed that  it would be worth having discussing what materials should be in the space constrained music library so that the most relevant stuff is located there and not at the Main library.

Jason suggested that it would interesting to do a report on what is being requested to be picked up  in the music library from the main library and vice versa. Can students at the main library request material be delivered from the music library? Judy doubts that this is the case.

The ability to check out hardware: protable LCD’s, hard drives, cameras, iPods, etc. is much appreciated but not everyone is familiar with this service.

Item for consideration: How can LIS better inform different departments as to what services and equipment are available? Theater, for example, did not seemto know that they could borrow equipment from the Circ Desk.

The  question was raised about how the DVD collection is used and maintained in the library by students, faculty and staff needs:

For the Dance department, it was noted that the Dance faculty do not typically come to the main library to look for materials. They try to keep material in the music library so that it is proximal to the department.  The Dance archives in Jennifer’s office include ‘unofficial’ versions, while DVD’s purchases by the College are in the music library.

In Theater, Alex notes that the DVD’s used by his department are primarily in the main library.

Once the collection moved to the new library from Sunderland, the policies that were then in place led to a lot of issues e.g. thousands of DVD’s that are sitting there unwatched. While they can be watched in the library most students and staff would like to be able to borrow from this collection. Question arose as to portential damage to valuable editions.
Item for consideration: Should we make backup copies of DVD’s that are hard to replace

It was suggested that the next meeting  should take place  at the beginning of the semester and demo the new Monterrey web site which will be live. However, it turns out that the next meeting will take place sooner because the web makeover and decommissioning Segue issues are sufficiently urgent to discuss, as are the orientations for First Year Seminars and what topics they should cover.

It was suggested that the next meeting  should take place  at the beginning of the fall semester and demo the new Monterrey web site which will be live. However, it turns out that the next meeting will take place sooner because the web makeover and decommissioning Segue issues are sufficiently urgent to discuss, as are the orientations for First Year Seminars and what topics they should cover.