Area 51 notes, Dec. 5, 2012

Present: Carol, Mike, Terry, Chris
Guests: Dan, Richard, Barbara, Matt (web team); Joseph (space team)

1) We met with the Web Team to thank them for their work before disbanding the team, and to discuss how we can best use the LIS Content Managers program to maintain the LIS web site.

  • One person (tentatively Dan Frostman) will be designated to be responsible for report to Communications on a quarterly basis as that group takes more responsibility for oversight of the College’s web presence;
  • We will have regular LIS content managers meetings or communications to remind staff of their responsibilities in this area, and to help them with training and/or tools.

2) We met with Joseph Watson from the Space Team to review their recommendations for repurposing the space now occupied by the information desk.

  • remove current desk;
  • spread current practical functions (e.g. outgoing mail, staplers, etc.) to periphery;
  • install some sort of electronic information kiosk;
  • put something aesthetically pleasing (e.g. tree, fountain, reproduction of Michelangelo’s David – just kidding about that last bit) where the desk is now;
  • involve a designer in the redesign process, who in turn will involve stakeholders (e.g. students);
  • goal is for work to take place between summer school and fall term of 2014 (10th year anniversary of building);
  • design/selection of centerpiece might involve Committee on Art in Public Spaces;
  • could conceivably separate design of the functional areas from the design of the more decorative portions.

Agenda for Dec. 12

  • Security Team Visit (10:00)
  • Review calendar
  • LIS holiday party
  • Policy summit next steps
  • LIS website next steps
  • The Williams:Wesleyan:Wellesley:Brandeis:Amherst:Middlebury (henceforth W3BAM) group is meeting at Williams on February 25th.  Who should attend? We want to have three groups:
    1. sys admins/network admins (from the last meeting)
    2. digital humanities types
    3. CIOs

Thanks for reading

Terry

 

3 thoughts on “Area 51 notes, Dec. 5, 2012

  1. Brenda

    It would be nice if we went ahead and removed the chair from the info desk. It gives it the negative look of an unstaffed service area. I still think we should consider (as one of the options) modifying the current desk to have an electronic kiosk in front. I hope we or the designer gets student input before removing the desk (say a bulletin board with post-its or an easel with paper to write ideas on with the topic “we are thinking of removing this desk, what do you want to see here?” or similar)?

    Reply
    1. Brenda Ellis

      Wow, how do they mow it? Do they allow dogs? I guess part of my hesitancy is where the useful stuff now on the desk would go. I don’t want to have the ref desk inherit all that stuff. Perhaps the middle section of the desk could be removed and the side sections be retained somewhere. It looks like it was designed as 3 pieces.

      Reply

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