VCU Libraries Advisory Committee
Friday, January 18, 2008 3:30-5:00 pm
Main Conference Room, Tompkins-McCaw Library
Minutes
Attendance
Present: Sharon Lanning, Worth Longest, Jackie McGrath, Wes Poynor (chair), Gabriel Reich, Brenda Seago
Staff: Pat Flanagan, Jean Shipman, John Ulmschneider, Sarah Amick (recording secretary)
Guests: Lynne Turman (Head, TML Collections), Kristine Hughes (Education Services Librarian)
Business
The meeting was convened at 3:37 pm by chair Wes Poynor.
Review and approval of agenda
The agenda was approved as presented.
Review and approval of minutes from November 2007
The minutes from November 2007 were not available. The review and approval of those minutes will be taken care of at the next meeting.
Service and collections impact of 2008-09 budget scenarios
Chair Wes Poynor began by saying that bringing budget issues to this group is always important.
Mr. Ulmschneider thanked the chair, and also apologized about the lack of the last meeting’s minutes. He then stated that he wants to fully include and inform the advisory committee on VCU Libraries’ budget scenarios.
VCU Libraries had to reduce the personnel budget this year, but fortunately, the collections budget was not reduced, and the VCU Libraries was able to add JSTOR. There is no guarantee that there will be enough money in the budget next year to avoid reductions to the subscription base, but it’s hope that the JSTOR subscription will continue. Reductions already scheduled for next year include $100,000 from collections budget, and 188,000 from the personnel budget. The governor’s budget proposes budget improvements that amount to half the total amount of VCU’s cuts, but the State revenue picture remains very uncertain. It is still to early to say if journal subscriptions will be cut. Mr. Ulmschneider wants the committee to know that this is a possibility for next year, but one that will be avoided if at all possible.
Like all university units employing students, VCU Libraries is greatly affected by the minimum wage increase. The library system employs many on student workers. The increase will come on top of the already-scheduled budget reductions. In addition, there may be increased demand from new programs. The VCU Libraries has signed off on more new course proposals this year than in all of the last academic year, and the new School of Public Health will be official in a couple weeks.
The university has given every unit the opportunity to revise the 6-year budget proposals submitted in July 2007, and VCU Libraries will submit a revision. Funding for library materials was the top priority for the VCU Libraries, with an initiative to modernize operation, including the elimination of revenue lines (fines) and improved security coverage. The proposal will abolish overdue fines. The VCU Libraries has made it much easier for users to manage their loans, with automatic courtesy reminders when a due date draws near, online renewal, and longer renewal periods, among other initiatives. As a result, fines revenue is declining. Fines are treated as a revenue stream in the budget, and if the revenue stream isn’t fully realized, the VCU Libraries must make up the deficit from the personnel budget. That means there is a disincentive to improve services, because it results in reduced revenue and, in effect, a budget cut. Mr. Ulmschneider said that he will keep the committee posted as budgets develop, and asked for any questions on the budget.
Gabriel Reich asked if the state could include JSTOR as one of the databases that we get through VIVA, which would take care of the cost of that for us. Mr. Ulmschneider explained that VIVA is funded to pay for many things that we use, but their budget is already committed and there is not additional funding for JSTOR. Chair Poynor asked if VIVA’s budget is the same as it was years ago. Mr. Ulmschneider explained that although the budget was increased in FY2004-06, it was not increased for the current biennium, budget period, and increases have not been proposed in the budget for the next biennium. Consequently VIVA is unable to cover anything else, so VCU Libraries will have to cover these things or just not longer have them. Chair Poynor pointed out that the mid-term budget of this governor is coming up, and that is always interesting, as this will be his legacy. He also added that the budget certainly sounds manageable.
Mr. Ulmschneider said that the university has been hiring wonderful faculty with wonderful ambitions, and VCU Libraries hopes to be able to support them.
Reports and Discussion
Public access to NIH-funded research
Lynne Turman, Head of TML Collections, reported on the new legislation regarding public access to NIH funded research. Ms. Turman explained that she is on the Scholarly Communications Team in the VCU Libraries. She provided a handout summarizing the information about the new legislation.
Ms. Turman explained that President Bush signed the omnibus spending bill right after Christmas, which included a requirement for open access to all peer-reviewed publications resulting from NIH funded research. The mandate requires that all peer reviewed articles arising from NIH funded research be deposited in PubMed Central, and be made freely available to the public within 12 months of publication.
The handouts included a press release on the passing of the bill, a copy of the open access newsletter SPARC, a letter that Susan Robb from the Office of Research sent out to the university about this news, and the first page of the NIH website.
VCU Libraries has provided a link to this information, along with other resources, on its Copyright and Publishing web site. The NIH public access policy is the very first link listed in the Open Access section. Important dates to take notice of are listed on the NIH public access page. April 7th is when all articles arising from NIH funds must be submitted to PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication. As of May 25th all applications and progress reports are required to include a PubMed central number.
Ms. Turman explained that we are trying to get the word out about this, and pointed out two ways that authors can make sure they comply. The first way is that they can publish their work in one of the journals that will take care of this for you. The second way is through the individual submission process, which includes a large number of steps, but there are tutorials to guide people through it. Fortunately, the system for this has already been in place, and was able to be tweaked while it was voluntary.
The VCU Libraries have already been receiving questions as a result of Sue Robb’s email to VCU, and we will do all that we can to help researchers with this process. Authors need to make sure that any new agreement with a journal publisher has the language that allows them to comply with the mandate. There is an example on the NIH website of this type of language. Authors can also negotiate with the publisher, and they need to be the ones to ask for these rights. Many assume that they automatically have this ability and right, but it really depends on the document from the publisher. We have more information about rights on VCU Libraries web site. Principal investigators need to read and become familiar with this information. If anyone has questions, they can either let NIH know, ask the Office of Research, or ask us at the library, and we’ll get an answer from NIH if we don’t know. People should begin doing this immediately.
Brenda Seago asked how will this be enforced, and Lynne Turman answered that it is a condition of the NIH award. If researchers accept NIH money, then they are agreeing to follow these rules. Other agencies are now looking to NIH, and the National Science Organization may be the next to follow this idea. This is a very hot topic, and we hope to be alerting faculty.
Chair Poynor asked whether the VCU Libraries are the place to get this done. Ms. Turman answered that we can help you find out what you need to do and provide the information needed, but we are not offering to take care of this for you. Some grants will pay for it to be done.
Brenda Seago asked if someone would talk to the School of Medicine about this, and Mr. Ulmschneider and Ms. Shipman responded that VCU Libraries would be willing to talk about this anytime to anyone.
Mr. Ulmschneider said he recently attended a statewide meeting of library directors, and that Heather Johnson, Executive Director of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), came to talk to them about this. He said that publishing companies hired lobbyists and consultants to try to stop this from happening. Following the guidance of these lobbyists, the industry crafted a message that claimed the new initiative would destroy peer review and introduce government censorship. However, the argument for open access was so compelling that Congress saw there was just no way they could turn this down, despite the lobbyists. The public should have access to government funded research.
Ms. Turman said that she has read some listserv comments saying that publishers might refuse to publish any NIH funded articles in retaliation, but we’re talking about 80,000 articles a year. Also, saying that the articles should be openly available within 12 months is a step in the right direction, but ideally, it should be immediate. There is wide consensus that the initiative will have little or no effect on demand for journal publications or on revenue streams for publishers.
Ms. Shipman, as past MLA president, said that MLA is having meetings with publishers, and is an interesting time for them. Ms. Shipman also noted that Tompkins-McCaw Library will be having a Research Day for VCU, and that Lynne Turman will be covering this topic again there.
Renovations and space plans
Chair Poynor moved the meeting on to the report on renovations and space plans.
Mr. Ulmschneider began the update on space plans, and a handout was made available that summarizes the data on VCU Libraries’ spaces. He said, first of all, that use in the Cabell Library building continues to be high. There is now about 20% less space for students than was available in 1974 when Cabell Library was completed, although student numbers have grown. We are at 151% of the original planned capacity for library materials in library buildings, and normally, arrangements for more space should be made long before the capacity reaches 100%. As an example, Mr. Ulmschneider pointed out that the University of Richmond is currently at 75% capacity, and they are now planning for outside storage. VCU Libraries has had to take away student space for new books. Comparison data has been gathered on how other Virginia libraries have dealt with space issues, and the University is well aware that this is a problem. Unfortunately, an addition to Cabell was not included in the recent proposed bond. Instead the three building projects for which funding is proposed are the new School of Medicine building, the new classroom building on the Monroe Park Campus, and renovations to the Massey Cancer Center vivarium. Cabell Library was supposed to be third on the list, but the addition would cost $40,000,000, and the bond only included enough money for the first two buildings, with a little bit left over. So the Massey Cancer Center project was added to the third spot instead, since it would require less money.
Ms. Shipman then spoke about renovations and space updates in the Tompkins-McCaw Library. Two staff areas have been rearranged in the basement to better use the space, and the carpet will need to be replaced in part of the area. The old VCUCard office space has been assigned to TML, and we are currently exploring what we might do with this space. It needs major renovations, including air conditioning and new carpeting, but we are considering turning it into a nice, emeritus faculty lounge, a showcase for our medical artifacts, or additional student space. We do know that it will not be staff space, as we are committed to using it as space for the VCU community.
Mr. Ulmschneider said that the Center for Teaching Excellence on the 4th floor of Cabell is moving to the Grace E. Harris Building, and the 2nd floor administration offices will then move into the old CTE space. This will open up the area on the 2nd floor for students.
Ms. Flanagan mentioned that the 4th floor renovations in Cabell Library are complete, and the very successful grand opening for the space was in early December. The John Mapp Graduate Study and Reading Room is now open, and is being actively used. Faculty and graduate students who want to use this room can either check out a key card from the circulation desk or ask to have their own VCU ID card entered into the door system. There is no automatic way for all the cards to be loaded into the system, so this is the way we are handling it. The Special Collections Cabell room is also a very useable and beautiful space.
Chair Poynor asked if this room is available for meetings, and Mr. Ulmschneider said that we do intend for it to be actively used and that we could have a meeting in there.
Ms. Flanagan also discussed the proposed space in the new residential college building that was assigned to VCU Libraries. There is a possibility that we may no longer have the space there, as some of the plans for the building are being redesigned, and we were not given funds for staffing or furniture for that space.
Mr. Ulmschneider mentioned the significant challenges in Tompkins-McCaw Library with collections space and the need for compact shelving. He said that part of the strategy now is develop a space plan that will bridge library facilities to the new Cabell addition that will be constructed sometime in the next 5-10 years.
Chair Poynor asked if there has been any thought to having a business and engineering library, and Mr. Ulmschneider said that there are no plans for that. The critical mass of the university is very impressive, and once you get out and around the two campuses, you see how much there is to VCU, and how big it really is. However, it would not make sense to have smaller satellite libraries around the campus because of the cost involved. We need to avoid multiple service points, and avoid increasing our operations cost.
24x5 report and use of library facilities: benefits and challenges
Chair Poynor brought up this next topic and the effectiveness of Cabell Library’s 24x5 hours around exams.
Ms. Flanagan gave this report and referred to the handouts of charts that show the library usage during this time. 24x5 remains a very strong program, and students have said they would really like for us to be open like that all the time. However, we would need to have a permanent third shift of staff to pull that off, and that is just not possible. Also, VCU Police are unable to provide the security that would be needed for that, as they already have a staffing problem. The noise level and stress on staff has also been high as a result of increased activity in the building. Cabell Library has been compared to an airport terminal as it often has the same level of people, noise, and activity. A lot of students have been emailing to say that it is too noisy at night, but there are not enough security guards to control all the noise all the time. It is a stressful situation because of the concentration of people, and there is just not enough space for everyone. It is good to see that so many people want to be in the library, though. Cabell Library is so well located on campus that it is just very appealing and convenient for people to come in.
Chair Poynor asked if Tompkins-McCaw Library is experiencing the same things, and Ms. Shipman said that the 1st floor definitely has a buzz to it at certain times of the day, but not like at Cabell. TML has seen its virtual users increase more so than actual bodies coming in the building, because the way that the faculty and student community on the MCV Campus works is so different from the Monroe Park Campus.
Ms. Flanagan mentioned that the furniture in Cabell is often shuffled around by students who are looking for quieter areas to sit in, or electrical outlets to plug in their technology. However, this blocks the stacks, and could cause a safety issue. There has also been a lot of fallout in terms of cleanliness due to the increased number of people and the new Starbucks. Mr. Ulmschneider pointed out that the Cabell Starbucks is busy and may be the highest revenue Starbucks in the region.
Ms. Shipman provided an update on the Hunton Student Center hours, saying that it will now be opening on 11 am on weekends, and will have extended hours until 10 or 11 pm at night. Mr. Ulmschneider pointed out the good cooperation between Jean Shipman, Shannon Jones, and VCU Student Affairs to make this happen.
Blackboard Live Classroom
Before moving on to the final agenda item, Chair Poynor asked if the committee has any new agenda ideas, and if these are the kinds of things that we want to hear about and discuss. Brenda Seago mentioned that she would appreciate updates on how VCU Libraries is handling the affiliate database issue. Mr. Ulmschneider said that this continues to be a vexing issue, as all eID changes cause problems, and that we will address this at the next meeting.
Ms. Shipman introduced Kris Hughes, Tompkins-McCaw Library’s newest librarian from Chicago, who would be providing the Blackboard Live Classroom presentation. Ms. Hughes began by thanking the committee for allowing her to come and present to them. She provided handouts to the committee that included a snapshot of Wimba Live Classroom, and instructions on how to enroll in the VCU Libraries Health Sciences Resource Blackboard site. She stated that Blackboard Live Classroom has 1200 users so far. She and other Education Services librarians have been encouraging and showing students how to enroll in this whenever they teach a class. The Health Sciences Resource Course includes tutorials and a discussion board. Ms. Hughes showed a poster display of the Live Classroom interface, and explained how it works. During a class, there is one instructor who is pushing the content out to students, while the other is monitoring the chat. It is a synchronous, but distant process. Ms. Hughes explained that the goal of this Live Classroom is to reach people where it is most convenient for them.
Ms. Flanagan mentioned that a user first needs to download something to get started and join the class, and Ms. Hughes said that before each class, instructions are sent to all who have signed up. Ms. Seago asked if these online classes are the same classes that are offered in the libraries. Ms. Hughes said that yes, they are starting off with the same classes on PubMed, CINAHL, and Refworks, and hope to offer 3 to 6 classes a month. The classes are being scheduled to last an hour. She said that they are thinking of creating a survey to receive feedback on the type of classes users are interested in, and would appreciate any feedback.
Gabriel Reich asked about putting articles on Blackboard and if that is an okay thing for instructors to do. Ms. Flanagan pointed out that there are instructions on creating durable links for articles on the VCU Libraries Media and Reserves web page, and that the copyright page also has more information on that. Mr. Ulmschneider and Mr. Poynor both pointed out that it should be fine for faculty to continue doing this, as there is no case law about putting scanned articles on Blackboard.
Mr. Ulmschneider passed out handouts on two upcoming VCU Libraries Lectures sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library. The first is “Richmond Women in the Civil Rights Movement”, the VCU Libraries’ Black History Month event on February 12th, and the second is the Annual Browns-Lyons Lecture where Dr. Jack Spiro will be presenting on Jewish humor. Mr. Ulmschneider also mentioned the passing of Dr. Francis Foster and pointed out that VCU Libraries has wonderful oral histories from him posted on the web site.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 pm.