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VCU Libraries Advisory Committee

Tompkins-McCaw Library, 1st Floor Conference Room

October 15, 2010 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Minutes

Attendance
Mary Baechle, Jan Chlebowski, Bonnie Davis, Corey Davis, Rosemary Farmer, Cindy Jong, Nathaniel Markson, Roy McKelvey (chair), Jana McQuaid, Karen Rader, Raj Rao, Brenda Seago, Patricia Strong, Ann Wiesner

Absent with notice
Linda Hughes, Faye Prichard

Absent
Angelica Bega-Hart, Matthew Kelberg

Staff:  John Duke, Dan Ream, John Ulmschneider, Pam Fraga (recording secretary)

Business

Review of agenda
The agenda was approved as presented.

Review of minutes from September 2010
The minutes were approved as presented.

VCU2020 recalibration Open Forums - handout
As follow-up to last month’s meeting, Mr. Ulmschneider, referring to the handouts, informed the Committee that several open forums have been scheduled across the University where faculty and students can give input on the VCU2020 recalibration effort.  He underscored that the University is serious about hearing from the VCU community about this important initiative.  He urged the Committee members to go to the website (http://www.future.vcu.edu) and familiarize themselves with the plan, and to attend one of the forums and make their thoughts known.  In discussion, it was requested that Mr. Ulmschneider send talking points to the members of the Committee so they would be better able to address specific areas of concern relative to VCU Libraries.  Mr. Ulmschneider said that he would send them early next week.  He asked the members to keep in mind that if VCU uses as one of its goals to become an ARL research university, significantly more funding will be necessary to meet those metrics.

Lost and Found policy - handout
Mr. Ulmschneider reminded the Committee that the VCU Libraries brings new and revised library system polices to the advisory committees for their review, input, and ultimately endorsement.  The proposed lost and found policy will govern the way that the VCU Libraries deals with lost items that are discovered by staff or returned by library users to a library service desk.  The Committee discussed the policy in the handout, and endorsed the policy by unanimous vote.

Lunch meeting wiht finalists for Associate University Librarian for Public Services - handout
Mr. Ulmschneider noted that a search is underway for position of AUL for Public Services (to replace Pat Flanagan).  The search has narrowed the field to four finalists.  The finalists will be interviewing with VCU Libraries in the coming weeks, and the screening committee and administrative staff would like the members of VLAC to meet with the candidates during the interview process.  The names and dates of the interviewees are included in the handout and as each interview draws nearer, the Committee members will be sent a link to the full job description and the candidate’s resume.  Mr. Ulmschneider said that in the past when VLAC has met with the various candidates, their feedback has been most helpful.  The other two advisory committees will also be invited to attend these interview sessions.

Reports and Discussion
Mr. Ulmschneider noted that the planned demonstration of LibGuides will not take place but instead, Mr. Ream will do a demonstration of the Open Access.

Review of the findings to date from library space planning and design study - PowerPoint presentation
Mr. Ulmschneider reminded the Committee that VCU Libraries has been involved in a space and design study for about a year, conducted by the design firm of BCWH.  The final analysis will be delivered to the Libraries very soon.  The overall space analysis will take into account a process to shrink the print collection housed in Cabell and move as many materials as reasonable to off-site storage, freeing up more space in the existing building for students.  The design study assumes that the new building will be the last library building for at least 30 years, but projecting collections size over that period of time is very difficult, in part because it’s impossible to know how digital technologies will affect library collections over such a long term.  To guide the collections size data, the study uses projected growth in graduate programs, the trendline for print collections in recent years, and other data.

Mr. Ulmschneider stepped through a presentation giving the results of a recent design charette (brainstorming session) with the consultants and VCU Libraries senior staff.  The charette confirmed that the design concepts focus on furthering University goals, not just library desires, and that the new building should be something in which the entire University community takes pride.  He then reviewed some conceptual design features for the new building.  He underscored that these are only conceptual designs at this point; the consultants are not doing a full architectural design, which will be the first part of a construction effort and will be funded as part of the overall building effort.  Some of the design ideas reviewed were:

  • The overall traffic flow of the university has to be considered, including what those patterns may be like with the addition of the new classroom building on Linden and new dorm buildings on Grace.
  • To reflect the possible new traffic flow, two entrances might be used, though this creates a security issue.
  • Expansion may take place on the east side toward the Cathedral with the addition of “pod” structures for graduate and faculty use.
  • The addition on the north side, the main addition, will be a naming opportunity.
  • The overall size and scope of the new construction will be dictated by the amount of funds raised and therefore may be built in phases.
  • A group from the Friends of the Library Board, Mr. Ulmschneider and Ms. Separ (Director of Development, VCU Libraries) met with President Rao and were impressed both with his enthusiasm for a new library and with his strong support for library construction projects at his previous institutions
  • In discussing design style, it was clear that the question of architectural harmony with the existing campus architecture will be important.  While the MCV campus went with a bold change of design in the new School of Medicine building, it remains to be seen how the new library building on the Monroe Park Campus will fit into the existing architecture on the campus.
  • While the actual construction is 3 to 5 years away, now is the time to begin design input and fundraising strategies.

Demo: Open Access (replace LibGuides research literature guides)
Because of the time, it was decided to table this until another meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.