MARCH 13, 2012

by Gerald Doyle

ACADEMIC ASSEMBLY OF LIBRARIANS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

2:00PM

PALEY LIBRARY, LECTURE HALL

MINUTES

Attending: Carla Davis Cunningham, Mark Darby, Anne Harlow, Molly Larkin, Carol Lang, Jonathan LeBreton, Krystal Lewis (recorder), Jill Luedke, David Murray (Chair), Penelope Myers, Brian Schoolar, Gretchen Sneff, Sandi Thompson.

Meeting was called to order at 2:03 P.M.

  1. Note on GA minutes from 9/13/11, 11/15/11, and 1/10/12 (DM)

Minutes are all in various stages of approval, but will be available on the AAL Drupal site by the end of May. Future General Assembly meetings will be paperless: no printed agendas or minutes will be provided to attendees. The secretary will arrange to have the agenda projected.

  1. Remarks by the Interim Dean of Libraries (C. Lang)

Dean Lang mentioned that the lecture hall was set up for that afternoon’s public program, The Abandoned City: Vincent Feldmen in conversation with Ken Finkel.  Display cases on the mezzanine were curated by students who will attend the program.

Dean Lang gave updates on the budget, hiring, and the new library building:

  1. Budget – No one knows yet to what the cuts will amount. The library may need to engage in conversation during the coming fiscal year (FY2013) with its constituencies to reduce or cut our database and journal subscriptions the following fiscal year.
  2. Hiring
    1. Library Technology Services – the position formerly held by Woody Bastien will be filled shortly.
    2. Senior Technical Support, HSL – search is almost concluded.
    3. Digital Library Initiatives programmer – has been advertised and is receiving applications.
    4. Digital Projects Librarian – received approval to proceed.  A search committee will be formed for this TAUP position.
    5. Emerging Technologies Librarian – over 30 applications were received.  Adam Shambaugh is the chair of the search committee which is in the process of scheduling phone interviews.
    6. Media Specialist – interviews are starting today.
    7. Part-time Reference Librarians – Andrew Diamond and Samantha Slade were hired.
    8. Public Services Coordinator for SCRC – approval has been received.
    9. Project Archivist – Jessica Lydon has started; will process the Littell collection for PJAC.
    10. Library Applications Administrator, formerly Server Administrator, has been advertised and applications are being accepted.
    11. Government Documents / African-American Studies Librarian – no news on the exception request.
    12. Dean – waiting on faculty names for the search advisory committee to be submitted to the Provost by the Faculty Senate.
  3. New Library Building – The Board of Trustees has approved the financing to move to the design phase.  A cross-section of campus will be involved in shaping the vision.  Dean Lang and Steven Bell were interviewed by Temple News about the new building.

There were no questions for the Dean.

  1. Dean of Libraries – Search Advisory Committee, Librarian Representation (DM)

Last year the Provost’s office requested names of 6 librarians, 2 each from Paley system, HSL, and Law, for the Search Advisory Committee. Kristina DeVoe submitted a list. This year, David has submitted the same list of names. David asked the Provost’s office for a timeline for the search. The Provost’s office does not yet have an official timeline, but expects active recruiting to happen over the summer and interviews in the early fall semester. Dean Lang asked about the inclusion of administrators and department heads in the list. Administrators and department heads will be selected separately. Penelope observed that HSL and Law librarians are disproportionately represented on the list.

  1. Old Business

Penelope asked about emeritus status for library faculty. Several years ago, a previous request for emeritus status for library faculty was unsuccessful. She asked that it be revisited and added to the agenda for the next Steering Committee meeting.

  1. New Business / Announcements

Carla announced the need for a provision to elect library faculty representative senators that includes Law and HSL, which began a discussion. The faculty constitution defines “professional librarians” as any full-time librarian, including those at HSL and Law. Current election procedures apply to the AAL, of which HSL and Law librarians are not members. A review of the AAL by-laws as regards to membership will be taken up by the steering committee. The by-laws cannot be amended by the senate election deadline, so a temporary provision will be made.

Gretchen asked for news on the presidential search. Dean Lang thought it was unlikely there will be any news until a new president is announced. The interview and selection process is closed due to the need for confidentiality for high profile candidates.

  1. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 2:59.

This entry was posted in Minutes.