1. Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of May 10, 2005 and the special meeting of April 12, 2005 were approved.
2. Vice Provost Larry Alford
   1. Search Committees:  Larry has met with the AAL Steering and Selection and Appointment Committees to discuss the composition and some procedural issues of search committees.
      1. A non-librarian should serve on each search committee.
      2. Department heads will be involved in the search process, but they will not automatically chair committees.
      3. Search committees should be formed for certain non-librarian positions.
      4. In the past, the search committees have recommended specific candidates.  Committees should submit evaluations of two to three candidates.
      5.  Past practice was to hire new librarians at the L1 level.  As positions are filled we need to take into account past experience and existing tenure to determine salary, rank, and status.  Caution is needed in cases when a candidate may be recommended to be hired with regular appointment.
      6. For this year, there will be one person from the Selection and Appointments Committee on each search committee unless S&A defers.
      7. For some searches, it would be appropriate to ask a faculty member to serve on the committee.
      8. Jobs that impact across the libraries should be filled through search committees.
      9. AAL members were concerned that the AAL Bylaws may need changing.  Positions on election and Appointments are elected, so there is a representational relationship.
   2. Questions from the membership:
      1. Funds have been released for continuing purchases.  The funds will not be allocated to individuals but will be spent after selectors reach consensus on purchases.
      2. There should be at least $700-750K for continuing subscriptions in either electronic or print format. $1M has been allocated for back files and monographs.  Larry intends to make a proposal to the President for a one-time allocation of $0.5M for monographic purchases.  Positions will need to be created to process new acquisitions.
      3. Although some of Paley’s space issues are beyond the scope of a committee, there will be a committee created to help decide on reconfiguring the space vacated by the Paley SIC.  Some space issues include: moving the reference desk, expanding the information commons, possibly moving some of the reference collection, creating inviting student study space, adding a McNaughton collection, and adding a state-of-the-art media resource center.  Jonathan LeBreton informed the Assembly that the retrospective conversion should be done in March; we will then be able to remove the remainder of the card catalog.
      4. Board of Facilities has approved the Kardon project with a $7M budget.  There are specs out for shelving and final design drawings will be created.  When complete, Kardon’s two floors will hold the equivalent of two million volumes.  Jonathan noted that recent increases in the price of steel may affect the implementation as shelving costs will also increase.
      5. The Tuttleman SIC will not close as a result of the opening of the TECH Center in the Bell Building.
      6. There were concerns about maintaining computer equipment, especially printers, once the SIC closes and the likelihood that Paley Library staff will be solely responsible for public computing equipment.
   3. PARA Guidelines:  Carla Davis Cunningham reported that the PARA Taskforce had met with Jonathan regarding the PARA procedures.  Changes to the calendar were made after the AAL-wide discussion of the need to change the bylaws to reflect provisions in the new bargaining agreement.
   4. AAL Documents:  David Murray reported that the Steering Committee will be working on the website; eventually all of it will be updated.  In the interim, all pertinent documents are being posted to the AAL folder on the H: drive.  Currently, the committee composition list, General Assembly minutes, PARA procedures and calendars, schedule of meetings, and the Steering Committee minutes are available there.
   5. New Business:
      1. Anne thanked the members of the 2004-2005 Merit Committee for their hard work.  Some of the members of that committee are helping revise the merit guidelines.
      2. Anne reminded the membership to pay close attention to the PARA calendars as all of the deadlines are earlier than before.
      3. It is more important than ever that committee chairs send thank-you letters to committee members.  The letters should contain specific information about the member’s role and contributions.
      4. Andrea Goldstein mentioned that the Temple Review had an article on the display in Special Collections.  That issue of the Temple Review also published the first ad with John Chaney as spokesperson for library development.
      5. Laura Lane mentioned that the plumbers and engineers had just inspected the site of the leak on the third floor.  Only five or six books were lost.
      6. Brown bag lunches were discussed.  The consensus is that these are intended to be less structured than continuing education sessions.  There should be a regular established schedule for them to make it easier for people to attend.

The meeting adjourned at 3:40PM.

1. Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of March 8, 2005 and the special meeting of April 12, 2005 were approved conditionally.  Any changes should be sent to Carol Brigham.
2. Election Ballots were collected by Al Vara and Carol Brigham for tallying.
3. Vice Provost Larry Alford had no report to make subsequent to the all-staff meeting on May 6.  He briefly summarized some points from that meeting and then took questions from the membership on the following subjects:
   1. Paley renovation: the library is hiring a consultant to plan for renovation of and/or addition to Paley and other facilities on the main campus. The money for any renovations, etc., is not yet in place.  Four firms have been selected to receive our RFP.
   2. Fire in transformer: it is not yet known exactly what happened, if anything, to cause the transformer to arc and burn out.  The transformer and nearby wiring had to be completely replaced, which is why it took a long time to restore power to Paley.
   3. Funding for new library acquisitions: the release of funds is contingent upon the strategic plan currently being developed, but the funds have been included in the budget that was recently sent to the Board of Trustees.  Funding cuts at the state level are a potential problem, but library funding will still be a high priority.
   4. Elevators: the administration has been trying to get information about the inspection of elevator #2 to no avail.
   5. Merit Guidelines: (the question was about the relationship between the criteria for merit and the overall performance aspect of merit awards in the new university-wide guidelines.)  All three criteria must be considered by the applicant and by all those involved in evaluating applications.  The Provost makes the final decision, and all supporting documentation used earlier in the process should be made available to him so that the recommendations of the committee and the vice-provost are part of a transparent process.  Larry went on to clarify that it is not necessary to be outstanding in all three areas described by the criteria, but that it would be necessary to demonstrate that there were no serious weaknesses.  The faculty, at whom most of the guidelines are directed, may have had some practices of awarding merit that differed from ours; hence there may not be many changes to our practices.
   6. Publishing: necessary for librarians? While it is important in an academic institution for people to do research and publish in peer-reviewed journals as a contribution to the profession, it ispossible to take it too far.  Although publication is valued, it is even more important, in Larry’s opinion, to build collections and support the teaching and learning of the institution.
   7. Format for this year’s personal annual reports: the same as last year.
4. Nominations and Elections reported that ties in two races required a runoff ballot to be distributed to those present.
5. Merit The membership discussed CVs v. resumes, the three criteria, and the weight of supervisory evaluations in the merit process.
6. Nominations and Elections presented the election results:

   Steering Committee Vice-Chair/Chair Elect:  Fred Rowland
   Steering Committee Member-at-Large:  David Murray
   Continuing Education Committee 2-year term:  Derik Badman
   Continuing Education Committee 1-year term: Susan Golding
   Nominations & Elections Committee: George Fowler
   Selection & Appointment Committee:  Brian Schoolar & Kathy Szigeti
   PARA:  Andrea Goldstein & Laura Lane

   Al Vara and Carol Brigham thanked all those who were willing to run for positions.
7. Standing committee reports
   1. All standing committee reports except the Steering Committee were distributed to the membership via the list. Greg McKinney summarized the Steering Committee annual report. There were no questions on any of the annual reports.
   2. Gretchen Sneff, as the AAL’s Faculty Senate Representative, volunteered to write a report of her activities and distribute it to the membership. Some discussion followed a question that was asked about the current state of the General Education requirements, which will go into effect in the fall of 2007.
   3. The membership thanked Gretchen and the rest of the Library Prize committee for their hard work on that initiative and congratulated them on its success.
8. New Business
   1. Penelope Myers asked for short articles or announcements for inclusion in the library blog. They can be sent to any member of the committee. Gretchen mentioned that according to the Faculty Senate Bylaws (on the web at http://www.temple.edu/senate/) the Library has two representatives to the Faculty Senate rather than one. She asked the Steering Committee to clarify whether they meant to count the Faculty Senate Library Committee representative as a representative to the full senate as well.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:03PM.

Respectfully submitted by Carla Davis Cunningham

Academic Assembly of Librarians

General Assembly Meeting
Paley Library Lecture Hall
Special Meeting – April 12, 2005
2:00 PM

Present: C. Brigham, C. Davis Cunningham, M. Darby, A. Harlow, M. Jerrido, L. Lane, C. Lang, M. Larkin, P. Myers, D. Murray, F. Rowland, B. Schoolar, K. Szigeti, A. Vara, B. Wright

Vice-Chairperson Anne Harlow called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm.

• Vote on Changes to the AAL Bylaws
  • Proposed Changes

Throughout the Bylaws:  change “University Librarian” to “Vice Provost for Libraries.”

Section IIIB5:  change to allow PARA Committee to be elected in May due to new timeframe imposed by the TAUP contract.

Section IIIB9:  stated change for PARA election in May rather than September; change to allow members serving on PARA to recuse themselves should they be under consideration for promotion.

• Questions/Comments

There was a question about PARA members and promotion.  Since PARA members serve for two years, the current bylaws force PARA Committee members either not to apply for promotion or to resign from the Committee in order to be considered for promotion.

• Vote

The members present voted unanimously to approve the changes to the Bylaws.

• PARA Procedures & Guidelines must be rewritten to reflect the changes to the timeline.  The Steering Committee is recruiting volunteers to work on this project.  Mark Darby volunteered and noted that extensive changes probably would not be necessary.
• Merit Process
  • Laura Lane reported that the Merit Committee had completed its evaluations and submitted its recommendations to Larry Alford on February 15th in accordance with the procedures in place.
  • The ratification of the TAUP contract resulted in changes to this process.
  • The new process calls for the Merit Committee to consist of no more than six members: three to be appointed by AAL and three to be appointed by the VPL.  Larry recommended that the contract be followed while agreeing to keep the existing members of the Committee.  Thus Mary Edsall, Laura Lane, and Brian Schoolar were designated the AAL appointees while Carla Davis Cunningham and David Murray were designated the VPL appointees.  Molly Larkin became the final VPL appointee.
  • Merit policies will need to be revised to match contractual stipulations.  The Merit Committee has completed drafts of forms which will be distributed to the AAL once Larry has approved them.
• Questions/Comments

Fred Rowland commented that he had heard that there were possible problems with the merit process.  There were none with librarians; he may have heard that faculty had not done anything with regard to merit.  Mark Darby reported that the Deans were told specifically not to initiate the merit process for faculty.

Penelope Myers asked whether any department heads would need to resubmit evaluations.  Laura reported that Larry would notify department heads in the event that new or enhanced evaluations are needed.

Carla Davis Cunningham noted that the merit guidelines are issued by the VPL, not AAL.  AAL is submitting recommendations to him.

Mark noted that the contract rearranges the criteria for merit.  Our guidelines do suggest that we look at an individual’s entire career when evaluating for merit.

Laura noted that the Merit Committee’s recommendations on the merit process are intended to deal with the current merit cycle.  Procedures and processes may need to be refined for future merit considerations.

Mark noted that there are probably one or two more merit units available this year as merit units are a percentage of the total librarian salary pool.

Anne encouraged librarians to read the contract on the TAUP website.  Laura noted that pages 47 and 48 cover merit.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:22 PM.

Submitted by
Carol Brigham
 

1.  Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of January 11, 2005 were approved.
2. Introductions
   1. Margaret Jerrido introduced two interns from Drexel University.  Adam Feldman and Holly Wilson are taking an archival management class here at Temple.
   2. Jenifer Baldwin introduced Jason Macias, the intern in the RIS Department.  He is also a Drexel student who expects to receive this degree at the end of the current quarter.
   3. Anne Harlow introduced Larry Alford, the Vice-Provost for Libraries.  Larry comes to Temple from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
3. Report from Larry Alford
   1. Larry has been spending a lot of time meeting people on campus (library staff, Deans, faculty, etc.).  He believes that Temple’s librarians and staff are respected and admired on campus.  He and Brooke Cho are working on building a fundraising program and a donor base.
   2. All old staff desktop PCs should be replaced by the end of the semester.  There is approximately $400,000 in Student Technology Fee funds available for the library.  Some of this will be used to replace public machines.  Other possibilities include the purchase of a link resolver and a federated searching system.
   3. Larry hopes to involve everyone in the Libraries’ strategic planning process.
4. Questions/Comments 
   1. Fred Rowland inquired about the new staff computers.  George Fowler replied that no changes will be necessary except for ADIOS when the PCs are installed.  Larry said that each computer would have a 19-inch flat panel display.
   2. Laura Lane asked Larry what his impressions are about the strategic planning documents that were completed last year.  Larry is still reading them; he reiterated that he would like suggestions from the library staff regarding the strategic planning process.  He would like to have the strategic plans from the Deans.
   3. Susan Golding expressed a wish for more resource sharing between us and the HSC and Law Libraries.  Larry replied that he believes all resources should be licensed university-wide, but there are difficulties because of the many sites that we have.  He hopes to work out a plan to cover the costs for university-wide access.  Carole Bell stated that it is our policy that newly acquired databases are accessible by all.
   4. Larry said that he and Jonathan LeBreton had toured the Kardon facility.  The University has set aside money to outfit the space for library storage.  The space needs HVAC and fire suppression equipment, shelving, and lighting.  Larry has met with the University’s architects and shelving vendors; capacity and floor load need to be addressed.
   5. Barbara Wright asked about the fate of the Tyler Library.  Larry has toured the Paley stacks and noted that although John Oram has plans to shift existing books, some part of the Tyler collection would have to go in storage.
   6. Larry noted that President Adamany is convinced that a central library is best.  Strategic planning process should address what happens to the fine arts collections – should a fine arts library be created within Paley?  Moreover, the science departments are pressuring the science libraries for space.
   7. David Dillard noted that removal to storage will provide some level of relief.  He inquired about long-term considerations, especially in light of the increase in collections in the future.  Larry said that there is money for capital improvements and that these may include an addition to Paley, renovation of existing space, and/or an additional building.  We sorely need to upgrade the quality of the space we have.
   8. David Murray noted that selectors are very removed from advanced collection development.  More personnel for collection development would be needed to adequately develop the print monograph collection.  Larry noted that all three library systems are understaffed.  All of the new money cannot be applied to one single aspect but would have to be balanced between various needs.
   9. Larry has met with the Student Government’s Executive Committee and talked about the library as place.
   10. Tim O’Rourke (Vice-President for Computer and Information Services) has invited the libraries to put together a small group to collaborate with Computer Services on the TECH Center project.
5. Proposed Changes to the AAL Bylaws 
   1. Carla Davis Cunningham and Carol Brigham made a proposal to change the AAL Bylaws.  Change is necessitated by the TAUP contract’s allowing the Provost thirty-five days to make contract renewal, regular appointment, and promotion decisions and the required six-month notice period in cases of nonrenewal of a librarian’s contract.  A calendar was distributed which outlines the various deadline dates for the PARA processes.
   2. The proposal is to change paragraph IIIB5 to change the PARA election from September to May to allow PARA enough time to meet these deadlines.  A change to paragraph IIIB9 is also proposed to accommodate the PARA election in May and to allow PARA members to recuse him/herself from the Committee’s deliberations in the event that he/she has applied for promotion.
6. Old Business/New Business 
   1. Greg McKinney stated that he would be on vacation during April.  In his absence, Anne will be conducting the April meeting of the Steering Committee and the special meeting (TBA) to discuss and vote upon the proposed bylaws changes.
   2. Mary Edsall gave details about an upcoming collaborative work with Bryn Mawr College.  A series of programs will be held at Temple and at Bryn Mawr and PhilaDanco will perfom the work “Southern Landscapes.”

The meeting was adjourned at 3:20 PM.

1. Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of November 9, 2004 were approved.
2. Report from Jonathan LeBreton:
   1. Jonathan predicts that there will be a lot of movement forward once Larry Alford arrives – there is a lot to do in the way of strategic planning, including refining those plans we have already worked on.  Those separate plans need to be formed into a cohesive document.
   2. The E-Resources Librarian position has been posted.  The Search Committee’s members are Carole Bell (Chair), Phil D’Andrea, Frank Immler, Barbara Kuchan, Molly Larkin, and Rick Lezenby.
   3. Jonathan has been compiling a set of updated procedures for searches for use by search committees and administrative staff, e.g., incorporating mechanical changes in Human Resources processes.  Rick Lezenby, Chair of the Selection and Appointment Committee, had expressed interest in such procedures and Jonathan will forward to him for discussion and clarification.
3. PARA Update
   1. Mark Darby, as Chair of PARA reminded the assembly that it is promotion season.  He will send out an e-mail reminder for applications along with deadlines.
   2. Mark also reminded members that contract renewals for newly hired librarians are due at the end of February.
4. Contract Negotiation:
   1. Mark Darby reported on the state of contract negotiations between TAUP and the University.  TAUP agreed to a contract extension to last through February 15th.  Most points being negotiated are of interest to faculty: promotion and tenure standards and procedures, study leaves, contract renewal for Dean’s Appointments, and salary and benefits.  The process is still in informal negotiation.
   2. Mark noted points of interest to librarians:  the administration decided to extend the period of time before regular appointment is attained to seven years (4 one-year contracts and 1 two-year contract).  Mark asked that members inform them of their opinions about this.
5. Old Business:  There was no old business to discuss.
6. New Business:  There was no new business to discuss
7. Forum:   Kevin Delaney of the Sociology Department spoke about his book Public Dollars, Private Stadiums.  The development of downtown stadiums does not really help the area in which they are built.  Major league football generally only fills the stadium ten times per year while baseball holds about eighty-five games a year.  Stadiums tend to close down local business and create a “game day” economic zone that caters to those going to the games.  Arenas, on the other hand, are indoor spaces that can be used for other events and, thus, are more able to pay for themselves. Dr. Delaney also spoke about his philosophy of teaching and how to engage students in the learning process.  He believes in “teaching from the inside out” – that relating to students first then instructing them works well.  High context teaching is better than abstract teaching.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 PM.

1. Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of September 21, 2004 were approved.
2. Report from Jonathan LeBreton:
   1. VPL Search: Jonathan encouraged everyone to submit their comments on the candidates for Vice Provost as it is believed that the Search Committee will take them quite seriously.  Comments can be sent directly to Dick Englert via e-mail.  Jonathan reported that Englert was impressed with the attendance at the presentations and question/answer sessions.
   2. Statistics:  We are in the midst of our “typical” week for collecting statistics for ARL.  Temple’s administration is very interested in metrics, especially for strategic planning purposes.
   3. Library Prize:  Jonathan solicited volunteers for judges for the Library Prize contest.  Those interested should contact Gretchen Sneff.  Gretchen reported that Special Collections has put up a display case regarding the prize.  She has been receiving inquiries from faculty and students.  She noted that students can submit papers from independent study, as long as they have received credit for the course.  The contest rules prohibit “free-lance” entries.  Jonathan noted that there will most likely be an increase in the number of independent studies as the University is strengthening its Honors Program.
   4. Provost:  Jonathan reported that the Provost’s Office has been happy with how the Libraries have been operating.  He mentioned the newsletter initiative which will get news out to the campus.
   5. Questions:  It is unknown whether there will be more candidates for VPL.  Carol Lang indicated that an e-mail from Dick Englert implies that the process is finished for now unless none of the candidates are suitable or if suitable candidates decline the position.  Gretchen stated that comments made will be read by the President and Provost.  She mentioned that turnout at the faculty and student sessions hasbeen low.  Jonathan proposed a meeting to discuss the search process and the candidates.  When asked about the process, Gretchen said, that like a search for a dean, the Search Committee will not rank the candidates.
3. Performance Development Plans & PARA
   1. Mark Darby, as Chair of PARA, made some comments and recommendations regarding the contract renewal and regular appointment process in light of the University’s Performance Development Plans (PDPs).  Mark noted that PARA will have access to the PDP since they are included in personnel folders.  PDPs are not very informative about professional activities.  Since PARA requires peer review, candidates should continue to solicit letters from peers.  Candidates should not hesitate to ask supervisors for an additional submission for the PARA process.  Mark reminded the group that the Merit Committee does not have access to personnel folders and therefore will not see the PDPs.  He said that he will be happy to give feedback to the AAL Membership at the end of the process regarding the role of the PDP.
   2. Jonathan also recommended that candidates request their supervisors write additional statements when there are other aspects of performance that ought to be addressed.
4. Contract Negotiation:
   1. Mark Darby reported on the state of contract negotiations between TAUP and the University.  The TAUP contract expired on October 15th.  We are able to continue working under the terms and conditions of the old contract; the University cannot lock us out.  At present, no strike is planned.
   2. Mark noted that very little of the contract has to do with librarians.  He did note that the University has proposed changes to Article 15 (Promotion, Advancement, and Termination).  The University has changed the definition of years worked before being granted regular appointment.  The first contract year will be the first full fiscal year worked.  Therefore, the first contract year can be quite long for some – for example, a librarian hired on July 7, 2005 will not have completed his first contract year until June 30, 2007.  Mark also noted that the Provost wants more time (45 days) to make decisions on contract renewals and regular appointments.  If approved, all paperwork would need to be completed some time in October rather than December.
5. Old Business:  There was no old business to discuss.
6. New Business:
   1. Carole Bell introduced Martha Cannon, an intern from Drexel.  Martha is a Temple alumna and is helping with the management of our e-resources.
   2.  Anne Harlow announced that Sam Stormont is leaving Temple to take the Director’s position at Penn State Abington.  There will be a farewell party on December 22nd.
   3. Reminder:  The deadline for merit applications is December 15th.
   4. Gretchen Sneff reported that the Faculty Senate will be meeting on November 23rd at 1:40 to discuss the General Education proposal.  It will be an open meeting, but only elected representatives have voting privileges.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 PM.

General Assembly Meeting

Paley Library Lecture Hall
September 21, 2004
2:00 PM

Present: J. Baldwin, C. Bell, C. Brigham, C. Davis Cunningham, M. Edsall, G. Fowler, S. Golding, A. Goldstein, A. Harlow, M. Jerrido, L. Lane, C. Lang, J. LeBreton, R. Lezenby, G. McKinney, D. Murray, P. Myers, B. Schoolar, G. Sneff, S. Stormont, K. Szigeti, M. Thomas, S. Thompson, T. Whitehead, B. Wright

Guests: B. Cho, L. Gordon, J. Linwood, D. Overfield, R. Sieber, R. Spaulding, G. Zoller

Chairperson Greg McKinney called the meeting to order at 2:05 pm.

1. Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of May 2004 were approved.
2. Elections: Carol Brigham, Chair of Nominations and Elections, asked for nominations from the floor for the Chair of the Continuing Education Committee and for the PARA committee. There were none. Ballots were collected.
3. Report from Jonathan LeBreton:
   1. Vice Provost search: The first interview for a candidate for the Vice Provost for Libraries and Director of Paley Library has been scheduled for September 29 th and 30 th, 2004. The identity of the candidate has not yet been released, nor do we know how many candidates will be interviewed. We are all encouraged to attend the candidate’s presentation and prepare questions for the meeting with library staff. The presentation will be given in Paley’s lecture hall. Since we hope for a large turnout, it will probably be crowded.
   2. Budget: In fiscal year 05, we were allocated an additional 8% to the library budget to cover inflation in the price of tangible (not electronic) library records. This comes to approximately $290,000. While this does not address all of our inflationary needs, it does indicate that the university administration acknowledges the problem that inflation causes with our budget.

      The narrative portion of this year’s Temple University budget states that there will be an increase to our budget of 1.4 million dollars. The money has not actually been allocated yet; it will probably happen when a Vice Provost is hired, and it will be shared with Law and the Health Sciences Libraries.

   3. Message of encouragement: We have been doing a terrific job moving forward under extraordinary circumstances; we need to continue doing what we’ve been doing, so that in the spring with the support of the university and a new VPL, we will do even better.

      A question was asked about the 1.4 million dollar budget increase. Jonathan clarified that it is for materials, but noted that it would relieve pressure on other parts of the budget, such as staff and equipment. He also noted that a part would be consumed by inflation.

      A question was asked about incorrect vacation and sick time appearing on our pay stubs. HR is working on the problem, but has given no time frame for a resolution. To have yours corrected, start with the libraries’ Administrative Services to ensure that the information we provide is correct. Jonathan will be bringing the matter up with Deborah Hartnett in October when they meet.

1. Election results:
   • Continuing Education Committee (Chair): David Dillard
   • PARA : Rick Lezenby & Barbara Wright

Carol Brigham thanked all who were willing to run for these committees.

1. New business:
   1. AAL Website: Carol Brigham reported that the AAL website is missing many pages and has a number of broken links. She is working on the problem and will send out an announcement when she thinks it is fixed.
   2. Introductions: Jenifer Baldwin introduced Gabriela Zoller, Reference intern, and Susan Golding, the Government Documents Librarian. Mary Edsall introduced Robert Spaulding, Philadelphia Dance Collection intern. Margaret Jerrido introduced Rick Sieber and Dan Overfield , Urban Archives interns. Jonathan LeBreton introduced Brooke Cho, Director of Development. Gretchen Sneff introduced Kathy Szigeti, Science Librarian for Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science. Sandi Thompson introduced Larissa Gordon, Ambler Library intern. Tom Whitehead introduced Judith Linwood, Special Collections intern.
   3. Library Prize for Research: Gretchen Sneff announced to the General Assembly a new program that has received support and funding from the Provost’s office. It is an opportunity to promote the use of the Libraries’ collections by undergraduates. Students can submit an application describing the research process they used to complete an assignment for a Temple University for credit course and additional information which will be judged by a panel of faculty and librarians. Up to three $1000 prizes will be awarded. The program was modeled after one at the University of California, Berkeley.

1. Old Business:

Membership in AAL: A discussion was carried over from last year concerning the eligibility of Temple University Libraries staff members who are not employed as librarians for membership in AAL. The relevant section of the bylaws was included on the agenda and read aloud. The Steering Committee felt that the issue was adequately explained in the bylaws and asked for members to speak if any felt the bylaws needed to be changed. Some members felt that the bylaws could be strengthened by further clarification of the term “professional librarian” but it was ultimately decided to postpone any changed until after the bylaws are reviewed by the new Vice Provost for Libraries.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

Submitted by,

Carla Davis Cunningham

1. Minutes approved as amended.
2. J. LeBreton offered commendations to AAL for developing this particular program and thanks for work done by librarians and ADC.  No announcement has been made yet of the appointment of an interim University Librarian, but library business continues in a competent and professional manner.  Librarians are encouraged to read the ADC and RIS minutes.  The library is moving forward with more strategic planning that will be done this spring, along with all of the administrative groups on campus.
3. Discussion:  AAL information on the web.  Public or private?
   A concern was raised that even if AAL information is made public, that it should also be made evident and easy to find.  The question was raised whether or not certain areas could be made public and others remain secured.  For example, could the minutes be private, but procedures and policies public.    J. LeBreton has been asked about our procedures for promotion, rank, and tenure.  All agreed that procedures and policies of the website can be made public.  The discussion will be continued in the next meeting because there is not a forum here today.
4. Other Business – G. Sneff – The General Education proposal in the Faculty Senate will be voted upon this month.  All faculty who want to amend the proposal must submit their proposals in writing.  A committee will be appointed to advise administration in searches for administrative positions.  The projected implementation date is 2005 or 2006.

Mr. Davis discussed how articulation, relaxation, and projection are essential in oral communication.   The more dynamic a speaker is, the more clearly the message is communicated.   However, this does not necessarily mean that a speaker needs to be loud.  Articulation, variety in pitch, good use of inflection, and gesture make a speech memorable and exciting.  Mr. Stanton discussed the stress of speaking in a public situation, and ways to overcome this stress.   The group was given tongue tickler exercises.   The physical mechanism of the jaws, tongue, lips, soft palate, and throat were described, as well as how to develop the muscles involved.  Breathing was discussed: the proper way to breathe was described, and exercises for breathing were given.  Exercises for releasing tension were also described and then tried by the whole group.  Techniques for adding variety and interest to public speaking were discussed and demonstrated, including variations in pitch, rhythm, and gesture.

1. Chair S. Thompson brought the meeting to order at 2:10, welcoming us to the new year and to our speaker, Catherine Fiorello.
2. Minutes of the meeting of November 2003 were approved as amended.
3. Staff Recognition Award  (C. Lang) – Reminder to nominate staff members for the award, and to write the nominations well.  Nominations should be submitted by early February.
4. Library Book Club Announcement (M. Jerrido) – “The Secret Life of Bees” is the book that the Book Club is reading together.  The Library Book Club meets on Thursdays 1:10-1:50, and all are invited to attend.  The next book will be “The Color of Water” by James McBride, in conjunction with the “One Book One Philadelphia” program.
5. Announcement – In commemoration of the Brown vs. Board of Ed. 50th Anniversary, a presentation/forum from University Libraries will be given.
6. Interim Library Director  – J. LeBreton was asked if anything has been heard about the library interim director.  Administrative Council is still meeting to take care of library business.  Comments, questions, concerns should go to the department heads or to the administrative office.  Anything of concern should be discussed at the Administrative Office, with the department head, or ADC.

The Assembly had a break for refreshments, which was followed by a presentation from Catherine Fiorello, from the Department of Psychological Studies at the College of Education.

Understanding Learning Styles 

Catherine Fiorello led a discussion on learning styles and how to apply this knowledge to more effectively communicate with library patrons in individual consultation situations as well as in the classroom.  Many different theories exist because often this phenomenon is self-reported. The students themselves say how they think they do better, but this can be their own perception and is not necessarily substantiated by empirical research.  For example, students will report that they study better with music playing in the background, but tests may show that they do better studying in silence. Another example is that if students are asked if they learn better with a videotape or lecture, they will often respond that they prefer a videotape because they prefer  not to listen to a lecture even though they may learn better that way.

However, most individuals have innate strengths and weaknesses in learning, which can be visual, auditory, or tactile.  However, only students that have a learning disability are tested for these strengths or weaknesses.  So, in a classroom, multisensory learning is the goal.  Setting up projects so that the students are doing a variety of tasks, such as some lectures, some papers, some projects, and some group projects is an effective strategy.  This way the instructor can involve most people’s strengths and at the same time can compensate for those with weaknesses.  But, for those with disabilities, this may be still be a problem.  For example, a teacher who keeps talking while turning around and writing on the board would not be understood by a student with an auditory disability.  Multisensory education not only helps those with weaknesses, but also provides reinforcement for those students who are normal.  Also, keep in mind that students who have English as a second language are not served well with only the lecture format.  They need supporting printed materials.

Specifically, in helping students work with computers, simply telling them about how to use a computer is not effective.  Such instruction must be visual and tactile.   The most helpful approach is have the student perform the work on the computer while the instructor watches and tells him what to do.  It is best for the student to hear, see, and touch.

Other topics covered were assessing the level of prior knowledge, and motivating students to learn a new skill.  Quickly assessing the level of prior knowledge in each individual patron is important in order to match the instructional level to the level of prior knowledge.  Conveying to students that new skills need to be learned is important for providing motivation.   The social skills of the librarian during the reference interview are crucial here.  The librarian needs to be seen as both teacher and helper.

1. Veterans Day – S. Thompson gave special thanks to veterans and library families with veterans.
2. Other Business –The AAL Website has been updated.  All minutes are posted.
3. Minutes of the General Assembly Meeting of September 9, 2003 were approved as amended.
4. Report of University Librarian (C. Lang for M. Pastine)
   F. Immler was given some funds to offset some of this year’s cancellations.
5. Faculty Senate Representative Report.  (L.Lane for G. Sneff)
6. Introductions
   G. McKinney introduced two librarians who are new to Temple University.

   Jenifer Baldwin began October 6th as the department head for Reference and Instructional Services, bringing an impressive array of qualifications and experience.   She previously has worked at Drexel University as the team leader for Information Literacy and Subject Specialist in the areas of art, design, and architecture.  Prior to her work at Drexel, Jenifer worked in the Reference Department of Van Pelt Library of the University of Pennsylvania.  At one time, Jenifer also had her own collectibles business, and worked for Borders Books specializing in rare and out-of-print books.   Jenifer has also worked at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh and has studied film production.  Currently, in addition to serving as the Department Head for Reference here at Temple, Jenifer teaches the Resources in the Social Sciences class at Drexel University’s College of Information Science and Technology.

   David Murray came to Temple University Libraries on September 22nd as a Reference Librarian and Subject Specialist in History.  Prior to coming to Temple, David worked as a Reference Librarian at Pierce College.  He is a native of Pittsburgh and did graduate work at the University of New Mexico where he earned his Masters in Mesoamerican Studies, specializing in the Amazon and Mayan civilizations.  David has previously held positions at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh and at the Albequerque Public Library.  David likes science fiction, especially Star Trek.

   The Academic Assembly of Librarians welcomes Jenifer and David to Temple University Libraries.

7. Semi-Social Committee – S. Thompson mentioned restarting the library’s Semi-social Committee, to provide a way for librarians to get to know one another on an informal basis.
8. Librarians’ Travel Policy – J. Le Breton will send to the listserv information about the travel policy.
9. Mentor program for new librarians – This program will provide an opportunity for Temple librarians to provide help to new librarians at Temple if needed, and is intended to be an informal way of librarians helping each other.  Anyone who is interested in the Mentor program please contact a Steering Committee member.
10. New Business – S. Stormont suggested that the AAL webpage should include a listing of interesting projects that Temple Librarians are doing.
11. BrownBag Lunches are to begin again.  M. Edsall has offered to organize these and to take notes.  The intention is for the lunches to be an open forum and to foster interdepartmental communication.
12. Reminder – Merit applications are due soon.
13. Forum – A. Harlow “The Art of Presenting: Tips and Tricks from the Performing Arts.”
    Anne Harlow gave a presentation on practical techniques for public speaking for librarians from the fields of music, dance, and theater.  This presentation is part of one that she will give on Friday, November 14th for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Library Association.

    Presentations, Harlow said, in some ways are like plays, and the creator of the presentation is both actor and playwright.  All presenters, in order to be successful, must know the needs of the people in the audience and address the speech to their needs. Creating a presentation must begin with having clear objectives.

    Presentations have three main parts, just like many plays have three acts.  “Act I” is the Introduction, “Act II” is the body of the presentation, and “Act III” is the conclusion.   Essential components of each part of a presentation were examined.   In “Act I”, the introduction, the audience will meet the characters, get the background, and see the plot set in motion.  Good techniques for getting the audience’s attention are stories, an amazing situation, references to the audience’s specific situation, a controversial comment, an arresting visual, a particularly relevant funny joke, or even a horror story. The introduction must define the subject of the presentation, how the subject will be addressed, and convince the audience that they should care.   The body of the speech, “Act II”, must have a clear organizational structure, which can be problem/solution, good news/bad news, chronological, or an extended metaphor.  Tactics that can be used in the body of the speech are examples, questions, quotes, suspense, humor, stories, personal examples, statistics, or lists.  If possible, a dramatic climax should occur at the end of the body of the speech.  The conclusion, “Act III”, needs to distill the message in a clear, memorable form.  The difference between listening to a speech and reading text were discussed, and why and how these two forms of communication are very different.  Techniques for writing presentations, objectives, visuals, and editing were discussed.

S. Thompson thanked Anne for her helpful and practical presentation.