Data Services Committee
Meeting Minutes
Monday, October 24, 2011
11-12:00
ATLAS Conference Room
608 S. Mathews U
Members:
x Merinda Hensley
x Karen Hogenboom, chair
x Jenny Johnson
□ Lura Joseph
x Dawn Owens-Nicholson
x Carissa Phillips
x Sarah Shreeves
x Sarah Williams
x Maryalice Wu
Guest: Eric Johnson
1. Updates
a. Research Data Initiative (Sarah S): Windsor lecture tomorrow at 4
b. ICPSR meeting (Karen and Dawn): the meeting generated ideas for workshops, data
management, and promotion (see below)
c. Library web presence for data (Karen, Lura, Sarah W): Sarah is moving her data services
website and will send the URL out for review. We need an overarching data website for
the library that links to data management and data services websites being created by
different librarians
d. Karen’s sabbatical coverage
i. Committee tasks: Karen and Carissa are meeting to go over some ideas before
Karen leaves
ii. Scheduling spring data services hours: Carissa and Maryalice will coordinate this
in early January
iii. Referring questions: Questions should be sent to datagis@library.illinois.edu or
patrons should be referred to data services hours
2. Data Purchase Program
Karen updated the committee on the status of the requests. Several issues remain to be
resolved, but we will approve all four applications as long as these issues can be resolved. Two
additional applications were received after the deadline and will be reviewed once the initial
applications are resolved. The committee decided that it would be better to have an ongoing
application process rather than a firm deadline: something like “first consideration will be given
to applications received by the deadline.” The evaluation rubric will be revised before the next
round.
3. Workshop planning
a. GIS Workshops: Library, ATLAS and ESRI Development Center
The ATLAS GAs prefer to teach in the Foreign Language Building, at least for
now. The library will continue to pursue hosting the EDC workshops
b. Numeric Data Workshops: future reshaping of ICPSR workshops and marketing
We will begin teaching a workshop that is more focused on ICPSR’s content and
less on software. Software training will be covered in ATLAS’s workshops, other
than a brief section on loading data into statistical software.
4. Data services hours next semester
a. Could we substitute an early evening of open lab hours in 314 for one of the afternoons
of consulting hours?
i. How would lab be staffed?
ii. How would we define and communicate the scope of services offered (if any)?
iii. How could we market this service and the existing consulting services?
We will have a late afternoon/early evening open lab once a week next semester. Staffing and
details of the schedule will be finalized later this semester. If a librarian needs the lab for
instruction during scheduled open lab hours, the instruction session will take precedence and
the lab will be moved to the Scholarly Commons for that time. The intent is to expand lab hours
next fall. The committee will work with Heather Murphy in Library Advancement to publicize
lab hours and will e-mail subject librarians and professors who teach data-intensive classes.