COUNCIL OF DEPARTMENT HEADS
April 28, 2003
Present: Dr. Binder, Nancy Baird, Earlene Chelf, Brian Coutts, Connie Foster, Heather
Slack-Ratiu, Haiwang Yuan.
The April 28th minutes were approved as corrected.
Dean’s Report : Dr. Binder attended the unive rsity’s Finance and Budget Committee
meeting and reported that the committee unanimously approved his proposal for a
mandatory student library fee of $12 per semester for full time students (pro rated for part
timers).
All faculty and staff have received emails from Dr. Burch about SARS and that the
university will not reimburse for travel to SARS infected areas, including Toronto.
Toronto is the site for the June ALA meeting and at this time the Canadian city is not
allowable for travel reimbursement. However, this may change [The provost has since
rescinded the Toronto restriction].
DLPS: The SmartBoard training was successful and the “trainer” was one of the best
we’ve ever had.
Brian will do a workshop on the “best web sites” on Friday, 9 a.m. in the Info Lab.
David and Michael will load and install the Kentucky Library and Museum’s SmartBoard
tomorrow.
The Bowker representative was here and talked about and demonstrated the latest
developments for finding books, publishers, awards.
Dan Forrest has completed the schedule for extended hours during finals week.
New chillers for the Cravens Building. are scheduled for installation on May 12. The
process may disrupt service (and make the library a HOT place) for 2-3 weeks.
The passenger elevator in the Helm Building will be renovated this summer and thus
unavailable for use.
See David’s attached schedule of activities.
DLTS: Connie submitted a draft for the charge to the Task Force on E-Journal
Management System. The purpose of the task force is to study the best way to manage
these constantly changing and expensive resources and to prepare a recommendation by
February 2004. Connie suggested that the committee include Nelda Sims, Jue Wang,
Charlie Smith and Alan Logsdon. Connie will chair the committee.
Nelda reports that there are 22 applications for the position of Education Catalog
Librarian.
Form 1 for the Kentucky Library Director/Department Head has been filed. Ky Bldg
people should keep an eye out for it in AVISO, The Chronicle, etc.
E-journals and databases are now accessible on the EasyProxy.
.
DLSC: The libraries’ holiday party is scheduled for December 11 at the Brick Yard.
More details follow.
Special Collections’ new senator is Connie Mills. Pat Hodges is the alternate.
An early morning call from Charlie Wolfram indicated that during the weekend the fan
shaft in the Kentucky Building’s cooling tower broke and ruined the building’s chillers.
A new one was already on order—Phase II is happening not a moment too soon!!!—and
should arrive sometime next week. In the meanwhile the new part of the Kentucky
Building and the 3d floor of the original portion will be without air conditioning. The
first and second floors of the 1939 structure depend on ancient (and not always
dependable) window units for air. [Because of this President Ransdell decided to move
the University’s Advisory Board meeting on May 9 to the South Campus].
Marketing : The Museum Advisory Committee meets tonight.
Earlene is still completing all the paper work, statistics etc. for the VERY SUCCESSFUL
book festival.
Web and Virtual Library: Haiwang distributed sample forms for library faculty web
pages. The discussion that followed included who will update the pages, how much
should be included and should they include only recent or a complete list of
publications/activities etc. Haiwang will work with department heads on this.
Development: The university’s $90 million goal includes all money collected between
1998 and 2003 from membership, phone-a-thons, gift in kind, matching, underwriting,
etc. University Libraries and Museum’s “goal” in the campaign is $1 million.
[At this point in the meeting the ear-splitting noise of a jackhammer removing concrete
steps in the nearby machine room where new chillers will be installed, forced the council
to find a quieter meeting room!]
Heather announced that Integra Bank will underwrite the 2003-04 “Far Away Places” and
she hopes to have a donor for “Kentucky Live” in the next few days.
During her recent trip to Seattle, Heathe r met with Dee Perguson, a 1942 WKU graduate
and retired junior college professor. Perguson gave his WWII letters, diary and other war
memorabilia to the Kentucky Library decades ago; these have found great use among
history students looking at the overseas experiences of Kentuckians during that conflict.
A plan will be presented this evening to the Museum Advisory Board to consolidate and
re-define a number of the museum’s WKU Foundation accounts. The Library Advisory
Board approved a similar plan at their meeting several weeks ago. The changes will
make needed funds more accessible to the various library/museum departments.
The meeting concluded shortly after 12 o’clock.
For the council,