2007-08 Council on Libraries, Information Systems and Computing (LISC)
Minutes
February 22, 2008
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
AS357
Attendance: Lawrence Raffalovich (chair), Debra Dickerson (support staff), George Berg;
Carolyn Malloch; Frank D’Andraia; Victoria VonArx; Christine Haile
I. Call to Order
II. January 25, 2008 Minutes were tabled until the next LISC meeting as there was no
quorum.
III. Reports
A. Report from Chief Information Officer (Haile)
Chris reported on the Blackboard and teaching and learning highlights.

Winter Session: 10 sections (fully online) – 150 enrollments.

Spring 2008: 28 sections (fully online) – 638 enrollments.
623 sections (hybrid & face to face) – 22K enrollments.

Summer 2008: 52 sections (fully online) – graduate & undergraduate courses.
Other Points:
 Successfully transitioned spring faculty to Blackboard; WebCT retired
February 11.

New BLS @ UAlbany web site launched (http://www.albany.edu/its/bls).

Full schedule of face to face workshops
(http://www.albany.edu/its/bls/training.htm).

Testing Anti-Plagiarism software (Safe Assign) for availability in the fall with
Blackboard. Chris will ask Joy to come and talk about this software at a
future LISC meeting.

Testing integration of Audience Response Systems (“clickers”) with
Blackboard.

Completed faculty training for summer 2008 online course project.
LISC Minutes
-2-
February 22, 2008

Plans to transition fully online courses from SUNY Learning Network 1
semester ahead of schedule.

Piloting Blog & Wiki software.

Any issues with Blackboard should be directed to Joy Ewing.

ITS is getting ready to implement e-mail aliases for students.
B. Report from Director of Libraries (D’Andraia)
Frank reported Duane Webster, Executive Director of the Association of Research Libraries,
will be on campus February 27th, to talk about the future of research libraries. Mr. Webster is
scheduled to speak @ 2:00 p.m. in the D’Ambra Auditorium.
Two non-credit courses will be offered this fall by the University Libraries: Research
Anxiety and Plagiarism.
The first of two library storage facilities, which hold less frequently used library materials, is
expected to reach capacity by 2010. The second library storage facility has a need for
additional shelving units. Collections housed in either storage unit are retrievable.
For the past two years the libraries of the four SUNY centers have been pooling resources to
purchase university press publications. In the spring of 2008 a report will be presented
evaluating this initiative. In addition, center libraries are exploring the option of jointly
purchasing shared “electronic books.”
The Library Committee will meet again in March. Larry asked that Frank supply him with a
copy of the minutes of this committee.
The UAlbany library holds the papers of the Republican and Conservative parties. Columbia
U. has the Democratic Party papers.
IV.
Old Business
A. Proposed Revisions to Charter (ITPUC)
The charter was written up as a bill. The Senate Executive Committee has problems with
potential conflict of interest. Reed Hoyt is holding. The Executive Committee needs to
discuss before sending to the Senate. Should ex officio members chair any committee?
B. Library Funding
Frank was asked to go over the Budget information distributed at the
January 25th LISC meeting.
Larry asked Frank for the data on intra library loan and to define
Columns 6 and 7 of the ARL Supplemental Stats 2006-07 spreadsheet.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.