9/14/2016

Meeting with Dean Zack Goldberg and Wendy Roque. I will move into the library from the faculty office. My current schedule is library coverage Monday – Wednesday from 9:15 A.M. through 1:00 P.M. (my classes begin at 1:10 P.M.), and 9:15 A.M. through 3:30 on Thursdays.

During this meeting, we discussed the initiatives that can begin now that an additional library person is in the facility (previously, Dr. Richard Mills provided coverage for the library, but he was not interested in necessary protocol such as shelving, weeding and shelf reading; these things must be done during this term). In addition to the standard operations (providing space for students, checking books in and out, providing help with computers, writing and other services), we now have new challenges:

  1. Starting this term, the new, extensively overhauled MEMP program has been introduced, as well as the older program for terms 2 and 4 (there was no start for one term, hence there is no current 3). We need two sets of textbooks for the program, as well as two separate sets for the ARP program, which is in the third month of its new, overhauled program (term 4 is finishing the old program).
  2. Starting this term, all students will have Kindle Fires to use. The ARP students will only have lab manuals supplied electronically (their program consists of 60% lecture courses, 40% lab; each session in a lab is an assignment that must be completed for a grade); the 1st term MEMP students will have all textbooks supplied electronically.
  3. Although we are hopeful for a visit from the appropriate agency to be able to begin our A.A.S program, Zack believes that the visit should be treated as an ‘if’ rather than a ‘will,’ and the library should be designed with that guideline. At least 100 books have not been catalogued, several need to have their status changed from circulating to reserve, as several are now textbooks in the new program (textbooks in the old program must remain until that program stops being taught). The library has not been shelf-read and weeded in a long time, and these are priorities; the bulk of my time will be utilized in this way when I am not assisting students in writing assignments or the use of the computers in the library (several show a surprising lack of experience in using the computers; just this week, a student did not know how to attach a file to an e-mail).
  4. There will be a library meeting once a week to share information and progress with our initiatives.
  5. We will revitalize the outreach program, where I will go to first-term classrooms and introduce the services of the library and illustrate basic usage. Lesson plans will be handed in as part of this course’s assignments.
  6. We will evaluate and possibly re-design the handouts for library introduction, and basics of APA style.
  7. We will evaluate magazines that we currently subscribe to.

Wendy told both of us that she is very happy that I will now be in the library.

Hours – 2

 

Week of 9/19/2016

I have assisted our IT person (Daoning Dai) in obtaining Instructor editions of textbooks, as well as student textbooks for 1st term MEMP students (other students already have their textbooks, as they are given to students free and delivered to them during the 1st and 2nd term). It has been determined that instructors will not be getting Kindle Fires, and must use printed textbooks. In order to make sure that instructors return textbooks at the end of each term, all instructor editions will now be a part of the library, and will be checked out and in with any other book that circulates (In the past, instructors would obtain textbooks from the either myself or the department chair, resulting in our needing new copies if they were not returned).

Wendy has confirmed that the library space needs some re-design, moving computers to create space for two working librarians. Daoning has moved here as well for additional coverage.

We need to create a donation form; when Dr. Mills left, he removed several DVDs that he ‘donated’ and took them home. We must establish the practice that a donation is permanent, hence the form.

We will review any magazine subscriptions, print and/or electronic.

I am preparing lesson plans for the library outreach.

There are 4-5 students in the library at any given time. I am assisting new students in the use of the computers, as well as discussing how to use the photocopy machine (which necessitates payment).

I have learned some basics in the KOHA system the library uses. I can check books in and out.

Hours in library this week – 16 ½

Total Hours – 18 ½

 

Week of 9/26/16

There are at least 50 books that are being evaluated for removal. The process is:

  • Checking to see what edition is current if it is a textbook.
  • Checking the date (for our school, very often a book is outdated after two years).
  • Checking how much this book would sell for by checking Amazon.
  • Listing it on Amazon as a used book

Several books are published by Cengage, which encourages old instructor editions of textbooks to be sent back to them for recycling (they provide a mailing label for this). Wendy is reluctant to weed out too many older books that have call numbers because the state requires us to maintain a certain number of books as part of our accreditation, and there is a freeze on buying except under special circumstances. I’ve made the argument that any money we raise by selling older books should stay in the library, but we have to discuss this with Hubert, our financial officer.

There are two bulletin boards that have had little change in the last few months. Wendy assigned these to me. I polled students and faculty for suggestions for updating the boards. They include: breast cancer awareness, positive intimate relationships, and study tips for examinations. These will be discussed next week.

I was asked to get copies of artist and producer agreements for the MEMP department chair. I located the materials from the books on the stacks, as well as finding them on the internet. They were reviewed them with him for use in his and other instructor’s classes.

 

9/28/16 – Weekly library meeting. Attending: Daoning Dai (IT), Zack Goldberg (Dean), Jenelle Woodrup (Assistant Dean), Wendy Roque (Learning Resource System Librarian), myself.

  1. We are in the midst of solidifying library hours. Ideally, the library should be open longer for night students. It has been suggested that at least three days a week, the library should be open as late as 8:00 P.M.
  2. Since mid-terms are taking place soon, more and more students are gathering in the library and asking for assistance.

 

Hours in library this week – 15 1/2

Total Hours – 34

 

Leave a comment