Sci-Tech Collaborative Minutes, Feb 13, 2007
Present: Damon Austin, Svetla Baykoucheva, Tom Harrod, Jim Miller, Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, Nedelina Tchangalova, Nevenka Zdravkovska; Guests: Lily Griner, Pat Herron
Absent: Mariann Burright, Bob Kackley
Roles: facilitator: Svetla, note taker: Jim
Agenda Review
Outcomes
Added a welcome of Tom Harrod to the Collaborative, and Pat and Lily introduced themselves.
Library of Congress Research Orientation
Pat and Lily outlined the history of the Library of Congress-University of Maryland Partnership. In 2004, Library of Congress contacted area research libraries, hoping to increase use of their reading rooms. Responding to Dean Charles Lowry's request for volunteers, Bonnie Chojnacki, Lily and Pat investigated this partnership, and reported on their experiences to the 3 Collaboratives. At that time, some other librarians and teaching faculty had already been involved in informal partnerships and classes with the Library of Congress. For Sci-Tech, our contact person would be Connie Carter of the Sci-Tech and Business Reading Room. Abby Yochelson is the over-all coordinator of the Partnership, and she would probably introduce us to the Main Reading Room. We need to have a card to use Library of Congress, and items have to be pulled from the closed stacks. But the reading rooms have extensive databases, including many that we do not have, so it is possible to do a lot of research while waiting. Lily and Pat noted that this partnership is better for certain disciplines - Gemstone and College Park Scholars will find it especially useful. The English Department is a very heavy user. The Life Sciences/Chemistry Team could use this partnership in its upcoming presentation on Science in Shakespeare's time
Outcomes
Svetla volunteered to be the coordinator for the Sci-Tech Collaborative. She will organize a Sci-Tech visit, including lunch with LC staff, for those who can take more time.
UM Library Liaison System report and practices
The Liaison System Review working Group (Alan Mattlage, Desider Vikor, Lily Griner, Judy Markowitz and Mariann Burright) wants input from faculty liaisons on how the liaison system is working. They would like for selectors to find out informally if their department liaisons would be willing to join focus groups to discuss the strong and weak points of the present system.
Outcomes
There was some concern that a uniform message be sent to all faculty liaisons, but we can let Mariann know names of faculty we know are active OR inactive in the program. We should include unofficial liaisons - faculty who are outspoken on collections issues, for example.
Communicating problems in access to electronic journals to Sci-Tech Collaborative.
Some of us have noticed very slow response in getting e-access problems resolved. Others have had good luck using the online reporting form. ITD seems to need this form to keep track of problem reports in its database.
Outcomes
We will add email to scitechcollab@umd.edu when reporting any problems on the E-Content Help forms.
Round Robin
- Bob Kackley reminds us of the Information Literacy Team (ILT) information he emailed last week.
- Damon and Tom will be meeting with Social Science and ARHU librarians.
- EPSL has a new blog EPSL News. It is intended for faculty, students and outside users, but has not yet been widely advertised.
Next Meeting: March 13, 2007, in McKeldin Room 7113
Facilitator: Mariann, note taker: Barbara
