Public Services Committee Meeting: September 28, 2020

Zoom / Conference Call

Members attending: Caitlin Archer-Helke (Saint Xavier University), Jessica Bastian (Illinois Central College), Krista Bowers Sharpe (Western Illinois University), Aaron Harwig, co-chair (College of DuPage), Chad Kahl (Illinois State University), Cynthia Kremer (Joliet Junior College), Nestor Osorio, co-chair (Northern Illinois University), Cory Stevens (Lake Forest College), Lesley Wolfgang (Saint John's College of Nursing)

Members absent: None

CARLI Staff attending: Elizabeth Clarage

CARLI Staff absent: Denise Green

Board Liaisons: Spencer Brayton (Waubonsee Community College), Rob Morrison (National-Louis University)

Decisions

• August minutes approved.
• The committee recommends continuing the CARLI Public Services Committee. No official vote taken; no objections were raised. The committee seemed in agreement that the committee should continue.

Announcements

• Member Announcements:
  • Aaron (College of DuPage) – The library is taking requests online. COVID-19 restrictions are in place, limited on-campus     interactions.  
  • Cynthia (Joliet Junior College) – Contactless delivery service is available, but the library has received limited requests. One library computer classroom used occasionally. In response to the increasing COVID-19 infections in Will County, the campus is now closed on Fridays for even limited access.     Encouraging limited contact. JCC is listing COVID-19 cases on their website.  Townhall meeting on Fridays with COVID-19 updates.
  • Chad (Illinois State University)  – The library has been closed as COVID-19 cases increased on campus. The cases have now decreased. They have had trouble with students removing masks in the library. Still doing virtual reference.
  • Nestor (Northern Illinois University) – The library continues to follow guidelines as established at the beginning of the semester. NIU saw a     small increase of cases about 10 days ago, in response all undergraduate classes went online. Face to face classes have resumed. Library first two floors are open.
  • Cory (Lake Forest College) – Library still online only. Nothing new to report
  • Caitlin (Saint Xavier University) – Open but limited capacity. Library doors are locked with access for students and others with their i.s. card. Almost all reference services are virtual; will help people if they come in. Offering a book paging service. Have had problems with students taking off masks and moving furniture to sit together as a group.
  • Krista (Western Illinois University)  – No major changes to report. WIU still open. Students are taking masks off once they are in the library. Students are moving furniture to sit in groups. Students need an ID to enter the building.  
  • Lesley (Saint John’s College of Nursing) – Library is located in the hospital. Reminding students to wear masks and not move furniture. Otherwise, all right.
  • Jessica (Illinois Central College) – The library has had an increase in virtual services like chat, YouTube views, and virtual instruction. They are Implementing Leganto course reading lists; working with LMS support and faculty on course reading lists. ICC will be virtual this spring. Training on Alma and Primo VE continues for library staff, faculty, and students.  
• CARLI Announcements:
  • Professional Development Alliance Offerings for October are on the CARLI website calendar. (https://www.carli.illinois.edu/calendar/2020-10) Registration is linked from the calendar’s program listing.
    • Librarians Across Disciplines: Mitigating Archival Chaos (October 13, 1:00–1:45 p.m. CST)
    • Assessment of Student Learning in Academic Libraries (October 14, 10:00–11:00 a.m. CST)
    • Transcending Meatspace: Virtual Reality Library Events via Mozilla Hubs (October 19, 1:00-2:00 p.m. CST)
    • Teaching Information Literacy K-16 (October 20, 11:00–12:00 p.m. CST)
    • Demystifying Research and Publishing in Libraries (October 22, 1:00–2:00 p.m. CST)
    • The Happy Place: Creating Positive Library Spaces Using Emotional Intelligence (October 27, 1:00-2:00 p.m. CST)
    • Git and GitHub for Libraries (October 28, 10:00-11:00 a.m. CST)
    • Tips and Techniques for Facilitating Meetings Online (October 28, 1:00-2:00 p.m. CST)
  • CARLI has reorganized and updated the Alma / Primo VE Known Issues Page.
  • At its September meeting, the CARLI Board approved the bulk extension of due dates from October 1, 2020 to February 1, 2021. The February 1 date will apply to all I-Share (resource sharing) loans and will also apply to all local circulation unless the I-Share library requests a different policy for some or all of their local circulation. Please direct any questions or requests for help in modifying your local circulation settings to us at CARLI Support (support@carli.illinois.edu). Full information is available on the CARLI website at https://www.carli.illinois.edu/proposal-alma-bulk-due-date-extension-approved-carli-board-directors.
  • At its September meeting, the CARLI Board approved two proposals that will end the practice of I-Share libraries charging overdue fines for their main circulating collections and “processing fees” for any lost materials. These policy changes will cover both I-Share resource sharing transactions and also “local” circulation to patrons affiliated with the institution. At the discretion of the institution, overdue fines may still be assessed to local patrons late in returning limited access collections such as reserves, equipment, and other special materials. Please note that libraries may still bill any patron for the replacement of lost materials, but may not charge an additional processing fee. These policy changes are mandatory for I-Share libraries, but all CARLI Governing Member institutions are encouraged to adopt them.

Tasks Assigned

• Jessica taken by took minutes.
• All committee members should review and  make comments to the “Recommendation” document in Box by next meeting.
• All committee members  should add ideas on how their local public services have changed due to the pandemic, for example the implementation of  virtual services.
• All committee members should consider how Primo VE is changing the user experience and add those ideas to the Box.

Discussion

• Annual Project for 2020/2021 – Revisioning and reevaluating the Public Services Committee’s role in CARLI.
  • Review of past discussions included Committee Charge, Past Projects, Gaps and Overlap, look at needs of users – current and future needs, and looking at Equity Diversity and Inclusion.
  • Suggestion that we share Public Services Committee information like the Charge, Annual Projects, Guidelines, etc. Referred to a draft Box document shared during the meeting via Zoom. Suggest recommendations on what has been done in the last 5 years. Look at past projects, provide description and outcome and then relate it the current charge of the committee. This strategy/format for presenting past projects and aligning it to the Committee Charge may be the committee’s response to this Board directed project.
  • Committee members noted that the current Charge is “neverending.” It is not something that can be completed or finished.
  • Recommendations for future include: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) topics.Should we develop an EDI for this document? CARLI approved a Board level task force on EDI. May need to wait and see what the new task force develops.
  • Members can contribute comments to the document that is shared via Box.
  • Committee agreed that the CARLI Public Services committee has a future and should continue. There will be changes in the way that public services are delivered that the committee can continue to explore.
• Project Ideas:
  • What have we learned about public services in during the COVID-19 crisis in the past six months? Could we do a short project on discussion what we have learned about public services in the past six months? This project would allow members to connect over lessons learned. For example: safety requirements, building closures, closed collections, virtual services, and digitization could be topics to discuss. Eager to see what the lasting changes may be – paperless, more flexible work schedules, enhanced virtual services, etc.
    • Bringing the library into the digital space. Students have been virtual for decades but COVID is “forcing” the library to enhance virtual services.
    • For community colleges, offering more robust virtual services has been away to reach students that may have trouble with transportation, childcare, etc. Offering virtual services has allowed us to better serve students.
  • Primo VE and Alma enhancements are changing public services for CARLI patrons. Should Public Services be looking at Primo VE? Specifically focused on how having a discovery service such as Primo VE has changed the user experience for CARLI patrons.
    • On one side there is a lack of standardization of services in Primo VE because each institution is offering different services.
    • No specific CARLI committee  dealing with Primo VE.
    • Primo VE is an important issue that will be ongoing for several years. This committee could take a up a project to look at Primo VE from the user’s point of view.   
• Other topics for the Public Services committee to explore are changes to collections (like a demand for e-books) and how the online environment may be compounding issues to equity in regard to technology gaps.

Next Meeting Dates and Deadlines

The committee meets on the fourth Monday of each month.
The next Public Services Committee meeting will be from Noon – 1pm on October 26, 2020 via Zoom.

Deadlines:

• Work on the committee recommendation document before next meeting.
• 2020-2021 CARLI Annual Project:
  • Chairs Meeting to Review Committees’ Project: October/November
  • Initial Report Due for CARLI Board of Directors Review: December 1, 2020
  • Final Plan Presented for Approval, March 2021 CARLI Board Meeting: March 1, 2021