WSU Libraries Planning Committee Meeting notes, 29.May.1996

Washington State University Libraries
Planning Committee
29.May.1996 Meeting
Summary Notes

Attending: Janet Chisman, Vicki Croft, Rhonda Gaylord, Mary Gilles (Co-Chair), Daryl Herbison, Lauren McNiece, Ingrid Mifflin, Marilyn Von Seggern (Co-Chair), Kay Vyhnanek, Sharon Walbridge (Recorder), John Webb, Leslie Wykoff (via phone) and Christy Zlatos.
Absent: Jill Palmer and Barbara Paulson.

Check-in
Sharon Walbridge indicated that she was distributing an article entitled Choosing our Futures from the newest issue of College and Research Libraries. Although the re-organization of the University of Arizona Libraries is receiving a great deal of attention by the library press, the WSU Libraries Planning Committee has not embraced any part of that model any more than it has embraced models offered by other university libraries.
Meeting minutes
Minutes of the May 22 meeting were approved with a correction to the last paragraph. The sentence which read, "There was agreement to solicit employee ideas and opinions regarding service to library users through a Town Meeting format.", was changed to read, "There was agreement to solicit employee ideas and opinions regarding service to library users separate from a survey regarding the internal climate."

Surveys
External stakeholders/ Library users:
After much discussion, it was decided to proceed with a Town Meeting on Wednesday, June 5 at 10:00 AM in room 422-A Old Holland (Pullman campus) to gather ideas in a brainstorming format regarding services the Libraries should offer now and in the future. Following the Town Meeting, a list of services will be compiled and sent to every member of the Libraries staff to collect opinions on which services they think will be most in demand in the future. The ranking exercise will not be a "binding vote" -- it is purely for information and results will not be distributed. The Town Meeting will be videotaped for distribution to ECLS Libraries and those staff at those locations will be urged to do lists of services also.
The Planning Committee will also begin discussions on organizational design, mechanisms and structure, based on the foundation documents (values, mission and vision). There was discussion regarding the role services play in the design of an organization with opinion being split as to which comes first. i.e.- Do services have to drive the design, or not ...
Vicki Croft reported on a survey of library users (emphasis on faculty) that is being planned by a subcommittee of the Library Steering Committee headed by Bob Speth. In addition to determining what faculty want from the Libraries, the intent of the survey is to raise faculty consciousness regarding issues facing the Libraries. Croft has spoken with Speth about the WSUL Planning Committee's efforts and interest in a user survey and will continue to work with him as the Planning Committee's liaison. The Speth committee wants a list of services provided by the Libraries and that fits into the Planning Committee's plans.

Summary by Marilyn Von Seggern, based on Sharon Walbridge's
WSU Libraries Planning Committee meeting notes