Faculty Senate Library Committee

Minutes, Oct. 21, 2002 Meeting

Present:  Gwen Achenreiner, Frank Barmore, Liz Cason, Susan Crutchfield, Scott Dickmeyer, Jason Letizia (student representative), Elsie Patterson, Denis Provencher, Cris Prucha, Dave Reineke, Julie Yazici (committee chair), Chia-Chen Yu, and

Anita Evans (consultant)

The meeting was called to order at 4 pm by Yazici

• Minutes from the Sept. 23 meeting were approved with minor changes.

• Old Business:
  • Information literacy document:  Prucha , Yu, and T. Gerber met as a subcommittee and made changes to the latest version of the document.  It has become shorter, deleting repetition between the document and appendix A.  Assessment data for past student sessions in library instruction have been added. 

Cason showed the earlier version to the faculty in the School of Education, who were positive, feeling an info lit. requirement could help their students reach their GEP requirements. 

Discussion ensued:  What it would mean if UW-L 100 becomes required across the student body (with required library info session).  Would other classes now using library sessions cease to do so?  To make UW-L 100’s sessions useful for everyone, their sequencing should be examined (UW-L 100 session early in term to pave way for more specialized skills in sessions for other courses at 100 level).  What competencies be covered in the UW-L 100 session?  Should there be discussion with the course instructors to agree upon competencies for their specific courses?   The library could offer an “exemplary assignment” web page featuring assignments that teach particular info lit. skills well.  Faculty could graze the page and pick one or two to satisfy that course level’s competencies. There was some discussion of how this document fits into the Strategic Plan 2002.

Revisions to the current document were recommended:  under100 level description, the document should mention other national programs that require such a course.  Perhaps a “targeted course” listing should be included under each course level section.  The question was raised of how much specificity should be included in the document and how much should be negotiated later with the GEP. 

Provencher volunteered to join a Gen Ed subcommittee on issues related to info lit./critical thinking.  Prucha, Yu, and T. Gerber have already agreed to participate on any such committee.

A file of the revised document will be forwarded to committee members for a vote in the November meeting.

• New Business:
  • Prucha reported on a panel on information literacy which she has organized for the UW-L conference on teaching and learning in January.  It was generally agreed that brochures on the information literacy initiative should be distributed at the panel.  Yazici might attend as library committee representative.

• Director’s Report:
  • Evans reviewed a handout of comparative statistical information from the Academic Library Survey of UW system libraries.  She noted that our staffing is rather low in comparison to other campus library systems.  Also, Murphy is trying to maintain book expenditures and not let them be eroded by serials expenditures.
  • Prints of Michael Blaser’s UW-L-commissioned oil painting are still available for purchase, with proceeds going to the Murphy Library Endowment Fund.

Future Business:

o       We will continue discussing and vote on the info lit. document.

o       We will look at a new web-based reference service the library will pilot, called Reference Point.

The meeting adjourned at 5:07 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Crutchfield