LFSA Exec - Minutes - July 13, 2016

7-13-16  

LFPA/LFSA Changeover Meeting 

Present:

Jocelyn Wehr, Greta Kliewer, Musa Olaka, Fran Devlin, Sherry Williams, Rebecca Orozco, Sherri  Brown, Ann Snow, Ada Emmet, Sara Morris, Karna Younger, Marianne Reed, Andi Back, Leah Nelson,  Josh Bolick 

Marianne called the joint meeting to order – gave overview of leadership for LSA and LFA; indicated  possible upcoming issues.

The overview of LSA issues included the following: 

- The ad hoc committee on library governance deliberately set up LSA without standing  committees so the membership could determine pertinent committees. This meeting is part of  an effort to elicit ideas from membership about committees and representation. This may entail  Code changes.  

- LSA’s immediate concern is to get people to fill open spots on LFSA joint committees. Sara  Morris went through a list of openings on LFSA joint committees. 

Comment: Could we get a list of active committees, what they do, how they function? How can we  orient new employees to know what governance in the Libraries is like and what the various committees  do? What is the best way to share links to the website, committee descriptions, expectations for  governance responsibilities in the coming year, etc.? Several options were discussed:

- Informational meeting/open house 

- Quarterly e-mail to new hires 

- Mention at All Staff meeting along with highlighting openings on committees

o Marianne and Sara to talk about times to schedule an event 

Sara gave overview of potential upcoming work for the Library Faculty Assembly (LFA); The biggest thing  to focus on at this point is repackaging of criteria and discipline expectations in time to go out to the  University’s Standards and Procedures for Promotion and Tenure Committee (SPPT) in May 

Comment: In the coming year, governance work should focus on ongoing charges and not meet for the  sake of meeting; should be efficient. Hopefully splitting assemblies between faculty and staff will make  meetings more pertinent to attendees. This efficiency should also aid the group in looking at standing  committees to ensure they serve a purpose. Several committees have gone on hiatus and conducted  reviews in past years; committees are supposed to be reviewed each year.  

Marianne noted that a group was formed in LSA to look at setting up LFSA’s web presence. 

The group present noted that we may need to address ways to get people to participate in governance,  especially in LSA. The ideas about orienting library employees to governance’s existence and functions  prompted discussion that if employees know what committees do, and know about the benefits of  participating in governance, they may be more likely to engage. This prompted several more ideas  regarding awareness of the various aspects of Library governance: 

- If an orientation event/open house is successful, should one be conducted regularly? Should  contact with new hires be more of an elevator pitch/one-on-one interaction? 

- It may be useful for employees to know their colleagues’ status; could help with knowing who  can participate in various committees, responsibilities, etc. Should keep this in mind when  designing the website, so members’ information needs to can mapped to appropriate links.  Make it as easy as possible for employees to identify who their “cohort” is

- Come up with list of benefits for participating in governance, especially for staff who may not  have a service requirement 

- Could we clarify how people get on listservs and are consequently informed about governance  service and membership? Several newer hires indicated they were not aware of the Libraries’  governance group until they had been in their position for some time. 

- Could governance use an orientation committee – possibly a group who visits new members like  KULSA? One-on-one interactions may be more effective than a message or big meeting that  seems optional. Discussion about strategies for approaching new hires regarding governance included suggestions to take them out for lunch, presenting them with some kind of packet or  overview of governance, or simply doing a quick pitch in their office and leaving participation up  to that person. 

- Could something about governance be added to an orientation checklist?  

Marianne encouraged members of governance committees to approach the co-chairs if there are concerns about the direction of governance in the coming year. 

- Comment: Encouraged 3 governance assemblies to examine the need for 3 executive  committees to exist after this year. Is there any streamlining possible, or do all 3 committees  need to exist? Be aware of how it works to run these assemblies, staff 3 sets of meetings, pass  along information, etc. 

- It may take more than a year to figure this out. The intent is that LFA and LSA will be the main  assemblies for their specific members, with LFSA requiring fewer meetings and less work.  

Marianne thanked all the members of LFPA and KULSS for their governance service in the past year.