A student has asked a question on Library News about a fines amnesty because UCLive was blocking access to emails.
After discussion with Gail and Anne, we have decided that there are a number of other avenues for library users to access their library information. It is the responsibility of each individual to keep themselves informed about the library items they have onloan.
If Library users are continuing to have access problems with UCLive, the message will direct them to the ICTS Service Desks.
At an additional meeting of LLT on Thursday 21st January, LLT reviewed the decisions that had been made concerning the recall proceess. It was confrimed that there would be a 7 day guaranteed loan period and decided that there would be a 3 recall grace period in which the borrower can return the item after it has been recalled, and confirmed the 1 day fine grace period.
Other issues that were raised for Branch Leadership Team to discuss at the mnext BLT meeting on the 28th January were –
*look at overall procedures to do with loans and recalls including
Length of time for an item on hold shelf (discussed briefly at the REstricted Loans/High Demand meeting)
Length of “normal” loan period for undergraduates, could this be lengthened?
Differential in the amount paid for fines “normal” loans and recalls, should the “normal” loans fine be increased or the recall fine be decreased?
Please give any feedback that you have on these issues, or any other lending issues to your Branch Manager to ensure your opinion is part of the discussion.
The first Project Control Group meeting for 2010 was held this week and the work is going to schedule, with the exception of some sub-contractors not turning up during the Christmas – New Year period. Dawn and I were reassured that Fletchers are handling this situation and that the work programme will remain within the tight timeframe that was originally requested.
In the Engineering Library itself, this week was marked by the demolishing of the old book lift. Engineering Library staff were able to cope with the increased noise levels.
The Library has been notified that there will be a delay with the installation of the electronic mobile shelving and Dawn is working through various options to see how this delay can be dealt with.
The first fortnightly meeting of the Project Control Group (PCG) was held on Tuesday this week. The group was informed that the City Council consents were now signed off and work would begin. On Wednesday Fletchers arrived on site and work is slowly beginning. The programme at this point in time is able to be adjusted and Fletchers and all of the sub contractors are still working toward a completion date of 8th February 2010.
All of the Engineering library staff and some of the Physical Sciences library staff will be given health and safety instruction to enable item retrievals to take place during the construction period.
The Architect is arranging for a presentation which will give us more ideas about the colours and the design features of the furniture for the newly refurbished buildinjg. This is is hoped will take place on Friday.
At the Project Control Group (PCG) meeting on Tuesday it was announced the Fletcher Challange had won the contract to refurbish the Engineering Library. The contractors will begin work on Monday 16th November. The PCG meetings will now be held on a fortnightly basis and Site meetings will now be established. They too will be held on a fornightly schedule and Dawn will represent the Library at those meetings.
Staff members from the Physical Sciences and Engineering Libraries shared pizza and bubbles on Thursday at lunch time to mark the major changes both of these libraries are undergoing. On Thursday staff moved the Reserve collection from Engineering to Physical Sciences in readiness for the summer. Well done to the team of movers. Thanks go to Terri Elder and her helper Tony who moved art works from the Engineering Library into storage or covered them to protect them from dust and other building fallout. Library staff from these two libraries will be moving Engineering Library stock from level 2 to level 1, after stacks have been erected on level 1,throughout the week beginning the 16th November.
The Engineering Library will be closed to academics and students from Friday 12th at 6 p.m.until 8 a.m. 8th February, 2010.
There was a Project Control Group meeting this week, although not all members of the group were able to attend.
The tenders for the building work closed on Thursday at 5.00 p.m., hopefully next week there will be movement on the decision to award the contract for the project.
The start date for the project is th 16th November 2009. The roof project was sent out as part of this tender process as well and there are some issues still to be resolved around the fire rating for the roof. The new roof will be built over the existing roof, and this causes a safety issue and affects the fire rating if not done correctly.
ICTS have not had confirmation of a new area for the computers presently in the Cave to be moved too, this issue should be resolved within the next fortnight.
The Library has a number of issues around access and storage of dismantled shelving and it is hoped that these will be adressed at the next meeting.
The Change Proposal for the proposed merger of the Physical Sciences and Engineering Libraries was presented to Physical Sciences and Engineering library staff last week. Today Dawn McMillan, Gail Pattie and I spoke to a meeting of academic staff from the Colleges of Engineering and Science. The academic staff were given a memorandum with summarised information about the proposed merger, and those staff who were unable to attend will receive an email copy of the document. All of the academic staff in these two Colleges were invited to provide feedback and comments on the proposed changes.
For a variety of reasons the Project Control Group (PCG) has not met for the last fortnight, however it is proposed that there will be a meeting held on Tuesday 20th October, which I will report on later in the week.
At the Project Control Group meeting this week the focus was on ICTS and their attempts to find a replacement area for the Cave. They and FM are continuing to negotiate for a replacement space. Planning documentation has been submitted with the Christchurch City Council and the plans for the changes to the roof of the Engineering Library will be submitted next week. It was noted that we were all waiting for the UC Council decision on the plans, which would be made at a Council meeting on Wednesday 30th September.
The Library was informed on Thursday morning that the Council had passed the plans for the Engineering Library. Both the plans for Stage one, to be completed February 2010, and the plans for Stage 2, to be completed February 2011, have been agreed too.
Staff from both the Engineering and Physical Sciences Libraries marked the chages to the Engineering Library stock with cake and champagne on Wednesday afternoon. Thanks to Dawn for organising this event.
This is to let you know that Gail, Heather and Dawn along with Chantel Inch from HR, met with TEU personnel on Monday morning to discuss progress towards the merger of EL and PSL. The meeting was an information-sharing meeting in which the Library updated TEU on the building refurbishments and progress towards a staffing Change Proposal.
At this meeting, an indicative timeline was discussed regarding the Change Proposal itself and a further meeting has been scheduled for next Monday (5th October) at 11.30am where the Change Proposal document will be presented to TEU. A meeting for the whole EL/PSL team is proposed for later in that same week, date and time to be confirmed.
There will be further information posted on Counterculture when this meeting has been confirmed.
At the Service Directors meeting yesterday, Ian Town (DVC) commented that there had been over 300 feedback forms submitted. Ian asked that the Service Managers let their staff know that the deadline for feedback on the majority of STAR Project closed at 4 p.m. on the 21st September, and feedback for the Maori/Pacific PVC position and the UCSA has a deadline of the 23rd October, plus he asked that his thanks go to all of the staff who spent time and effort in composing their feedback. Paul O’Flaherty commented that there would be an email coming out to all staff re some of this information, and that email was in fact sent out yesterday afternoon. Ian has been digesting the ideas included on the these 150 forms which were sent in and concern the portfolio of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. He also added that he understood that this coming weekend he would be reading the additional 150 feedback forms. Paul and Ian both spoke about how the VC has the complete set of feedback forms and he is dealing with each form on an individual basis, notating comments and will incorporate the feedback into the outcomes for the STAR Project.
Well done to all Library staff who attended the forums and gathered information to help formulate their ideas about this review and to those staff who provided feedback on this project.
