Review of University Librarian Nancy L. Baker
Collaboration and Communication
Although the UI Libraries has always shared resources with other libraries in the region and worked with the UI School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), these relationships were not perceived by many to be strong when I arrived. One of my personal goals when I came to Iowa in 2000 was to strengthen these relationships. I had hoped to develop more graduate assistantships for SLIS students working in the Libraries with the new staff funding that had originally been promised (prior to the budget cuts), to foster more student practicum experiences, and generally have the Libraries play a more active role in providing the graduate students in the SLIS program with practical library experience. Although budgetary limitations have made the creation of more assistantships difficult, we have established a few as part of grant funded projects. In addition, the number of practicum students and partnership arrangements with classes in SLIS has increased noticeably during the past 5 years. In fact, we now often have more requests than we can manage.
While the Libraries had always participated in state-wide interlibrary loan initiatives, the staff had not felt that participation in Iowa Library Association had previously been valued. Similarly the University Libraries had not traditionally taken the kind of leadership role in state-wide initiatives that one would expect from the largest library at a publicly supported institution. The following are some of the major efforts I have made to address all these concerns:
Regional libraries:
- Shared the University of Iowa’s Aleph software (i.e. InfoHawk) with the State Historical Society (SHS), making it affordable for the SHS to create its first online catalog to their collection holdings.
- Offered to take a leadership role in the state for the creation of the Iowa Digital Heritage Project (see description under services and technology).
- Improved cooperation with the other Regents university libraries and the CIC libraries on projects of mutual interest and benefit to users such as reciprocal borrowing agreements for graduate students in most of the CIC institutions and group licenses for online databases.
- Worked collaboratively with staff in the Law Library, Curriculum lab, Learning Resource Center in Journalism, and other small departmental libraries on campus.
- Met with librarians from the region occasionally over lunch to update each other on library activities and discuss issues of common concern.
- Promoted participation among the library staff in the Iowa Library Association.
UI School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS)
- Encouraged library staff to work with library science practicum students and other cooperative arrangements with SLIS courses that would provide experience to these graduate students.
- Drafted a successful 3 year grant from the Institute for Library and Museum Studies, in partnership with the UI School of Library and Information Science, Iowa State University Library, and the University of Nebraska Libraries, to educate and prepare students with science, technical, or health science majors for careers as science or health science librarians in academic research libraries. This grant created 9 graduate student assistantships (three at each institution). The UI Libraries has been the fiscal agent for these funds.
- Hosted a lunch each year with SLIS students who work in the University Libraries with the library administrators to thank them for their work, discuss issues, and chat informally about their career plans.
- Taught 5 courses as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Library and Information Science:
Lib Sci 021-260 “Strategic Management” Fall, 2004 (also over ICN)
Lib Sci 021-264 “Program Evaluation” Fall, 2004 (also over ICN)
Lib Sci 021-278 “Information Policy” Spring, 2004.
Lib Sci 021-278 “Information Policy” Spring, 2003.
Lib Sci 021-278 “Information Policy” Spring, 2002 (also over ICN)
- Encouraged other interested UI librarians to teach part-time in the school as well.
In a university as large and complex at the University of Iowa, it is essential that the Libraries pay close attention to the differing needs of our many user communities and to integrate our resources into the University’s various instructional and research programs. This can be challenging, given the variety of disciplines and level of users within these communities. Here are a few specific efforts to keep abreast of these needs:
- Worked closely with the University Libraries Committee and tried to bring substantive issues to this Committee for advice in addition to addressing any issues raised by committee members while keeping them abreast of new developments in the Libraries.
- Met with various academic departments and faculty groups around campus, such as the Research Council, on a variety of scholarly publication issues including the cost of library collections and specific actions that faculty might do to offset these cost in hopes of beginning to change the current model of scholarly publishing. These efforts have largely been concentrated in science and health sciences departments.
- Encouraged librarian liaisons to the academic departments to meet with faculty in their offices and with students in their academic departments.
- Maintained an open door policy with library users to discuss suggestions and issues.
Other Campus Partnerships:
- Collaborated with the University of Iowa Press to offer a workshop on book publishing for doctoral students and junior faculty during the Spring, 2005.
- Shared library resources with the Museum of Art for exhibits.
- Served on the University of Iowa Press Board, 2003- .
- Maintained a strong partnership with ITS on technological developments.
- Provided some financial support for speakers and conferences of common interest with various academic departments.
Communication within the Libraries:
It can be especially challenging to ensure an appropriate level of communication throughout a decentralized library system of 12 facilities that are increasingly interdependent. As a result of our planning process, this issue has had special attention and we have implemented a number of initiatives to ensure that appropriate staff members are involved in various activities and to keep everyone better informed about the work of various departments and library groups. This will undoubtedly be an ongoing challenge and one to which attention will continue to be paid. I, along with my library colleagues have:
- Instituted annual meetings with all library staff in the Fall where we also share information about the previous year’s accomplishments in addition to discussing the budget for the coming year.
- Participated in smaller staff meetings on issues as appropriate.
- Established a practice of distributing agendas and minutes for all library committees via e-mail in a timely fashion (this was a recommendation from the Planning Process). These are also posted on our staff intranet.
- Posted library policies and other appropriate information on our staff intranet in a timely fashion,
- Maintained an open door policy with library staff.
- Encouraged an environment where department heads consult with each other in before planning activities and changes that have implications beyond their immediate department.
