Anwering Some Questions/Responding to Some Rumors

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE AND PROCESS:

At this time, we are planning to implement organizational changes at the beginning of the new fiscal year (July 1, 200). We are continuing to work to obtain the necessary concurrence for the reorganization through the University Library Committee and the Faculty Senate and hope to complete that process in April.

Meanwhile, we will continue to work with the faculty and staff who will be part of the new units on the preferred structure for those units. For example, the employees who will be part of the new Humanities & Social Sciences Branch Library (Library West) will continue to participate in discussions about the organizational structure that will provide the best service to the users and the most productive environment for the faculty and staff. Once a proposed structure is identified, the faculty and staff will be polled about their concurrence, much as we did for the overall organization structure.

TENURE CHANGES:

Although faculty and staff reporting will change July 1st, we will not implement changes to tenure homes until the Library Faculty Assembly has identified and approved an acceptable model.

RELOCATION OF PERSONNEL AND REUSE OF SPACE:

Some individuals may be relocated, space permitting, but we do not anticipate major shifts in the locations of people when the reporting structure changes. We do not have sufficient space or money to do that. We will address the feasibility and desirability of specific moves if recommendations arise in the process of consultation with the faculty and staff about organizing the new units.

We are not planning to convert the Access Services space on the 2nd floor in Library West into group study rooms or other public spaces. We have recently completed minor renovations to allow the bathrooms and elevator that were inside the Access Services suite to be available to all library users. This will alleviate congestion on the main elevators and the bathrooms on the west side of the building.

TITLE CHANGES AND RELATED SALARIES AND STIPENDS:

Dale Canelas was a director, so the senior managers reporting to her were assistant directors. Since my title is dean, the senior managers reporting to me will be associate deans. The change in title from assistant director to associate dean does not, in and of itself, result in a change in salary. John Ingram's title changed to Senior Associate Dean several months ago in recognition of his role as my deputy, with no change in salary. At that time, I decided not to change the titles of the interim directors, preferring to make the title changes as the positions became permanent.

Part of the continued discussion about the details for the implementation of the new organization will be to determine the appropriate titles for the various units and unit managers. I hope in that processes to establish clear criteria for the use of stipends and appropriate amounts for various levels of responsibility. The Library Faculty Assembly has been asked to work with us on criteria for market equity adjustments for faculty salaries. Brian Keith, who led the initiative for market equity adjustments for staff, will be working closely with the LFA on that effort. Obviously, the current fiscal environment may not give us the flexibility to implement those adjustments immediately, but it should prepare us address the most serious inequities first and then implement market equity across the board as money becomes available.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THE VIRTUAL BUSINESS LIBRARY

A proposed organization chart prepared by Stephanie Haas and Betsy Simpson identified emerging technologies as a unit or function under the Associate Dean for Technology and Support Services. I absolutely agree with the comment that knowledge of emerging technologies is the responsibility of every one of us. The emerging technologies group on the proposed organization chart is envisioned as a small unit that will lead a number of cross-organizational teams and task forces to explore and facilitate the rapid implementation of new technologies to improve our services to our users. The group can only be effective with the participation of faculty and staff from throughout the Libraries. I have placed emerging technologies reporting to me because I feel it is critical to our strategic initiatives and to remove it from day-to-day operational responsibilities that could make it less effective. Operational responsibility will remain with the appropriate units.

The Virtual Business Library is highlighted as a test bed for some of these emerging technologies and as a model for service, particularly to remote high-level users such as executive MBA candidates. That does not preclude -- nor is it intended to discourage -- other disciplines from working with the emerging technologies group to enhance their virtual library services. It may not always remain as part of the emerging technologies group, but there are distinct advantages to having it there at the inception.

Revised Organization Chart as of 3/6/2008

On Friday I presented a revised organization chart to the joint reorganization committee. I want to thank them for their intense and very productive efforts during the past few weeks. I also want to thank each of you who took the time to participate, through the LFA, the reorganization committee, this blog or by conversations with me and the directors. It has been a very helpful and constructive process.

The revised organization chart that I posted this morning has several changes that reflect your advice and conversations. It is available on the blog site and at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pio/Smathers_Libraries_Reorg03062008.pdf.

It proposes one new associate dean, responsible for technology and support services. As the chart shows, this includes acquisitions (including the current CM support unit), preservation and conservation, metadata/cataloging, access support (which includes those parts of Access Services that are not specific to Library West or the storage facility), digital services, IT and facilities.

Special and Area Studies Collections, Government Documents (including maps/GIS), Library West (as the H&SS branch library), Marston and the other branches report directly to the Sr. Associate Dean, John Ingram. The major change in this column is the creation of Library West as a branch library, incorporating elements of collection management, H&SS reference services, and access services. The other branches (AFA, Education, Journalism and Music) will select a rotating chair from among their faculty and report through that individual.

As in the earlier proposal, the Associate Dean for Development, Sam Huang, reports directly to me, with development, public information and grants reporting to him. Also as in the earlier chart, the SUS shared storage facility, which will be created from our auxiliary library facility, reports to me. Brian Keith, as our financial and human resources officer, will report to me as will a new emerging technologies group. This group will lead a number of cross-organizational teams and task forces to explore and rapidly implement new technologies to improve our services to our users.

This proposal does not require any changes to tenure homes. The Library Faculty Assembly is evaluating two proposals, one for a single tenure home for the Libraries and the other for two tenure homes, one for the technology and support services and the other for the collections and branches. They will also consider other models. They will present their recommendation to me and to the Libraries faculty. No changes in tenure homes will occur until the LFA makes its recommendation and the appropriate faculty votes are taken.

This reorganization will not be implemented immediately, although planning and preparations will continue. The current reporting structure will remain in place until the successful completion of the search for that new Associate Dean for Technology and Support Services.

Later this week, we will poll the faculty and staff of the Libraries to determine your opinion of the proposed reorganization. I encourage you to fill out and return the questionnaire that you receive. The administration of the Libraries and Library Faculty Assembly value your opinion.

As the next level of reorganization occurs, we expect to use a similar process to consult with the faculty and staff in each area. For example, the faculty and staff who will be part of the new Library West Branch will participate in determining the organizational structure of the branch and the faculty and staff reporting to the new Associate Dean for Technology and Support Services will participate in establishing the structure for that division.

Again, my sincere thanks for your active participation and for the hard work of the Library Faculty Assembly officers and the joint reorganization committee. I believe that we have an improved proposal because of your efforts.