Advisory Group for Research Services and Scholarly Resources (AGRSSR)

This is proposal for the new advisory group, identified on the organization chart as Scholarly Resources and Research Services Advisory Group. It has been renamed to make a pronounceable, positive acronym. We intend to be aggressive in building excellent collections and providing outstanding services to support our students, faculty and researchers.

Charge:

The scale and scope of the UF Libraries scholarly resources (content) and the evolving nature of research services challenge both unified management on the one hand and adequate participative involvement on the other. Fiscal and personnel issues related to the provision of scholarly resources to our users by our research services staff are additional components of the complex nature of an effective academic research library. To achieve a balance between administrative oversight and library-wide investment, the Advisory Group for Research Services and Scholarly Resources (AGRSSR) will draw its membership from a wide range of constituencies.

The AGRSSR is advisory to the Senior Associate Dean in the following areas:

• preparation and allocation of the scholarly resources (collections) budget for Smathers Libraries individually and in collaboration with other libraries at UF and in the SUS;
• review of other budgetary matters that relate to research services and scholarly resources, including OPS distributions and external funding opportunities;
• evaluation of technical operations and procedures necessary to support research services and delivery of scholarly resources;
• development of shared principles and future directions for building UF’s scholarly resources and providing research services;
• definition and implementation of standards for managing UF’s scholarly resources;
  review and implementation of commonly understood expectations and methods of assessment for research services, including outreach and instruction;
• collaboration among UF-wide selector groups to identify and prioritize digital initiatives with significant impacts and expectations for enhanced research services;
• creation of library-wide policies and procedures that encompass research services and scholarly resources (perhaps via a sub-committee or task force); and
• identification and, where appropriate, implementation of national trends that relate to effective content development and research services theory and practice (perhaps via a sub-committee or task force).

AGRSSR conducts its business in open meetings, held once or twice a month. Its activities are recorded in minutes that are distributed, immediately upon their formal approval, to the entire library staff.

Membership:

Chaired by the Senior Associate Dean, the Advisory Group for Research Services and Scholarly Resources (AGRSSR) is composed of representatives from each of the branch libraries (including SASC and Government Documents); Access Support; Acquisitions/Licensing; Cataloging/Metadata; the Development Office; the Digital Library Center; Emerging Technologies; HSCL; LIC; the Preservation Unit; and the SUS Shared Collections Facility. The Associate Dean for Technology and Support Services will serve as an ex officio member of the Advisory Group.

Systems Department Reorganization

A revised organization chart for the Systems Department effective July 2008 has been posted on this site and at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pio/Systems_Dept_061808.pdf.

As we have discussed in many of our meetings on the reorganization of the Smathers Libraries, we need to consolidate our information technology support in the Smathers Libraries. In addition to the twelve staff in the Systems Department, we currently have nine staff outside Systems with primary information technology support assignments. Most of these individuals have IT titles in the University staff classification scheme, even though they may also have significant non-IT assignments. There are also many other individuals with more limited IT Liaison assignments who are not being reassigned as part of this reorganization.

In order to be more efficient and effective, we are incorporating the nine external IT staff into the Systems Department effective June 27, 2008. These individuals will remain in their current locations initially, and will report to the department head directly or through one of the three units in the Systems Department:

• Michael Jay will join the Software Unit.
• Laurie Brennan, Scott Fagen, Michael Howell, Paul McDonough, Patricia Ruwell and Evan Wack will join the Network/Hardware Unit.
• Matthew Daley will join Tom Minton to form the Web Unit.
• Jason Fleming will report to the Department Head when he completes his assignment as interim Chair of Acquisitions and Licensing.

Bill Covey and Will Chaney are committed to a smooth transition and will work with each of the nine individuals and their current departments to ensure an orderly transfer of service responsibilities. Over time, as the cross-training necessary to familiarize the new Systems staff with operations throughout the Libraries takes place, the primary support positions will rotate to provide backup and redundancy for all areas.

The Systems Department is committed to sustaining the high level of service provided through the current structure and to improving service as the integration and cross training progress.

Library West Branch Organization

An organization chart for the Library West Branch has been posted on this site and at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pio/Lib_West_Reorg061708.pdf. This chart reflects the new structure effective June 27, 2008.

Shelley Arlen will serve as Chair and LeiLani Freund will serve as Associate Chair. There will be four coordinators to oversee the major service functions of the branch. Coordinators for Collections Services and Circulation & Stack Maintenance Services will report to the Chair. Coordinators for Research Services and Instruction & Outreach Services will report to the Associate Chair. Circulation and stack maintenance staff will report to the Chair, as will the collection support staff. Reference support staff will report to the Associate Chair.

Once the Coordinators are appointed, the remaining faculty will be assigned to report to either the Chair or Associate Chair. Tenure homes for faculty are unchanged pending the LFA recommendation for a new structure and its acceptance.

Other changes that will be effective June 27th include the following:

• Adrian Zeck will relocate to Marston, reporting to Vernon Kisling.
• Aimee Barrett will remain in Library West, reporting to Patrick Reakes.
• Paul McDonough and Evan Wack will remain in Library West, reporting to Will Chaney.

The Library West building will continue to serve as the home for other Smathers Libraries offices that are not part of the Library West Branch. This includes Facilities, Business Services & Human Resources, and the Smathers Libraries Administration. Library West will also remain the home for some faculty from Special & Area Studies Collections and for the new Access Support unit that provides system-wide services such as inter-library loan, e-reserves and copyright, as well as circulation policy and procedures.

Smathers Libraries Reorganization Update

A revised organization chart reflecting the structure for the Smathers Libraries effective July 2008 has been posted on the blog site and at: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pio/Smathers_Libraries_Reorg061608.pdf.

As noted on the chart, until the Associate Dean for Technology & Support Services is hired, Bill Covey and Michele Crump will continue to serve as Interim Director, Support Services, and Interim Director, Technical Services, reporting to me. The new Access Support unit, headed by Lori Driscoll, will report to Bill Covey during this interim period.

A number of changes in responsibility and/or reporting for positions on this organization chart become effective June 27 or July 11, 2008:

• Lori Driscoll, Head, Access Support
• Rich Bennett, Chair, Special & Area Studies Collections, with Jim Cusick as Associate Chair
• Shelley Arlen, Chair, Library West, with LeiLani Freund as Associate Chair
• Tara Cataldo, Chair, Marston Science Library, with Vernon Kisling as Associate Chair
• Patrick Reakes, Chair, Departmental Branches
• Brian Keith, Director, Human & Financial Resources
• Ben Walker, Head, SUS Shared Collection Facility, including ALF

Several open positions are noted on the organization chart. Searches are underway for the Associate Dean, Technology & Support Services, the grants manager and a human resources manager. The emerging technologies coordinator will be appointed after the Associate Dean is hired.

Tenure homes for faculty are unchanged pending the LFA recommendation for a new structure and its acceptance.