MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOARD

Notes of the Meeting of April 23, 2007

P. Cervenka; M. Gillespie, Chair; S Joshi; P. Kirchner; J. Kirk, (recording); K. Ojeda; M. Pate; H. Schweizer; J. Siebenlist; J. Simmons-Welburn

1. Dr. Michael Gillespie called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

2. Strategic Plan

   Dean Simmons-Welburn reviewed the process which was used to develop the Plan and then described the documents.  The Plan consists of an overview, “Envisioning the Future: The Next Seven Years,” a mission statement, a vision statement and the draft strategic plan.  In May, a values document will be developed and added to the plan.

3. Planned move of selected humanities and social sciences bound journals from Memorial Library to Storage

   When Raynor was constructed and Memorial was renovated, it was clear that not all of the print bound journals could be shelved in Memorial.  Therefore, Science Library staff selected science journals which could remain in the old Science Library now designated as Storage S.  The two principal criteria used to decide which were to remain were the availability of the journal in electronic format and the age of the volumes of cancelled journals.

   Since the opening of Raynor Memorial Libraries in 2003, when electronic content has become available for a science journal, the print volumes of the journal were moved to storage to provide room for print only journals.  Upon request staff members have retrieved volumes from storage.  When there are a sufficient number of requests, the volumes are moved to Memorial Library.

   All humanities and social science bound journals are currently housed in Memorial Library.  This journal collection is nearing the capacity of the shelves on the lower level of Memorial Library.  Therefore, the Libraries are considering the move of humanities and social science bound journals to storage in the next year or two.  Any journals that have online content available from volume 1 to date will be moved. Bound journals will remain in storage for the foreseeable future and will be retrieved, if a faculty member or student needs the physical journal volume.

   The Board discussed the issue and no problems were raised regarding the planned move.

4. Expensive journals and end of Web Editions

   For the information of the Board, Kirk distributed a list of journals for which the subscription rate is $5,000 or more per year.  Over 60 journals are included with a total cost of more than half a million dollars per year.  As these and other journals increase in cost, Libraries’ staff and faculty may need to review their value to Marquette.  The question is not whether the journals are of high quality, but rather if there is a sufficient critical mass of researchers at Marquette to sustain subscription to such expensive journals.

5. Update from the Dean
   1. Staff Changes
      1. James Lowrey, Coordinator of Library Information Technology has left Marquette and a search is underway for a replacement.
      2. Michael Pate, Associate Director, will retire at the end of June.  A search for an Associate Dean of Raynor Memorial Libraries is beginning.
      3. The Libraries will add a business manager in May.

   2. Jennifer Younger, Dean of Libraries, University of Notre Dame, spoke at Raynor Memorial Libraries.  She discussed the future of academic libraries.

6. Issues Raised by Board Members

   Dr. Shrinivas Joshi had a question regarding accessing the abstracts of the journal Ultrasonics.  Kirk will follow up on the question with Dr. Shrinivas.

7. The meeting was adjourned at 4:20pm.

cc: Dr. Madeline Wake
      Members of the University Library Board
      Faculty Library Representatives
      Deans
      Academic Senate