Attending: Salwa Ismail (co-chair), Beth Dupuis (co-chair), Nicole Brown, Jenifer Carter, Steve Mendoza, Neda Salem, Patrick Shannon, Lynne Grigsby, Tim Converse, Mark Marrow, Lee Anne Titangos (for Susan McElrath), Dave Wong
FAQ page for Library users during a closure
IST developed a page during the last PG&E Power Shutoff to answer users' tech questions: https://technology.berkeley.edu/pge-outage/faqs. The Library is considering whether to develop a similar page to focus on our technologies and/or services and other tips. This page could be activated and promoted via the Library's banner announcement in the top level web page and in our communications when we have future emergencies.
Comments included:
Helpful to confirm which systems and resources will be available as first step (VPN, OskiCat, Melvyl, EDS discovery)
When emergencies happen here, the chat reference team at UCB changes the Berkeley info to guide other non-UCB librarians staffing the chat with the info about the closure and other resources that any librarian staffing that service can inform people when they ask closure hours questions
Confirm which services we support during outages (e-reference, chat reference, library instruction), and how those would be supported when different people are affected by the emergency
Chat reference is a UC-wide service so confirmation of that scale of service may be uncertain, also with the shift to Springshare and how individual campuses will work
Clarity about which collaborative tools library staff have access to such as Zoom Pro (vs Google Hangouts, or regular Zoom accounts)
Confirm who will be updating this page if created
Perhaps identify one person to be point person, and that person replaced by someone else if that point person is out or affected by the emergency
Consider how to tie to the instructional resilience plans campus is pressing especially around library research and instruction services
Library staff may need more practice to understand each person's roles, the tools we will use
Questions may be about the effect on services -- Request, Alt-Media, something is due while the library is now closed (laptop fines) -- may be helpful to know what is not working or is deferred until we reopen
E-research notebook was developed by Instruction Services and is intended for use when there is an agreement between the librarian and faculty member for a given course/assignment; this is in the spirit of instructional resilience.
Can look at the questions that were asked during the last outage and address those questions (via chat reference and reference desks).
ACTION: In December, Nicole will follow up with virtual reference team (chat and email) and with @refstaff to gather information about the questions that had been posed by users during the last emergency so that we might determine how best to address these questions in the future.
Concerns about the use of thermal paper
Susan Powell raised concerns about the use of thermal paper which we use with receipt printers in the library. Library leadership has decided that this is a great issue to consider with the SILS implementation in terms or checkout receipts. Some other units also use receipt systems with BPA-free paper. Since Susan was unable to attend today's meeting, this topic is postponed to the January meeting when we can also share some additional information.
Public Computer refresh update (Full suite, Research Only, One-offs)
Dave Wong shared an update about computer changes. The Windows 10 upgrade has meant about 1000 computer replacements including about 650 staff computers and 350 public computers. Most of these have been completed, with about one hundred special instances (one-offs) yet to be completed - such as ENGI computer with special image. This has been a huge amount of work over the past year. The Library's "research only" stations are available to any user for basic level online research and checking email; these stations have no special software or admin rights though users can download PDFs to thumbdrives. All of the "research only" stations have been replaced (about 130 machines) with machines added or removed as recommended in the public computing refresh report from 2018. The Library's "full suite" stations which allow users with CalNet IDs to use a greater suite of software (such as Word and Excel) have not yet been implemented and rolled out.
Library IT's plan is to complete all elements of the Windows 10 refresh (for staff and public stations) by end of January 2020, including the student laptop refresh and the staff laptop lending refresh. The public computer review recommendations - including the removal and addition of workstations - of full suite workstations will happen next -- date to be determined by Library IT and announced to library units.
All computers have the new printer drivers so will work with current printers and the new printers that the Library has ordered. Library IT will confirm the plans for which machines go to which locations and when they will be rolled out; this will also be announced to library units.
ACTION: Salwa, Beth, and Lynne will confirm the printers ordered and type of machine for rollout at each location, as coordinated with UCSF.
ACTION: Dave will share a plan for the number of workstations and time of rollout for completion of the public computing refresh and new printer rollout at our January meeting.
New business
ADA workstation image
The Library has four workstations designed with special software and hardware to support users with disabilities. Library IT will be refreshing those workstations and consulting with Jennifer Dorner, Library liaison for users with disabilities.
Library support for users with disabilities
Next semester we plan for an open meeting for interested library staff, especially the Library contacts for users with disabilities, to get a refresher about the policies and services on campus and in the library related to this area.
Staff web site and public services refresh from the remaining sites
Web Advisory Group and Library IT recently completed the first phase of a refresh of the Library's staff web site. Beth noted that much of the information on the staff site and public site related to public services could benefit from a review and refresh and plans to bring forward issues related to this during spring semester.
Our next Public Services Council meeting is January 28, 2019. Until then, happy end of the semester and holidays.