Budget Updates:

I met with both faculty and staff this past week to review budget details for FY13 and FY14.  I appreciate the thoughtful questions and suggestions at each meeting.  We are working through the most difficult budget period in the past forty years.  We have made large and painful cuts to our collections budget and we have lost 12 positions.  Thus far, all position eliminations have been from vacant positions.  As we move forward we must re-evaluate everything that we do to assure that we meet the needs of our students, faculty and researchers and that we use our creativity in changing how we work. 

Please email regarding any questions you may have about the budget or the budget process.  Also, please send along any suggestions you may have that will make UK Libraries more effective, efficient, and service oriented.

Lunch with the Dean:

Last week I had lunch with Peggy Phillips, Shirley Greene, and Kathryne LeFevre.  I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and look forward to the next lunch.  We will be taking a break the remainder of the summer and begin the lunches again during the fall semester.   

UK Libraries Innovations:

For its upcoming summer conference, FoKAL (Federation of Kentucky Academic Libraries) asked that each academic library submit a list of innovations for the past year.  This seemed like a good place to share what UK Libraries reported:

·         UK Libraries is moving to a virtualized computer environment for public computing.  This move will be in place before the fall semester begins in August.  Using a Citrix based solution, users will log into a virtual desktop environment with their UK credentials.  Software is licensed and distributed from a central server.  This virtualized environment can run on older equipment because the power for running the software applications comes from the central server.  Service needs will be greatly reduced because the virtualized environment is less vulnerable to viruses and user introduced problems.  As the older machines fail they can be replaced with much less expensive thin clients, thus reducing the overall cost of providing desktop computing in the library and library classrooms.

·         UK Libraries is developing a secure enterprise wide repository for digital content.  UK Libraries is taking the technical lead on the development of this repository that meets current digital preservation standards.  The repository is based on an Open Archival Information System model and utilizes micro services to perform repository functions.  This repository will not only preserve all digital library content created by Kentucky libraries for the Kentucky Digital Library, but also research data sets and other digital content created to support the research enterprise.

·         Special Collections has brought their historic onsite exhibits into the 21^st century with the addition of two iPad kiosks.  The kiosks allow for the creation of enhanced context in a user friendly and interactive interface.  Importantly it allows curators to add audio and moving images into traditional exhibit spaces.  Additionally, the kiosks will be used for interactive Special Collections displays and information in a format that our current users demand.

·         OHMS: Innovation:  The Louie B. Nunn Center created an open source web-based, tool called OHMS (Oral History Metadata Synchronizer) to inexpensively and efficiently enhance access to and discovery of oral histories online. The OHMS tool connects a user from a search term in a transcript or an index to the corresponding moment in the online audio or video.  The Nunn Center currently has about 700 oral history interviews online utilizing the transcript synchronizing technology.  The newly developed indexing module of OHMS creates a searchable online index containing a variety of descriptive fields that also connect to the corresponding moment in the audio or video interview.  The interview index can be created for a fraction of the cost of verbatim transcription and can be done much more quickly.  OHMS is a free and open source tool that empowers repositories to significantly enhance the ways they provide online access to oral history interviews. 

·         Special Collections is transforming the way we utilize undergraduate and graduate assistants.  In treating Special Collections as a Learning Laboratory we are matching students to primary source materials that fit their areas of research.  The SC Learning Lab will enhance the potential for student research and make new collections available for researchers worldwide.

·         The Academic Affairs and Research Division of UK Libraries uses Springshare's LibAnalytics to collect data on library instruction sessions, strategic plan progress, quarterly report activities, and some public services statistics.  We use LibAnswers/RefAnalytics for the rest of our public services statistics; we moved to this system in January after using LibStats for over four years.  We are an early adopter of LibAnalytics and have developed a detailed form for collecting information about library instruction in particular.  Collecting data in this fashion is considerably easier than collecting emails, sharing a spreadsheet, using a SurveyMonkey form, or other systems which were used in the past.  Using these tools gives us a searchable database which provides many reporting and analysis options.

Interesting essay about the future of research libraries:

The Decline and Fall of the Library Empire by Steve Coffman
Vice President, Library Support Services, LSSI — Library Systems and Services 

http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/apr12/Coffman--The-Decline-and-Fall-of-the-Library-Empire.shtml

Mary Molinaro Appointed to Research Review Panel:

Jim Tracy, UK Vice President for Research, appointed Mary Molinaro, Associate Dean for Library Technologies, to serve on a review panel for grants his office will be making to UK faculty.  Mary will serve on the arts and social science panel and will review six proposals as a lead or secondary reviewer.  

Collaborative Projects at the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library:

 Throughout the fall and spring semesters, students in the UK Core class, A-S 102 (Two-dimensional surface), made the trek from the Reynolds Building on South Broadway to the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library to see examples of artists' books from our collection of about 75 items.  Their assignment was to design a "non-objective narrative."

Over the summer Little Library is featuring an exhibit of student work from those classes.  The exhibit was organized by Heather Burke, a graduate student who is completing 140 hours of field work at the Little Library as part of the requirements for LIS 675.  Heather has also been editing the artists' books LibGuide, organizing our new acquisitions, and creating better access for the collection.  For more information and pictures, see the guide at http://libguides.uky.edu/artistsbooks

UK Libraries Graduate Assistants Accept New Positions:

 William T. Young Library Reference Services announced this week that two of their graduate assistants y completed their M.L.S. degrees and have accepted two exciting positions.

• Julie VanHoose accepted the position of Digital Services Manager at the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Libraries in Chillicothe, Ohio. Julie served on the Social Media Working Group at UK Libraries and was also featured in the spring 2012 UK Libraries Speaking Volumes.
• Bridget Farrell will be the new Business Economics Reference Librarian at Auburn University. Bridget assisted Peter Hesseldenz, UK Libraries’ business librarian, doing research for the Kentucky Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
• Both Bridget and Julie also developed instructional support services for ESL students, and presented their work at a recent state conference.

We are very proud of Julie and Bridget and wish them all the best as they embark on their professional library careers!

KLA and SLA Presentations:

The 2012 Joint Spring Conference of the Kentucky Library Association Academic & Special Sections and the Special Libraries Association Kentucky Chapter, was held April 11-13 at Lake Cumberland State Park.

UK librarians and graduate assistants presenting included:

·         “Student Expectations for Success: Measuring Information Literacy Contributions,” Debbie Sharp, Sarah Vaughn, & Judy Wiza

·         “Free Apps You and Your Users Will Love,” Beth Kraemer and Alex Grigg

·         “What’s Lost in Translation? Developing Information Literacy Workshops for ESL Students,” Graduate Assistants, Julie Van Hoose and Bridget Farrell

·         “Student Training for Excellent Customer Service, “ Terri Brown and Stephen Leist from Transy, “Archival Literacy: Teaching with Primary Sources,” Graduate Assistant  Sheli Saltsman and Kate Black

·         “Ebookmobile: Delivering Subject-Specific Ebooks to Your Inbox,” Kathryn Lybarger.

Personnel:

Taylor Gillespie has been hired as Server Administrator/Programmer I to assist with the IMLS grant-funded project: "OHMS: Enhancing Access and Discovery of Oral History Online" by furthering development of the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer.  His work station will be located in Digital Library Services, King Building.  Taylor will begin on May 14.

Janice Coburn has accepted the position of Library Technician for Young Library Reference Services and the Hub, Academic Affairs and Research Division, where she will assist with customer service and provide administrative support for the department.  Jan will join UK Libraries on May 21.  

Kate Hesseldenz has resigned her position of Staff Support Associate II in Special Collections to become Curator at historic Liberty Hall in Frankfort.  Kate joined UK Libraries in October 2009.  Her last day will be May 25. We thank Kate for her exceptional contributions to UK Libraries including a key role in the creation of the most recent Speaking Volumes.  We wish her much success in her new position.

Budget Update:

This past Tuesday the UK Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase for 2012-13.  This now allows for the university to complete its budget for next year and it will be considered at the Board’s June meeting.  During discussions on campus this past week faculty have questioned the size of UK Libraries’ budget reductions for the next two years.   President Capilouto has responded by saying that central administration will review the size and scope of UK Libraries’ cuts.  In the meantime, it is essential that we proceed implementing the reductions that we received.

We will discuss budget issues in more detail at the May 21^st faculty meeting and I intend to call for an all-staff meeting sometime during the next several weeks.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this difficult process.  As I mentioned in my last email regarding the budget, I welcome comments and suggestion from you about ways to improve allocation of resources.

Baber Collection Dedication Program:

On April 30^th President Eli Capilouto joined Joseph Baber’s family and friends to dedicate his collection in the Great Hall of Special Collections.  Dr. Ron Penn, Professor of Musicology and Director, John Jacob Niles Center for American Music made an excellent presentation about Professor Baber’s life and career and the central role of UK Libraries to UK teaching and research.  Additional information about the event is available here:

http://uknow.uky.edu/content/uk-libraries-dedicate-papers-composer-joseph-baber

President Capilouto and Dr. Capilouto Visit Special Collections:

President Capilouto and Dr. Mary Lynn Capilouto spent time in Special Collections recently examining many of UK Libraries most unique and valuable research materials.  Gordon Hogg, Director of the Special Collections Library and Dr. Jim Birchfield, Curator of Books, arranged the exhibit and shared their expertise about individual items with the Capilouto’s.  Of special interest to the Capilouto’s were historical books and documents about the practice of dentistry.

Thank you Provost Subbaswamy:

May 7^th  marked the conclusion of Provost Kumble Subbaswamy’s long and distinguished career at the University of Kentucky.  His time at UK was interrupted by administrative positions at the University of Miami and Indiana University.  Provost Subbaswamy brought dedication and commitment to his position as Provost.  A long time friend of UK Libraries, he nevertheless continually challenged us to seek new and more economical strategies for providing UK faculty, students, and researchers the information they need.  At the same time, even during very difficult budget years, Provost Subbaswamy tried to provide the necessary funding for UK Libraries to succeed.

We congratulate Provost Subbaswamy on his appointment as Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and wish him well in all his future endeavors.