New Brunswick Libraries Faculty Meeting

Minutes
16 November 2001
Alexander Library, Pane Room; 12:30pm

Present: Stephanie Bartz, Jeanne Boyle (guest), Kayo Denda, Howard Dess, Mary Fetzer (Chairperson), Tom Glynn, Sara Harrington, Scott Hines, Helen Hoffman, Martin Kesselman, Triveni Kuchi, Patricia Libutti, Jackie Mardikian, Kevin Mulcahy, Leslie Murtha, Jim Niessen, Ferris Olin, Penny Page, Patricia Piermatti, Francoise Puniello, Eileen Stec, Adeline Tallau, Stephanie Tama-Bartels, Thelma H. Tate, Myoung Chung Wilson, Ryan Womack, Connie Wu

The meeting was call to order by Chairperson Mary Fetzer who also guided the approval of the Agenda, and the approval of the Minutes (as amended) from the last meeting. In reference to the Minutes, Fetzer noted that she had added information emphasizing the fact that the green forms should be used when making applications for Travel Fund support; that she revised some wording under the Director's Report; and that she added a few names to the attendance list.

The Chairperson announced that the next two faculty meetings will be held
on 21 December and 18 January, respectively; and invited discussion on which date would be best for presentation on the My Library Portal project. She was advised to proceed with plans to hold the demo at the meeting on 21 December 2001, since the ALA Conference will be getting underway on 18 January 2001. Scott Hines, Martin Kesselman, and Ron Jantz will be making a special presentation on the library portal project.

Library Director's Report - R. Toyama. Fetzer informed the members that Director Ryoko Toyama was not able to attend the meeting today, but would submit any necessary information via email.

F. Puniello. Puniello reported that there are ongoing delays in the Annex Project that will require further extension in the reopening date, possibly near the end of the Spring Semester. Reasons for the extension include problems with security of the stacks in the Annex and the need to improve the HVAC system. An outside firm has been employed to strengthen the stacks.

D21 Project. Puniello reported that the first stage of D21 project renovations at Douglass Library has been completed, and that plans are being made to report on some of the details in a program in the near future. Stage two of this project is currently underway.


Library Security- F. Puniello. Sandra Troy is the chief security officer. She has a Health and Safety Committee consisting of representatives from all of the libraries. Kristin St. John and Jazmine Faherty are on the committee as representatives from the Alexander Library Building.

There is a Security Manual in each library. Although a few items need to be updated, it contains basic procedures to be followed, and all kinds of items to assist people in responding effectively to security matters. Related forms that should be filled out are also included. Plans are being made to put the manual on the web.

The University homepage http://www.rutgers.edu/ and http://publicsafety.rutgers.edu/ has a special site on "Public Safety" that provides much information. All of us are encouraged to keep abreast of what is at these sites that may be useful in our work related to health, safety and security.

The Health and Safety Committee is very responsive and will respond to any
requests for information and assistance from us. In December, they will be holding a meeting with representatives from the Police and Fire Departments to review and update various procedures.

The administrative officer in each building is responsible for security
during the day. Evening responsibility lies in Access Services. Otherwise, dial an outside line and then dial 911.

It is also important for us to use common sense and good judgment in our work regarding security, health, safety and emergencies. If we encounter situations that suggest the need for help, 911 should be contacted. It is also good to consult with the administrative officer in the building or with a colleague who might be able to help, if available. Collaboration with colleagues about the matter often produces a very effective and appropriate solution to the problem.

Work is underway to evaluate our emergency and evacuation procedures as
well as to determine any special needs for lights in stairwells, etc.

In the discussion following Puniello's report, some of the pros and cons of putting security procedures online were discussed. These points will be referred to Troy and her committee for consideration. The procedure in which librarians would search the building for suspicious objects is no longer viable and has been discontinued. The Reference Manual presented in the previous faculty meeting reflects the revisions
that have been made.

We need to be cautious about reporting people to the police. In the event of an emergency when everyone in the building needs to be informed quickly, it may be necessary to pull the fire alarm in the building. Realize that this sends a message to the New Brunswick Fire Department. Communication/alarm systems in buildings are being checked and, where needed, will be repaired.

In addition to the RUL Health and Safety Committee, Puniello noted that Access Services also has a Health and Safety Committee that can help with security matters. She noted further that the RUnet 2000 is reviewing some security areas as part of its work, and from which some enhancements may be implemented.

All of us need to know where the fire extinguishers and alarms are located in our buildings. If we have not already done so recently, each library should hold regular orientations/refreshers on evacuation procedures and the location of these emergency matters and items. It was reported that LSM has already invited the police and fire departments, and conducted an orientation to refresh members of that library on emergency procedures and matters.

Public Workstations Policies - Jeanne Boyle. Basically, the library is open in accordance with the libraries and university's mission. Rutgers' libraries function very much like the public libraries. Our "Public Services Policy Memo (PSPM) 1" contains the policies, guidelines and procedures by which we are governed in dealing with workstations matters.

In preparing this policy, the Public Services Council made use of legal information from the Kreimer vs Morristown Case and other important legal cases. All of us should familiarize ourselves with PSPM #1. It contains the code of ethics, freedom to read statement, access to services, use of facilities and equipment, children's use of the library and electronic resources, etc. Stephanie Tama is one of the librarians in the Alexander Library who was instrumental in the development of the Policy. In addition to this policy, one should be aware of the "Code of Student Conduct" document (http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~judaff/code.htm)
( http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~judaff/STU-CODE.htm) and the "University Policy on Acceptable Conduct" document http://www.rutgers.edu/regulations/contents.html) (http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~eclark/) and (http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~polcomp/).

In compliance with various constitutional requirements, laws, and cases, we are limited in what we are able to do. However, we are able to set service hours, establish quiet areas in the building, and enforce equitable rules that enable the Libraries to fulfill the mission of the Libraries and the University.

Cabinet held a meeting on the matter recently and produced a draft document that is currently being reviewed. It is a direct summary of policies in PSPM 1 and would be given out or posted in the libraries.

In the discussion, Boyle said that speech that is not constitutionally protected includes "defamation," "child pornography," "obscenity," and "fighting words." Pornography is protected speech. She mentioned that some institutions are providing "safe harbor areas" to which persons uncomfortable with what may be on someone's monitor may go to do their work. Other libraries have mounted privacy screens on the monitors in the workstations that limit the range of view in the workstation. The EEOC has ruled in a Minnesota case on this matter. Some libraries have limited the amount of time that one uses a station as one way to promote equality of use of the stations. It is
difficult to restrict the use of email on the public workstations because many faculty members require their students to do their work via email.

On the matter of handling complaints from library users, one should use good judgment in light of the libraries' policy. In making a decision on appropriate approach to the matter, one should be content neutral. In some cases, it may be necessary to ask the complainant whether he/she would like to have the police called or whether the person would like to use our phone to call the police. Librarians have a role to play in explaining to users the important reasons libraries provide equal access to information.

In determining the proper response to a matter, one should also be aware of the University's Harassment Policy and consider whether the behavior reported by the complainant may be harassment or intrusive.

On the matter of public danger security, subpoenas have already been possible. The new anti-terrorism law now allows warrants that require that records be produced on the spot. Requests for such records are usually made to the Access Services administrator or to the Library Directors.

The question of not providing certain types of information to users was discussed. It is often helpful to raise some vital questions about the research with the users. For example, it might be helpful to ask for further clarification of the class assignment or on the nature of research that the person is conducting, such as "is this for your term paper?" Such inquiry might help to confirm the scholarly nature of the question and enable the librarians to better respond to the users' needs. In some cases, it might be helpful to consult with colleagues in order to provide the most appropriate help to the users. Boyle cautioned that finding out such information for helping users is certainly good practice, but what a librarian does if she is not satisfied with the user's intentions brings the situation into areas where we do not normally judge.

Recommendations for further enrichment of workstations and the policy
included the following:
-Everyone should distinguish between disruptive actions on the part of user vs. what they choose to read;
-Include statement that workstations are for instructional and research
use, and priority will be given to these;
-Provide a screen message that explains the scope or limits of service at
the workstations.
Boyle noted that the second recommendation is already a part of University and Library policy.

The motion to adjourn was passed; the meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.

Recorder: Thelma Tate
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/nbl/nblf/minutes/nblfaculty_minutes_2001_11_16.html
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