Library Innovation Subcommittee Minutes

August 13, 2024, 9:00am

Zoom

Action Items: None

Present:  Leah Bauer (POY), Laura Fuller (PLO), Elizabeth Clauss (CSP), Leah Fritsche (DEE), Amy Trumble (NGL), Alicia Woodland (MCM), Melissa Roelli (MTH)

Excused: Rose Ziech (SCLS), Caitlin Opatik (REE)

Recorder: Tamara Ramski

SCLS staff present: Jean Anderson, Tracie Miller, Craig Ellefson, Tim Drexler, Shawn Brommer, Mark Jochem, Tamara Ramski

1. Call to order time 9:02 am

a. Introduction of guests/visitors: None

b. Changes/Additions to the Agenda: None

c. Requests to address the Committee  None

2. Approval of previous meeting minutes: June 11, 2024

a. Changes or corrections: None

b. Approved by motion : Leah B., Leah F., approved

3. Action items: None

4. Reports

a. IDEA Team

i. Mark: The next grant cycle will offer mini-grants for continuing education.

ii. Mark: Planning is underway for a BIPOC centered unconference to be held in April 2025. An advisory committee has been formed.

iii. Jean: Other opportunities may be offered for spring of 2025.

b. Social Work Intern Cohort (Mark)

i. UW Stevens Point and UW Madison social work students are placed in libraries as interns. Libraries can apply for an intern using a Google form (a link was shared).

5. Discussion

a. Uses for potential 2025 SCLS Foundation funds

i. Amount of funds has not been determined yet. 

ii. New kit requests

1. Book repair kit-likely 2025

2. No new requests were made during the meeting.

b. SCLS Kit Team update - Sneak peek: Updated Program Equipment page draft

i. Is the new format intuitive enough (especially for new library staff)?

1. Leah F.: Loves it, says it is brilliant. It is clean and easy. Likes that it is searchable and filterable. Everything is self-explanatory. Likes that the button to reserve is on that page. Thinks staff will find it easy to use.

2. Elizabeth: Agrees with Leah. Found it hard to find kit info as it previously existed on the SCLS website. Asked about where the page will be found on the SCLS website. Jean-showed where it currently lives, said it could also be linked to from other pages.

3. Leah F.: Suggested adding the word “kits” to the page title instead of just “program equipment”. Since it is what we call it, use the word in the page so it is retrieved if the word “kit” is searched.

ii. Does the new format provide the right amount of information (not too much, not too little)?

1. Jean: Explained the four columns of information on the main page and that there are links to pages with additional details about kit contents. Board book kits will be added.

2. Elizabeth: This is good. Just enough to find what you need without being overwhelming. The filters are very useful.

iii. Changes/additions/reordering for the "Type of equipment" categories?

1. Jean: Presentation package, e-reader, and iPad kits will go away. SCLS does not have them anymore.

2. Mark: Change the wording of the drop-box header: types of equipment to types of kits.

3. Laura: Suggested age be added as a filter? Maybe a youth limiter?

a. Shawn was wondering about that to and if that would help the kits find their audience.

iv. Some new kits are being added to the list (items that were elsewhere on the website for some time, but haven’t been listed as part of this group before). What “type of equipment” best describes these kits?

1. RFID tagging kit (ILS related, for library staff use)

a. Tracie: Suggested “Other”, already included in current list.

b. Elizabeth: Suggested “mobile circ kits”

c. Leah B.: Suggested “processing”. Alicia also liked this.

2. Barcode scanner kit (ILS related, library staff use)

a. Same suggested category as RFID tagging kit above.

3. Slide projector kit (depends on if it can get repaired).

a. Cameras or other related AV equipment.

b. Leah: Could go in the presentation category, if that category is not removed-see 5.b.iii.1 above.

v. Do the "Mobile" kits need to have mobile in the name? All the kits are “mobile” in the sense of moving from library to library; however the intent is to show that these items are portable (intended to move around in the stacks). Is that clear?

1. Leah F.: Mobile does not mean anything, they are all mobile. Could include mobile in the description of how it is used, but not on this webpage. Laura agrees.

2. Alicia: Replace “mobile” with “outreach for kits” for kits that can move around.

3. Shawn: Leave it off this page, but it is useful as part of the description.

vi. Should loan periods be listed in weeks or days? E.g. “2 weeks” vs “14 days”  

1. Use consistent wording, chose 2 weeks or 14 days, not both variations.

a. Mark: 14 days vs 2 weeks, need consistency. Melissa agrees.

b. Laura Fuller: Prefers the term 'days' rather than 'weeks'.  As a library, they use 'days' for all patron info. Leah F., Alicia, and Amy agrees.  

c. Leah F.: Agrees aligns with the check-out language used for other library purposes.

d. Melissa: If told a month, patrons assume 30 days when really it could be 28, 30, 31 days.

2. Use standard lengths of time for kits to be borrowed.

a. Shawn: The Kit Committee or this group needs to look at the loan lengths of kits, they may need to be updated.

b. Elizabeth: It would be best if everything could be 2 week minimum. Alicia, Leah F., Leah B., and Melissa agree.

c. Amy: Seven days is often not enough to test the kit, use it, clean-up, and prepare the kit for return.

3. Does the time period include transport days?

a. Leah F.: Assumes delivery time is not included in the reserved dates (same policy as holds). Could this be indicated somewhere?

4. Leah B.: Asked if there is a standard renewal request process? Jean: There is an informal process. Details about renewal requests should be added to the kit page.

vii. Laura: It looks SO good!  A definite improvement.

viii. Shawn: Thanked everyone for their input.

c. Library visits

i. Melissa’s co-worker went to Oregon Public Library yesterday and was impressed by the map of the library near the front door. MTH wants to create something similar to improve accessibility and to make navigating the library more user-friendly.

ii. Amy: A board member went to the Oodi Library in Helsinki. A link to Oodi Library was shared.  

6. Items from clusters:

a. Melissa has submitted two ideas to the LIS Idea Submission Form. Rose will review them and they will be discussed at the next LIS meeting.

7. Plan for next meeting: October 8, 2024, 9:00 am (Zoom)

a. Reports

i. IDEA Team

ii. Social Work Intern Cohort

b. Discussion

i. Uses for potential 2025 SCLS Foundation funds

ii. SCLS Kit Team update

iii. Library visits

c. Melissa’s (two) LIS Idea Submission Form submissions

8. Adjournment:  9:49 am

For more information about the Library Innovation Subcommittee, contact Rose Ziech.

SCLS staff are available to attend cluster meetings to share information and answer questions pertaining to this committee meeting and other departmental projects.

Library Innovation Subcommittee/Minutes/2024-08