October 22, 2020

Present: Dr. Arne Almquist (Ex-Officio), Dr. Brielle Frost, Dr. Mark Mengerink, Dr. Adam Nemmers,

   Michael Saar (Ex-Officio), Dr. Mary Sizemore, Dr. Katherine Sprott

 Absent: Kaprecia Carter

 Special Guest: None

 The meeting was called to order at 11:31 a.m. by Dr. Almquist

 APPROVAL OF MINUTES

• There were no minutes to approve.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Library Building
  • The building has not been renovated as a whole since 1976. The fire sprinkler project begins in February 2021 and will be completed in a year. The brick on the outside was repaired. The freight elevator will be replaced.
  • Assuming we receive funding, the major library remodel will begin in 2023. The Library Dean stressed that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to rethink the space and that he has requested that an experienced academic library architect be hired to design the interior library service spaces. As a part of that redesign, he is hoping for space that will facilitate seamless service between the various entities that are located in the library and the creation of a centralized Archives and Special Collections.
• Library Personnel Hires
  • The library is in the process of hiring several faculty positions to fill positions vacated by people retiring. We hope to report new hires at the next Library Committee meeting.

 AGENDA ITEMS

• Committee Members Introduction (Library Dean)
  • The committee members briefly went around the table stating their name and department.
    • Katherine Sprott, Education Department, Lamar University
    • Brielle Frost, Music Department, Lamar University
    • Adam Nemmers, English Department, Lamar University
    • Mary Sizemore, Academic Programs, Lamar Institute of Technology
    • Mark Mengerink, History Department, Lamar University
    • Michael Saar, Library Services, Lamar University
  • Library Dean’s Presentation (Library Dean)
    • Almquist will give a study room tour at the next meeting. Michael Saar will be conducting focus groups for the study rooms.
    • The committee agreed to meet monthly. The Library Administration office will create a shared drive for the committee members.
  • Chair Committee Selection (Library Dean)
    • Nemmers is elected as the Chair. The library Executive Assistant, April Coon, will set up a meeting with the Library Dean, Dr. Nemmers, and Michael to discuss the next Library Committee meeting.

OTHER

• Committee Charge (Library Dean)
  • The committee has not met since 2015. Dr. Almquist stated that various library members will attend future meetings to discuss library matters.
• Elsevier Subscription (Library Dean)
  • The library’s five-year contract is being renegotiated. The Dean mentioned that Lamar University’s Elsevier commitment is almost the same as TSU’s and is oversized in relation to our total budget. A group of Texas academic libraries has formed to conduct a shared negotiation, and a professional negotiator has been hired. If the contract is not replaced, there will be ways in which we can continue to provide Elsevier content.
• Info Resources (Library Dean)
  • Almquist described the move to implement an “information brokerage” model within the library. This would create a single interface that would allow us to more quickly and efficiently meet the information needs of our users.
• Hurricane Damage (Dr. Nemmers)
  • The library had some damage due to Hurricane Delta. Dr. Almquist stated that the building had water damage from windows and ceilings. There was no damage to the library materials.

NEW BUSNESS

• There was no new business.

ADJOURNMENT

• The meeting was adjourned at 12:08 p.m.