Minutes of the Meeting
University Librarians Advisory Council
Greensboro, NC
Friday, October 13, 2006

On Friday, October 13, 2006, the meeting was held at the library at UNC-Greensboro beginning at 10 a.m. Sherman Hayes, Chair of the ULAC presided. Since the secretary, Rebecca Ware (ECSU) has retired just prior to the meeting, Sherman Hayes also acted as secretary for this meeting. All in attendance signed the roll as it was passed at the start of the meeting.

Members present: Kristin Antelman (NCSU); Diane Futrelle (NCSSM); Juanita Midgette (ECSU): Mae L. Rodney (WSSU); Vicki Weavil (NCSA); Mary Reichel (ASU): Carolene P.Griffin (NCCU); Bobby C. Wynn (FSU); Jim Kuhlman (UNCA): Waltrene Canada (NCA&T); Carole Runnion (UNCC); Rosann Bazirjian (UNCG); Larry Boyer (ECU); Elinor Foster (UNCP); Bil Stahl (WCU); and Sherman Hayes (UNCW).

Guests were Mary Boone (State Library of North Carolina) and Tim Bucknall (UNCG).

Meeting began with introductions and approval of the previous minutes from June 16^th, 2006. The Chair thanked Rosann and her very friendly and efficient staff for hosting and feeding this group.

1. Susan Nutter (NCSU) had sent early this morning an urgent memo seeking help with data on delivery system costs throughout the libraries in the UNC system. Her request was forwarded verbally and in writing to all present. This was material related to the UNC PACE study that Susan was working on even as the meeting was progressing.
   
   
2. Mary Boone, recently appointed as State Librarian, State Library of North Carolina, joined us both to meet current members of ULAC and to present an overview of the current and future activities of the State Library. Mary distributed a packet of printed information on State Library programs encouraging us to participate in their ongoing LSTA Five-Year Plan Evaluation. Mary also pointed out that the State Library has increasingly provided LSTA grant possibilities to all of the libraries in the State including academic libraries in the UNC system. She reminded us all of several key upcoming deadlines for grant applications.
   
   
3. Tim Bucknall gave a detailed report on the activities of the Carolina Consortium. This report included history of the cooperative organization; description of its functions; participants and current packages now being offered through its efforts. There are 27 current negotiations now in process for joint subscription and purchase arrangements between members from North and South Carolina. Tim did specifically alert the Council to the need to discuss future arrangements for the subscription to Science Direct. For many of the ULAC members, the current subscription was negotiated by ULAC through the President’s Office. This arrangement is coming to an end in the intermediate future and there is a need to decide how to proceed for the next round of negotiation and who will participate. The consensus of the Council was that this should be an agenda item on the next meeting.
   
   
4. Diane Futrelle gave an overview report on NCSSM. This 600 student select specialty high school is shortly to become a member campus of UNC. Diane is now an ex-officio member of ULAC because of the campus relationship and will become a full member when NCSSM (North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics) joins UNC fully. Diane’s report included an overview of the history, mission, student body and faculty of the school as well as the many resources and services offered by her library.
   
   
5. Mary Reichel gave a brief report on the PACE process being conducted by the President’s Office at General Administration. Through the efforts of ULAC a subcommittee of university librarians as well as individual librarians on various campuses have been working with various committees of PACE. We have presented several proposals related to a catalog that can assist all patrons see all online catalogs in each of the member schools’ libraries. Also proposed was a remote storage facility for the system libraries use. Another component of the shared catalog was a state wide delivery system. Besides discussion of specific campus and system wide library proposals now before various committees, the group talked about information technology issues being discussed by another set of participants which may or may not have implications for libraries.
   
   
6. Rosann Bazirjian led a discussion on the possibilities to create a state wide academic effort in the area of IR (Institutional Repositories). Rosann proposed a conference/workshop on the topic that she, her faculty and several other key librarians in the State will conduct to explore the issues and opportunities. The Council gratefully thanked her for her leadership and endorsed the concept of such a workshop/conference.
   
   
7. Mary Reichel proposed that an ad hoc subcommittee of ULAC review two elements of our group’s public presence. The first was a discussion of ways to keep the central website, now physically hosted by General Administration, current and even perhaps expanding the information provided. The second recommendation from Mary was that this subcommittee could work on updating some of the strategic planning documents of ULAC particularly the "Working Together for Excellence" report that ULAC adopted in 1996. (Mary distributed a paper copy of the document and offered to send the URL after the meeting to all participants). So many of the goals of that document have been met and new ones are in place and being acted upon now but are not reflected in a system wide document. The consensus of the Council was that Mary should proceed by selecting her subcommittee and present suggested documents and strategies at future meetings of ULAC.
   
   
8. There was a brief report/discussion led by Carole Runnion on the State banding project. There seems to be a hiatus on banding of new groups due to Legislative direction. As a result, the status of our effort for SPA library specific positions is uncertain. With a new session coming shortly for the next Legislature, we are monitoring the banding project. It was suggested that this topic continue to be on our radar scope both at the local, State and UNC central administration level, and that we revisit it at the next meeting.
   
   
9. There was a general discussion of several other administrative issues that are starting within the State. While there was not time to fully explore them, the Council encouraged Sherman Hayes and any other member to start and continue a dialog with the UNC General Administration contacts in Chapel Hill prior to future meetings and to invite such UNC representatives to future meetings of the Council as appropriate.

Meeting adjourned at about 2:15 p.m.