Present: Peter Cohn (chair), Angie Locknar, Alan Rostoff, Georgiana McReynolds, Lisa Sweeney, Mark Szarko, Michael Noga, Maggie Bartley (recorder).
Guest: Darcy Duke
Announcements:
- Georgiana announced that the Virtual Reference page is in process of being updated. She reminded the group that discussion of the page's future should be put on an upcoming agenda.
- Angie suggested that updating and maintenance of the staff instruction web pages should be put on the same agenda.
- Angie announced that she, Peter, and Alex Caracuzzo will meet with IAP staff about getting greater flexibility in the IAP forms so that Libraries'
- offerings are more adequately represented.
- Peter reported on the most recent PSLG meeting.
Presentation from Darcy Duke for the Tutorials Task Force:
Darcy reported on the activities of the video tutorials project and broached RISG on some of the issues about which the task force will make
recommendations.
There was extensive discussion about which staff will be involved in creating tutorials, who will take responsibility for the upkeep of the general tutorials after the task force has been disbanded, how staff training will be implemented, who will own the templates for the tutorials, and who will be responsible for upgrades to the software. Comments were also sought about proposals for priorities for tutorial topics.
Darcy suggested that RISG might be the logical candidate to take responsibility for maintenance and updating of the tutorials, but there was no general agreement on this proposal. RISG members did suggest that:
- tutorials files should be kept in a logical placement if at all possible.
- the proposed policy of assigning video production permissions/training to one or two staff in each unit, similar to web contacts model, should be reassessed after 18 months
- the list of priority tutorials might be scaled back with some topics better expressed by well-designed web pages instead
- some time should be spent exploring and reviewing how we would use the videos . it would be helpful if the consultant who is producing the general tutorials on the priority list would make several mockups and document the workload involved
- Ask-Central staff should be queried about what tutorials might be most useful for them
It was agreed that the discussion would be resumed at a future meeting, along with consideration of how to market the tutorials. In the interim, RISG members agreed to think about priority topics for video tutorials.
Assessment Planning:
Peter led a discussion on planning for RISG's current assessment project. Although most of RISG's plans for the assessment project have been determined, a few issues still require clarification.
First, it has been difficult to identify a source of disaggregated data to treat the question of whether users know they can get reference assistance at local service desks. It was agreed that Peter would consult with Lisa Horowitz about an appropriate methodology.
Second, a workable and appropriate definition of what is meant by "research consultation" remains elusive. Research consultations are often thought of as one-on-one appointments with librarians. It was observed, though, that many in-depth consultations occur ad hoc, without prior appointments, and many in depth consultations are transacted over email with no face-to-face
encounter.
Peter will seek advice from Lisa Horowitz about clarifying a working definition of research consultations and appropriate data sources. He will report on the outcome of his conversations with Lisa, and the group will attempt to finalize the assessment planning.
Next meeting: March 14, 2007