Prepared by Geoffrey Skinner and Brian Kunde
### SUL NEWS NOTES Volume 1, Number 1
### January 10, 1992
### LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
This is the first issue of the new, weekly, electronic publication,
SUL News Notes. We hope this new format will provide a more timely
means of transmitting information to SUL staff.
--Tom Holt, Editor
### ART LIBRARY HAS NIGHT HOURS COVERED
The Art Library staff is happy to welcome Arturo Villasenor as our
new evening supervisor. Arturo worked most recently for almost
three years as evening supervisor at Cal State Hayward. He also
worked in the library at San Jose State while a student there. We
are pleased to have found a new night owl to cover our night and
Sunday hours.
--Amanda Bowen, Art Library
### MUSIC SYMPOSIUM
The Stanford University Department of Music and the Doreen B.
Townsend Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA)
is presenting a symposium, MUSIC PUBLISHING AND MUSIC REPRESENTATION
IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL AGE, January 18-19, 1992 at Stanford.
The symposium will focus on the role of new technology in the future
of music notation and publishing. Topics to be presented range from
problems of composing for new computer-interactive systems to the
potential of computer music representation modes in the future of
music publishing. The symposium brings together internationally
known composers, researchers, and music publishers to participate in
a lively forum examining the state of music in today's rapidly
developing technological environment.
The symposium is free and open to the public. For more information,
contact Patte Wood at CCRMA, 723-4971.
--Mimi Tashiro, Music Library
### RESEARCH LIBRARIES GROUP ISSUES PUBLICATION OUTLINING RLG'S SUPPORT
### FOR RESEARCH INFORMATION NEEDS
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, October 7, 1991 -- The Research Libraries Group,
Inc. (RLG), a not-for-profit organization devoted to improving
access to information that supports research and scholarship, today
announced a new publication -- RLG in Perspective: Focusing
Collaboration in the 1990s. Part report, part prospectus, the new
company profile describes RLG's strengths, outlines the
organization's plans for meeting the challenging needs of research
libraries and related organizations, and encourages prospective
members to evaluate RLG in terms of their own current and future
requirements.
"It is now recognized that higher education will continue to face
severe financial pressures for the decade to come," said James
Michalko, RLG president. "As institutions anticipate their future
circumstances, they must optimize their investments in research and
plan to work collectively on projects they can't -- or can't afford
to -- do alone."
RLG as a Partner to Institutional Efforts
"For 16 years, RLG has been a powerful means for leveraging the
existing resources of individual research institutions, to enhance
and expand them," Michalko said. "We have recently restructured the
organization's governance, membership structure, and offerings to
ensure that we can continue to provide effective service to our
members in light of their changing needs and today's fiscal
constraints. As a result, we believe that RLG will continue to be
an important asset to a wide range of higher-education institutions
in the 1990s."
RLG differs from other information providers, associations, or
academic service organizations in ways that make it unique.
Differentiated by its distinctive collaborative approach,
specialized staff, rich technical resources, and considerable
success in attracting outside funding on behalf of its members, RLG
is well positioned to address specific information needs spanning
higher education, librarianship, technology application, and service
delivery.
Membership in RLG is open to any nonprofit institution with an
educational, cultural, or scientific mission. Currently, RLG's
members include 108 universities, archives, historical societies,
and museums -- among the most recent additions, having joined this
fall, are Georgetown University, the law school libraries of the
University of Connecticut and Duke University, and the YIVO
Institute for Jewish Research.
RLIN as a Primary Asset for Automated Information Support
One of RLG's primary assets is the Research Libraries Information
Network (RLIN), RLG's automated information system. Use of RLIN is
not a membership requirement, but most members take advantage of at
least some RLIN features. This specialized computer-based
information system, which was designed to meet the information needs
of comprehensive research libraries and special collections,
provides a focal point for sharing resources, information, and
expertise among members and with the wider research community. RLG
recently announced some new and upcoming enhancements to the system,
including the last in a series of implementations supporting
information processing in non-Roman scripts: Chinese, Japanese,
Korean, Cyrillic, Hebrew, and now Arabic. Enrichment of the RLIN
database, which contains more than 50 million cataloging records for
materials of all kinds, is an ongoing process. Important resource
files for East Asian studies, American sculpture, early sound
recordings and pre-1800 European materials have already been slated
for addition to RLIN in 1992. In addition, RLG has initiated a
series of projects toward more effective information delivery based
on article-level (citations) data. Member activities and projects
are supported by such RLIN-related developments.
For example, among RLG's most successful ongoing programs is the
Collection Access and Delivery Service, which provides members with
priority interlibrary loans, last-resort sources of supply, and
on-site access to each other's collections, using both RLIN features
and Ariel(tm), RLG's new document transmission system operating on
the Internet. The Archives and Museums Information System, being
developed by RLG as a local system with links to RLIN, will serve a
growing constituency among RLG members. These activities and many
others are outlined in RLG in Perspective.
What the 1990s Hold for RLG and Its Members
"Membership in RLG offers institutions an unusual opportunity for
containing costs, improving local services, and contributing to the
nation's collective access to scholarly materials," Michalko said.
"The new publication lets us lay out the specifics of what RLG has
to offer. We encourage organizations that share the responsibility
-- and cost -- of supporting research to consider the document
carefully and to join us in pursuing shared objectives."
To obtain a copy of RLG in Perspective: Focusing Collaboration in
the 1990s, please call, write, fax or send electronic mail to:
Jennifer Hartzell
Director, Corporate Communications
The Research Libraries Group, Inc.
1200 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041-1100, USA
Telephone: 415-691-2207
Fax: 425-964-0943
E-mail: bl.jlh@rlg.bitnet or bl.jlh@rlg.stanford.edu
--Jennifer Hartzell, RLG
### GIFTS MEETING
Members of the Serials and Acquisitions Department and selectors met
on December 18 to review current SUL Gifts policy. Sharon Propas
presented a revised policy to selectors and answered questions about
accepting and processing donations to the collections. A future
meeting on the Exchange Program is being planned.
2.12 Gift Acceptance Policy
The Stanford University Libraries welcome donations of scholarly
materials in all formats falling within the guidelines of the
Collection Development Policy Statement. SUL bibliographers and
curators and the Gift and Exchange Librarian are jointly responsible
for the acceptance of gifts.
The primary purpose of the SUL gift program is to acquire materials
that will be added to its collections. For this reason, it is
essential that selectors be involved in gift acceptance decisions.
In particular, large gifts falling within identifiable subject areas
are discussed with the appropriate bibliographer prior to acceptance
of the gift. Whenever possible, the bibliographer should review and
select from very large gifts in the donor's home or office.
While the essential consideration in deciding whether to accept a
gift should always be the gift's potential for addition to the
Libraries' collections, other benefits are derived from the gift
program. First, some of the gift titles are used in the SUL
exchange program. Second, acceptance of gifts may enhance relations
with potentially important donors. Except in unusual circumstances,
gifts are not accepted for these secondary purposes alone.
Most gifts are only accepted unconditionally; that is, the Libraries
reserve the right to determine the disposition of donated materials.
Unwanted materials are generally disposed of through the Exchange
Program or book sales. Because they have little potential value for
our collections, periodicals (except specific issues needed to fill
in our collections), popular paperbacks, textbooks, and materials in
poor physical condition are not generally accepted.
Although the Libraries acknowledge receipt of gifts, they cannot
provide donors with appraisals of their gifts. If a donor requests
an appraisal, we recommend that he or she consult an independent
appraiser. In very exceptional circumstances, the Libraries may
commission an appraiser to be paid for by the donor. The Gift and
Exchange Librarian will provide guidance in such instances.
--Sharon Propas, Serials & Acquisitions
### SOCRATES/FOLIO WORKSHOPS FOR WINTER QUARTER
Socrates/Folio workshops for winter quarter are as follows:
Basic Socrates Fri., Jan. 17 10:00-10:50
Fri., Feb. 21 2:15-3:05
Advanced Socrates Fri., Feb. 28 2:15-3:05
What's New on Folio Fri., Jan. 17 11:00-11:50
Fri., Feb. 21 3:15-4:05
Fri., Feb. 28 3:15-4:05
All workshops will be held in Meyer 410 with signups at both Meyer
and Green reference desks. Basically, it's the same setup as last
quarter, but we'll add information about new options on Folio as
they become available.
We could use assistants on the February workshops. Anyone
interested in signing up to take or assist at any of these can
contact me by phone (725-1186) or e.mail (cn.kmk). I'd also like
to know if there is any interest in having a Socrates workshop
designed especially for library staff? Thank you. My phone is
725-1186 or e.mail cn.kmk.
--Kathy Kerns, Meyer Library
### MORE FROM YOUR COMMUNICATION TASK FORCE
By now, everyone should have seen a copy of the Directors'
responses to the Communication Task Force's set of recommendations.
At this time, we'd like to comment on just the response to our
recommendation to create a staff forum. The Task Force accepts the
responsibility to "create a mechanism for launching ... such a
venture." The Task Force will meet this month to begin this effort.
The Task Force's original recommendation was: Create a Nonexempt
Staff Forum to promote communication. The intent was to establish
an organizational structure which would provide staff with a means
to foster both horizontal and vertical communication, to discuss
common issues, and to officially communicate with the Library
Administration. It was inadvertently described as a "non-exempt"
staff forum; the intent is to include all staff.
If you have any specific thoughts or ideas on how the Staff Forum
should be organized, we would like to hear from you. We may also
need additional volunteers to help in the organizing effort. You
can contact Task Force members individually or by sending e-mail to
our group address: COMM-TASK-FORCE.
--Jim Cruse, Access Services
### GETTING TO KNOW L&IR's FINANCIAL AND STRATEGIC PLANNING EXPERTS
Bob Street provided a compliment, as well as the following
description of job responsibilities for Rick Biedenweg and Catherine
Gardner: "For me, over the last four years, having a pair of
talented folks who are practiced at planning and analysis,
structuring and leading retreats, gathering, organizing and
interpreting data, and asking tough questions has been essential and
effective." Although it wouldn't appear that there could be much
time for them, Rick assured me that he has outside interests, as
well; they include wine making and sailing. Catherine added that
getting to know SUL staff was the best part of 1991. But how do
Rick and Catherine affect SUL and why is it important that SUL staff
know who they are and what they do? Read on and the answers will
become apparent.
As a result of the Information Resources' merger with SUL in
September of 1990, Rick became Assistant Vice President for
Strategic Planning and Financial Management for Libraries and
Information Resources (L&IR). He is responsible for
conceptualizing, creating, and developing strategic L&IR programs
and policy reviews to benefit the University. He is also
responsible for identifying long-term programmatic needs and
developing strategies for bringing these needs into alignment with
available resources. Whether identifying, conceptualizing, creating
or developing, in all cases this means working with others as one
part of a team. In addition, he ensures that IR is well-managed and
on a sound financial basis (no easy task, especially recently!). He
also monitors and coordinates the IR development process to assure
that opportunities continue to exist and that appropriate attention
is given to them. Although he reports directly to Bob Street, he
spends most of his time working with the L&IR directors, including
SUL's directors--Tia Gozzi, Karen Nagy, and Michael Ryan.
Since November of 1990, Catherine has been Director for Finance for
Libraries. She is also Assistant Director for Finance and Strategic
Planning for L&IR. As Director for Finance for Libraries, Catherine
ensures that all of SUL's financial transactions, budgets and
systems meet University policies and requirements, as well as
outside regulations (for example, those mandated by state and
federal agencies). In addition to reporting to Bob Street,
Catherine works closely with SUL directors, department chiefs, and
branch librarians, as well as accountant Susan Horsfall.
In her role as Assistant Director for Finance and Strategic Planning
for L&IR, a position she has held since January of 1988, she reports
to and works closely with Rick. Working as a team, they ensure that
planning and financial management is integrated across L&IR,
coordinated with other University departments, and in alignment with
the goals of the Provost and Cabinet. To do so they regularly
consult with L&IR directors and their managers, Susan Horsfall and
finance personnel in the IR divisions, staff in the Controller's
Office, and lately, according to Catherine, "lots of people from
outside accounting firms!"
Previous employment, both in and outside Stanford, together with
their educational background, prepared both Rick and Catherine for
their current responsibilities. Rick earned a B.A. in Mathematics
from Harvey Mudd College; has two masters degrees, one in Statistics
and the other in Electrical Engineering; and completed a PhD at
Stanford in Operations Research. Before joining IR in 1987, he
worked as Assistant Provost for Policy Studies. In that capacity he
conducted a special study on faculty retirement policies and managed
the Long Range Financial Forecast, among other projects. Before
coming to Stanford, Rick worked as an associate engineer for General
Dynamics and worked in the Advanced Network Planning Division at
SPRINT.
Catherine has degrees in Accounting (a B.S.) and Public
Administration (a Master's), both from San Jose State University.
Before joining IR in 1988, she worked first for the Government Cost
and Rate Studies Group and then as Controller Frank Riddle's
financial analyst, where she was responsible for forecasting the
income to the University's operating budget from indirect cost
recovery, among other things. As with Rick, there was life before
Stanford. In Catherine's case, it involved working as the business
manager for a branch of research geologists at the U.S. Geological
Survey.
Both Rick and Catherine indicated that the current budget cutting
process has changed the emphases of their jobs, with both of them
spending a "lot more time managing budget cutting processes,
including coordinating both inside and outside L&IR." Catherine,
referring to the merger of SUL and IR, noted, "It's been a
tremendous effort to support the building of a new organization with
a shared sense of vision and goals while responding to the budget
cutting programs." As we all have a stake in the new organization,
we offer our support and, as the budget cutting process continues
and the new organization takes shape, trust that Rick and Catherine
will avail themselves of the experience and expertise of many at
SUL. With their background and experience, it's good to have Rick
and Catherine on our team! In fact, they now spend a portion of
their time in the Green Library, sharing an office in the Directors'
Office.
--Tom Holt, Editor
### THANK YOU FROM MUTSUKO
Dear Friends,
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and everyone
of you for your comforting words, sincere sympathy and warm
friendship which mean so much to me at this time of my loss.
--Mutsuko Davis, Green Library
### BEN JOINS MEYER
Ben Martin, formerly of the Art Library, joins the Meyer Staff as
our Night and Weekend Supervisor. We are delighted to have his many
years of experience to deal with our sometimes frantic evening
hours. Welcome aboard, Ben!
--Irene Severn, Meyer Library
### ORIENTATION PROGRAM TO BE IMPLEMENTED
The SULSA Orientation Committee (Betty Lum, Nancy Lewis, and Tom
Holt), with the help of L&IR Human Resources (especially Mavis Sare)
and the input and support of many others, has put together an
orientation program directed at newly-hired Libraries' staff. The
Committee, while recognizing that the orientation program may
require further development, hopes that the program will begin to
fill an often-expressed need of newly-hired staff.
In the near future a New Employee Orientation Program Checklist will
be e-mailed to all SUL staff. The aim of the checklist is to help
supervisors to prepare for the arrival of a new employee and to
provide for her/his orientation, as well as to inform the new
employee about the first 3-6 months in her/his new position.
Supervisors definitely will want to save the checklist and consult
it before a new employee arrives. Among other things, it will
remind supervisors to request an Orientation Packet for new
employees.
The Orientation Packet contains the new employee's copy of the New
Employee Orientation Program Checklist. It also includes other
Libraries and University information which might prove useful to a
new employee. For example, the packet contains general information
on the Libraries, information on Socrates, organization charts, a
Marguerite schedule, and a Health Improvement Program brochure. It
also includes SUL's Orientation Handbook for Continuing Staff
Members.
The Orientation Handbook for Continuing Staff Members was adapted
from a similar handbook provided by the Data Center to all of its
new employees. This printed handbook, while intended for new
employees, will be provided to all Libraries' employees within the
next few weeks, as it contains useful information for "old" and new
employees alike. For example, there are chapters on "Your Job and
Career Development Plan" and "Answering Questions and Solving
Problems."
Another component of the orientation program will be tours of the
various libraries and departments which make up Stanford University
Libraries. Kathy Kerns of the Meyer Library has volunteered to
serve as Tour Coordinator. She will act as a liaison to department
chiefs and branch librarians, will schedule tours, and will arrange
for tour leaders. While department chiefs and branch librarians, or
those designated by them, will make presentations during the tours,
tour leaders will move tour participants from department to
department or from library to library, will make necessary
introductions, and will keep the tours on schedule. If you are
interested in serving as a tour leader, contact Kathy at 5-1186 or
cn.kmk@forsythe. Stay tuned for announcements of tour times.
The final component of the orientation program will be a regularly
scheduled orientation slide show. Intended to introduce new staff
to some of the many staff who make up SUL, it will highlight
directors, department chiefs, branch librarians and their operations
managers, and service staff (for example, LHR staff). As with the
tours, stay tuned for show times.
In addition to the orientation program outlined above, the Amity
Program, established in April of 1991, pairs staff volunteers who
have been at SUL at least two years with newly-arrived colleagues.
If you are willing to meet with a new staff member once a month for
at least six months, inviting them to lunch or coffee, introducing
them to other library colleagues, accompanying them to library and
campus events, helping to orient them to the campus and local
community, etc., please contact Barbara Celone, the Chair of the
Amity Committee, at 3-2121 or cn.hss@forsythe.
Although intended for new employees, many of the components of the
new orientation program and the Amity Program can be beneficial to
more seasoned employees of SUL. The Orientation Committee
encourages all SUL staff to get involved in new employee
orientation, either as a supervisor utilizing the orientation tools
now available to you, as a staff member volunteering to serve as a
tour leader, as a branch librarian or department chief providing an
introduction to your operation and staff, or as an Amity volunteer.
Please feel free to contact Betty Lum, the Chair of the Orientation
Committee, at 5-1031 or cn.yae@forsythe with your comments and
questions.
--Tom Holt, Catalog Dept. (for the SULSA Orientation Committee)
### CALENDAR
January 13: SULA-Job Classifications for Librarians, noon-1:30,
Herbert Hoover Memorial Building, Room 330
January 17,
February 21
and Feb. 28: Socrates/Folio workshops (for details see article,
SOCRATES/FOLIO WORKSHOPS FOR WINTER QUARTER, within)
January 18-19: CCRMA - Music Publishing and Music Representation in
the Technological Age, Stanford University (for
details see article, MUSIC SYMPOSIUM, within)
### PERSONNEL NOTES, MONTH OF DECEMBER 1991
ARRIVALS
David A Chang Serials & Acquisitions
Phil Gibson Tresidder Computer Cluster
Arturo Villasenor Art Library
TRANSFERS
Jara Dusatko Catalog Dept
Ben Martin Meyer Library
DEPARTURES
Yelena Shor Engineering Library
******************************************************************
SUL News Notes, an electronic publication of Stanford University
Libraries (SUL), is issued weekly throughout the year. Submission
deadline for the next issue will be 12 noon, Thursday, January 16th.
Publication date for that issue will be Friday, January 17th. Items
should be sent to: CN.BUL@FORSYTHE
Editor: Tom Holt
Production: Lisa Carlson
