Minutes, Diversity Committee, September 19, 2002, 605 Hodges Library, 1:10-2:30 p.m.
Members present: Mack, T. Conner, Keally, Blocker, Manoff, R. Smith, Pemberton, Myers, A. Smith, Horodysky, Roller, Stephens
Announcement: TLA program update. The “Barriers to Diversity” abstract was submitted to Rita Smith. Members of the working group watched a video on language and dialect which was useful. It contained a skit they might be able to modify for the program.
The first forum on Helping Patrons with Disabilities was a success. There was good attendance and positive feedback from attendees. For the next time (October 1, 3:30 ) Anne Pemberton and the presenter from ODS will keep all the information in the PowerPoint presentation, but will not expound on each slide so we have more time for questions.
Annual report and budget news—Molly passed out a draft of the annual report. The group decided it needed a summary paragraph at the end and should say “Submitted by the Diversity Committee” with the date. This document will be presented to the dean, to the staff, and be posted on our website as an html document. Anyone who notices corrections or additions need to send them to Molly immediately.
Goals: We will keep the current document which includes specific programs for the committee to use, and LouAnn will create another document without the specifics, which will be submitted with the annual report and budget. This will be emailed to all committee members.
Budget: Jill has given Molly input on the budget but is waiting for comments from Tamara. Monday Molly will present the whole packet to the Dean.
Alex Haley Farm: unfortunately, they had to cancel on the day we had planned to go. Thura will continue to stay in touch with them, and maybe we can get back on their schedule.
Intercultural Communication Forum: Tiff reported that the OED had to back out of helping us with this program. We hope to re-schedule in the spring, and be very detailed about what we expect from the panelists. We had been a little more free-form in our expectations of what the panelists would talk about in our initial planning. Gigi and Thura, Tiff and Sheila will write letters to OED and Dr. Janet Atwill thanking them for considering us. Dr. Atwill may be available this spring. We want to continue to work with OED on diversity issues. One idea was to invite Marva to one of our meetings. We might also talk to I-House staff about helping with the forum.
Geier decree forum—Jill has communicated with Marva. The OED cannot do a program for the whole library staff, but Marva suggested that perhaps we could have Mr. Theotis Robinson come to one of our committee meetings. Jill will try to get him on our agenda.
Advertising: the group needs to talk to Tamara and Barbara about future publicity through the Daily Beacon.
Website: Anne Pemberton’s website on serving patrons with disabilities should be linked to the committee website under Resources. Her PowerPoint presentation should be linked under Activities. Molly suggested that we take a look at our website to see how to update it to archive our activities. The group decided that the Oct. 17th meeting would be a good time to take a look at it as a group.
More news: Ron Gilmour, our new Science-Tech. Co-ordinator in Reference, has been involved in diversity activities before, and is interested in helping us.
LSA Holiday party: GiGi reported on some ideas that Tiff had for the party: storytelling on tape from different cultures, trinkets from around the world for door prizes. We might be able to ask I-House people for advice on that, or the language departments. Those on the diversity committee who plan to bring food could pick a dish from another country and then put a little sign on the table telling what it was. The committee will consider these ideas at a later date.
SIS may be having a bake sale this fall. When they finalize their plans, we may want to consider helping them to get ourselves some visibility at the school. Tiff will keep us updated.
Upcoming Library Student Recognition Festival
October 31, 2002 (Thursday)
2:30-4:30 p.m.
Faculty Lounge
All staff and students to be invited. Students with 2 years of service will be recognized by having a bookplate placed in a library book in their major.
Invites:
to all staff, sent thru regular campus mail.
to all student workers, to be given to supervisors of those students to distribute.
to the honoree students: (about 25) to be given to supervisors to distribute.
Thura will post announcement on Sharenews, and Renee will send to the Beacon.
Tamara is working on the list of students with the Personnel dept.
Becky and Dianne will be sure the Lounge is free.
LouAnn and Sheila will decorate with a Hallowe’en theme.
Molly and Dianne will make a picture board and Anthony will take pictures of the students.
Either Barbara or Aubrey may be available to present the books.
We will talk about food at our next meeting, Oct. 3.
Black Cultural Center Opening was Sept. 6. LouAnn and Molly attended. Felicia Felder-Hoehne was there and she introduced Molly to lots of people so it was a good networking event for us.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
LouAnn Blocker