Minutes: Diversity Committee, October 3, 2002
Room 127, Hodges Library, 1:10 p.m.
Members present: Miller, Royse, T. Conner, Mack, Keally, Roller, Stephens, Blocker
Guests: Mercy Ebuen and Amy York of the student chapter of ALA. They came to inform us of a program they are sponsoring for SIS students on Tuesday, November 5th from 6:30-8:30 in room 213 on diversity programming for libraries. They have 2 speakers lined up and need 1 or 2 more. They asked for one or two of us to come talk about how the committee got started and about some of our programs and experiences. All committee members are invited to this program. At our next meeting we will decide what we want to do, and who wants to participate. Tiffani is communicating with this group.
Goals, annual report and budget: Molly will email all of us copies. She is ready to present this to Barbara. The annual report and goals will be posted to the website.
Thura, LouAnn and Becky will work on adding specific objectives to our goals. We have already done some of this work with our draft goals document.
Alex Haley Farm: at our next meeting we will talk about re-scheduling this event. Tuesdays are not a good day. We may try to schedule for a Thursday.
We will meet with Theotis Robinson on October 17, at 1:10 p.m. in the I-Conference room at the Black Cultural Center. He will talk to us about the Geier Decree and how and from whom we get information about it and how it affects the University. So that he will have information about us, Thura and Molly will put together a packet about the Diversity Committee. Tamara will deliver it to the Andy Holt Tower on October 14.
Student Recognition Festival
Barbara will start presenting the awards at 2:45.
GiGi and Thura have checked the list of students and got their majors. Thura is choosing the books. They will be on a book truck in her office for the next week or so if anyone wants to look at them. The bookplate information will read:
“NAME In honor of service to the Libraries as a Student Library Assistant”
LouAnn will get a copy of the list from Thura and fill out the forms with this information so that Mary Ellen Starmer’s staff can make the bookplates.
The press release has been done. After the event, Tamara will publicize it to the Beacon and to the national library community.
Tamara will ask Barbara if there is anyone else she wants to invite from the UT community.
Thura will talk to Anthony about the pictures to be sure he can co-ordinate with Molly and Dianne (they are making the picture boards.) Thura has already reserved Reference’s digital camera to take pictures at the event. Sheila will talk to Troy about reserving one and asking if he can take pictures at the event.
Sheila and LouAnn will set a date and go shopping for the decorations which will have a fall theme.
Becky, GiGi and Dianne will work on food. Thura has a commitment from Barbara to provide some money from development funds for food. Molly will bring some candy corn and some wrapped Hallowe’en candy.
At our next meeing, we will all give updates on where we are with our part of the planning.
Tamara reported on the upcoming visit to campus by author Bebe Moore Campbell. The Black Cultural Programming Committee is sponsoring an author’s talk, a reception, and a book-signing with Ms. Campbell on October 28th in the University Center. They contacted Felicia about having the library co-sponsor the reception. Tamara wanted to get our approval before she talks to Barbara about this. She will also ask Friends of the Library if they want to be co-sponsors. The group agreed this would be a good thing. We will contribute money and help with publicity. [Secretary’s note: you can read more about Bebe Moore Campbell at http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/bebemoorecampbell.html ]
Scarecrow for the Fall Festival: Tiffani got a positive response from several committee members about doing this. Now she needs help putting this together. [Secretary’s note: I had to leave the meeting early. Tiffani sent an email to the group about the scarecrow and parts of it are excerpted below.]
“If you'd like to help us work on this fantastic creation, please do. We will be operating out of the Paging Room on the 6th floor (room next to double doors) as our schedules allow. If you have some ideas for things to contribute, please bring them on Monday, Oct. 7 or you may leave them with me.
Otherwise, here's the schedule. We are supposed to set up our "Div Crow" between 9 and 10am on Thursday, October 10 at the UC Plaza (Crest Room if it's raining). It was conveyed to me that the earlier we arrive the better our spot. Judging will take place between 10 and 11am. "Div Crow" will be assigned an entry number and after the judging we can place a sign, indicating the UT Libraries Diversity Committee (really is nuts...kidding), made this wonderful, unique composition. The Fall Festival (UT-wide) runs from 11.30 - 3.00pm, so we can take "Div Crow" apart after 2.30 or 3pm.
So, if ANYONE has ANYTHING that they want to contribute to "Div Crow" wardrobe, makeup, and accessories, please do so. The image we are currently working with is a gourd-headed scarecrow sitting in a wheelchair, holding a broom stick w/ a pumpkin-face on top. The pumpkin-face will likewise be decorated diversely, and will be sporting a dashing cape and headdress. We need some stuff to set around "Div Crow" and the wheelchair.”
The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
LouAnn Blocker