Diversity Committee minutes, March 27, 2003
Room 605, Hodges Library, 1-2:30 pm
Members present: T. Conner, Royse, Mack, Manoff, R. Smith, G. Bayne, Myers, Stephens, Blocker, Pemberton, Roller, Keally
We opened with a discussion of whether we want to consider a visit to the Highlander Center instead of the Alex Haley Farm. The group decided that since they do not have a library directory at Alex Haley, it might not be time well-spent for us. We can contact them in a few months to see how they are coming with the search for a new library director. The Highlander Center does have a library. Renee Smith said that she knows Suzanne Farr at the Highlander Center and she will contact her to see if sometime in the summer we could go out there.
On the date we had planned for the visit to Alex Haley Farm, April 16, we have planned another event. The diversity committee will take Patty Boling to lunch for an early ‘secretary’s day’ at Copper Cellar at 11:30.
Web group: the re-design of the website is complete. The recruitment section of the site currently has only the announcement for the Minority Residency Program, and this will change when we have completed the search and hiring process.After TLA and ACRL, when we have more photos to share, LouAnn will send a ShareNews message to let staff know what we have been up to lately. Please send any feedback on the new design to Maribeth.
ACRL update: here’s what the committee is doing at ACRL: Jill, Thura, and Molly are hosting a roundtable session. Tiffani, Molly and Tamara are doing a poster session on the Climate Survey.
TLA update: The pre-conference has enough participants to make it a ‘go.’ The committee has four sessions at TLA. The pre-conference program may be adapted for a program for the Information Alliance (UT, Vanderbilt, and the University of Kentucky are members.)
After ACRL, we will work on our call for new members. We want to encourage people from different departments to participate. We also need to work on the selection process for the chair of the committee. We will talk about this at our next meeting.
At ALA this summer, Tiffani and Thura will present a diversity fair piece.
Meeting times in the near future: no meeting on April 10; we will meet on April 24th and May 8th; no meeting on May 22nd
Jill reported on the Minority Residency search. Half the applications have been reviewed, the other half will be reviewed next week. By Monday, the 31st, they hope to get the list down to those they want to check references on. LMG members were to come and review applications and give feedback about what duties or projects they might have for the residents. Some have done so.
Anne Pemberton asked if we know who will be the next library disability liaison. We do not know at this time. She will leave materials for that person. Aubrey is the main contact person for this.
Our lunch with Patty Boling is on for April 16, at 11:30 at the Copper Cellar’s Cumberland Grill. LouAnn will make reservations.
For the final part of the meeting, the group presenting the “Barriers to Diversity” session at TLA did a run-through of their program.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
LouAnn Blocker