2. The Minutes of the May and October Library Council meetings were approved as distributed.

3. Agreement was reached that the Minutes of Library Council meetings would be distributed via e-mail and will be posted on the Libraries' web site; paper copies will no longer be distributed.

4. Professor Case-Smith stated that her perception of the role of Library Council was to serve in an advisory capacity and as liaison between the campus community and the Libraries, bringing issues to the Libraries and taking information back to the various constituencies; Professor Branin agreed concerning the role of the Council. He expressed his desire to receive input from the Council, but commented on the difficulty he has seen of getting such groups involved unless there is a serious problem or crisis situation.

Various ways of getting Council Members involved were discussed. Professor Pearlman suggested involvement of Council Members with Standing Committees of the Libraries; any committees that are appointed to plan, etc. for the anticipated renovation/restoration of Main Library would provide an excellent opportunity for Council involvement.

5. Professor Branin reported on a meeting held earlier in the day involving President Kirwan, Provost Ray, Vice President for Development May, Vice President for Finance Shkurti, and himself. During this meeting it was made clear that the renovation/restoration of Main Library will be the top fund raising priority for the next two years. It will be important to develop a vision that can be "sold" to potential donors.

It is anticipated that the project will take at least eight years for completion, and is scheduled to begin this summer with $.5M being made available for consultation and planning. It may be possible to begin the selection process for an architect before the money is actually available in July; there is concern for the need of an excellent designer/architect to oversee the project.

Professor Case-Smith reported that the Senate Steering Committee had been more concerned with the development of a master plan for all libraries rather than concentrating on the renovation/restoration of the Main Library building. There was general agreement that we don't want to lose focus or the opportunity that has been presented for the Main Library, but the opportunity can be used to look at the broader picture of library service without losing focus on the Main Library.

Professor Branin expressed his intention to have broad involvement in the planning process, and Professor Case-Smith reiterated the interest and commitment of Library Council to be involved in that process. It was generally agreed that the involvement of University Technology Services as early as possible is very important. Various mechanisms for achieving broad involvement were discussed, but the ones perceived as having the most potential were the use of focus groups and the OSU Poll. In the use of focus groups, it was suggested that professional facilitators be used; that the individual group sessions concentrate on specific areas rather than all groups covering a broad spectrum; and that individuals be specifically invited to participate. Professor Case-Smith commented on what she had considered to be an excellent use of focus groups by the Libraries a few years ago and suggested that the process used at that time be re-examined for useful information.

The following additional suggestions were also advanced: Review the earlier report detailing the alternatives that were available for replacing/renovating Main Library; Examine the pros and cons of other library renovation/restoration projects; Determine how, and by whom, the Main Library is used--although the collections housed in the building are primarily in the Humanities, the building is used by constituents in other disciplines and is a symbol for the entire campus.

6. The issue of scholarly communication and the impact of electronic publishing was briefly discussed and will be further addressed at future meetings. Library Council is maintaining communication with the Senate Copyrights/Patent Committee concerning this issue. There is a need to clarify the rules and issues involved with electronic publishing, particularly in regard to changing rules concerning tenure issues. The College of Law is sponsoring a program on scholarship and copyright in early February; Library Council could explore the possibility of sponsoring a visiting speaker on the subject as well. The field of high energy physics has been a leader in the field of electronic publishing, and their publications on the World Wide Web can serve as a model. On the OSU campus, Don Krug is responsible for a journal in art education, which is available only in electronic form on the Web. The existence of this electronic journal which is headquartered on the OSU campus, as well as the recent appointment of a new Head of the the University Press may provide opportunities for extending the discussion of these issues across campus.

7. The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.; the next meeting will be held on February 8.

Elizabeth Sawyers
for Joseph Branin, Secretary