Couldn’t attend ALA? View these special OCLC events

Couldn’t attend ALA? View these special OCLC events

Nine key membership events that took place at ALA Annual are now available for viewing on the OCLC Web site, including:
· OCLC Symposium: The Future of Publishing: Libraries and the changing role of consumers and creators(Four streaming video segments, 1 hour 14 minutes)
· 2010 Americas Regional Council Annual Meeting(10 Streaming video segments, 4 hours 47 minutes)
· OCLC Update Breakfast at ALA Annual 2010(Streaming video, 32 minutes)
· Web-scale or Bust: Harnessing Cooperative Innovation for Management Services (2 streaming video segments, 1 hour 53 minutes)
· Single Discovery and Delivery: It’s not just WorldCat anymore(4 streaming video segments, 1 hour, 14 minutes)
· Redesigning Technical Services Workflows(5 Streaming video segments, 1 hour, 45 minutes)
View presentations page ››

Report on "Lessons From the Bottom of the Sea"

 Posted per a request.

"Lessons from the Bottom of the Sea:
Supervisory Concepts form the Last Hours of the Titanic"

In his presentation, Dr. Douglas R. Wermedal, identifies ten key supervisory concepts based on lessons learned during the first and last voyage of the RMS Titanic.

1. Appearance is important
• make things look good and give your full attention to task
• the 4th stack on Titanic was non-functioning, yet paintings/drawings show it with smoke billowing like the rest
2. The task in front of you is larger than you alone can manage
• communication, collaboration, relationships; what matter is success, not if you get along
3. Facing issues head on is usually the best course
• the RMS Olympic, Titanic's sister ship, collided with the HMS Hawke, while damage was sustained, due to the nature of the head on collision, neither ship sank
• if Titanic has hit the ice burg head on (instead of trying to port about), it wouldn't have sank as a single point of the ship would have been exposed to damage instead of the full side
4. The past is a teacher of skills, not a predictor of the future
• Doug read a quote about Captain E.J. Smith's successful career before becoming captain of Titanic
5. Pay attention to warnings

• be vigilant in watching for indicators of problems/issues
• six ice burg warnings were received on Titanic
6. The biggest problem of the day may be lurking behinds a smaller problem you have already solved
• watch for bending/breaking of policies and procedures, have this information written out and available for reference
• while watertight compartments on Titanic were vertically water tight, they were not watertight horizontally (like an ice tray)
7. Are your precautions precautionary enough?
• be vigilant of happenings in the department, building, university
• the Titanic had a coal fire on board from the moment of departure, Captain Smith is so relieved that the fire is out he pockets and ignores ice burg warning notes
8. Your response to a mistake can often be worse than the original mistake itself
• your response sets the tone, internal and external, of the mistake response - admit the mistake and suggest a fix
• the initial response was to get White Star staff back to England from New York, this is perceived as a cover up
9. Follow procedure and rely on your training
•  policy and procedure are premade decisions, set when staff can rationally discuss and consider actions; be resolute in orders during times of crisis
10. Use those above you as resources to overcome potential problems
• there is someone above you looking out after you, there is someone below you for you to look out for 
• perfect storm: F. Fleet, the look out on Titanic, had no binoculars; no moon to reflect the water surface; no wind to create waves -- in the crow's nest Fleet is the first to know Titanic is in trouble and sound the warning

Marketing the Library

Here's an example of different ways to market the library through social media. Anyone have comments or other examples?

Capital Improvements

The following are currently on our Capitol Improvement List:

1. Window Issues: Moisture problems which are the result of leaking around the window frames.

2. Vanities: Replace laminate

3. Electronic Lecture Room: enlarge room-improve ligtning-improve HVAC system

4 Clean ventilation system

5. Carpet - replace carpet on the 3rd floor

6. Update Library Furniture

*These are listed in priority order.


Please list other issues or situations within the Library that you think that we need to consider for action.

Please be aware that the Capitol Improvement Budget recommendations are passed on to the Environment Services Department/Leadership Team for consideration as they budget the University monies. Other suggestions may be considered for allocation from the Library Budget.

Thank you for your input.

Glenn Morrow
Facility Manager
Owens Library

Culture of Innovation

 

As part of identifying opportunities for the library, Leadership has been discussing spaces that encourage, support and nurture scholarly innovation and creativity. Cultures, climates and facilities that spark innovation are not limited to libraries or academic institutions.

 

Benchmarking opportunities identified during these discussions include:

• Empower Plant - St. Joseph, MO
• CIE, Northwest - Maryville, MO
• Georgia Tech Library and Information Center - Atlanta, GA
• JKC Library, UCM - Warrensburg, MO
• Pickler Library, Truman - Kirksville, MO
• Emporia State University Libraries and Archives - Emporia, KS

Please add your comments, include any idea(s) that you or students have to consider for the discussion on fostering learning and discovery at Owens Library.

Database Cancellations

Subscriptions to Bridgeman Art Library and Mergent Online were not renewed, access to both will end on July 31, 2010.

 liquidlibrary.com subscription