Submitted by Mary Wood, Chair
August 31, 2001
Committee Members: Myra Appel, Vice Chair, Elaine Franco, Susan Llano and Gail Nichols
The LAUC-D Executive Board asked that the Professional Issues Committee research and make recommendations on two separate issues. The committee met several times, as well as conducted committee business via e-mail throughout the year. The specific issues addressed and our recommendations were the following:
1. PERSONAL WEBPAGES
Charge 10/2/00:
PIC recommendation regarding links to personal pages from Librarians' Professional Web Pages
Recommendation 11/8/00:
In response to previous PIC recommendations, the administration developed a professional webpage template which may be mounted on the library server. This template was approved by the LAUC-D Executive Board on 10/2/00, with the request that PIC consider that the template include the option to link to a personal page, also to be supported by the library server.
In preparation, the committee researched University policy as well as individual campus policy. University and campus policy state repeatedly that the campus communication networks are to "support and promote the missions of the University: teaching, research, and public service." It was with those guidelines in mind that the PIC responded. We were in agreement that the proposed template adequately supports the professional goals of the members in our association. It was accepted that librarian pages would not necessarily be limited to this template, as professional activities often lead to the development of informational resources that merit wider dissemination, such as bibliographies, reports, studies, comparisons, etc. These professional interests would be listed under "Professional Activities", and from there could then link to relevant, and library-supported, pages. The issue of strictly personal pages, ones which are unrelated to professional activities, was considered. It was the committee's recommendation that such pages may be linked to the template, with a simple highlighted button "Personal Page" or "Personal Interests", but that such pages would not be supported by the library server, nor use UC Davis seals or logos.
2. FUTURE LIBRARIANS IN FUTURE LIBRARIES
Charge 2/23/01:
Facilitate discussion at LAUC-D General Meeting on the future of our profession
Recommendation 4/25/01:
After searching several databases in order to identify the research and trends regarding the library and information profession, several basic questions began to surface; these questions were the points raised for discussion at the General Meeting.
Who will be the new librarians? Will they have MLS degrees? MA, PhD subject expertise?
What will the librarians bring? What skills and knowledge will they possess regarding resources and organization?
Where will they gain these skills? What is value of an MLS?
And what can LAUC-D do? LAUC statewide? What's next?
Discussion was lengthy, with suggestions for action including development of a mentor/intern program, internal job rotation, recruiting directly from library schools, hiring at entry level with no experience required, sponsoring a LAUC booth on campus career day, and establishing undergraduate internships to be advertised at Internship and Career Center. The last item of discussion was the recommendation to establish a task force to continue this discussion.