UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 26, Page 2
April 9, 1992
Senate gets report on library

     One solution to snowballing costs of periodicals may be
electronic access among cooperating libraries, Susan Brynteson,
director of libraries, told the University Faculty Senate Monday.
     Brynteson said libraries are considering changing their focus
from building discrete comprehensive collections to "providing access
to information regardless of where the information resides."
     Reciprocal agreements that reduce barriers to interlibrary loans
and speedy delivery of electronically scanned documents via computer
networks represent the future of information delivery, she said. The
University Library is working with other libraries on the East Coast
to provide such "seamless electronic access."
     Brynteson also said that the Expanded Academic Index, which will
provide indexing and abstracts from 1,500 social science and
humanities journals, should be available in the Morris Library and on
the campus network this month.
     In her report to the senate, Brynteson said that the University's
library budget ranks 52nd out of 107 members of the Association of
Research Libraries. The budget includes approximately $4 million for
library materials, $4 million for staff and some $800,000 for general
support, mostly student wages.
     Among the 94 American libraries in the Association of Research
Libraries, Delaware ranks 88th when the cost of staff is compared to
cost of library materials. "That means that for every $1 spent on
materials, we spend $1.05 on staff," Brynteson said. "Berkeley spends
$2.42 on staff for every $1 on materials."
     The library's operating budget will not be reduced for 1992-93,
Brynteson said, and the University has requested an additional
$160,000 from the state to assist the library with journal price
increases.
     In other business, the senate approved a resolution giving the
Committee on Graduate Studies authority to make minor modifications to
approved graduate programs, such as changes in course numbers or the
required courses, without coming to the entire senate. The senate also
approved an increase in the membership of the rules commitee from
three to five.
     A new eight-page document establishing the complaint procedures
to be followed by the Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges was
approved. David Smith, chairperson of the Committee on Committees and
Nominations, noted that a faculty "complaint" was different from a
"grievance," which is a violation of the collective bargaining
agreement. A complaint, however, can include such issues as
reappointment, dismissal, faculty evaluation and appraisal, academic
freedom and other areas of personnel policy and conditions of faculty
employment.
     Reed Geiger, chairperson of the welfare and privileges commitee,
noted that most of the complaint procedures were not new. A mediation
process and a pre-hearing meeting were added, he said. Under the
adopted procedures, a member of the committee with a conflict of
interest can now be excused and the failure of a witness to attend,
unless excused, may result in administrative sanctions.
     -Cornelia Weil