News
and Updates
March 1, 2002
Notes
from the Transition
Instruction,
Research, and Information Services (IRIS) is just completing its second
month of existence and I thought it might be a good idea to report on
what we've been doing and where we're heading.
Personnel:
1. Many of you may know that Paul Constantine, Head of Reference Services
Division, has been named Associate Director of Libraries for Research
and Instructional Services at the University of Washington and will be
leaving us at the end of June. We will miss Paul's energy and vision,
but look forward to future collaborations in his new position.
2. Because IRIS is taking 6 months to think about our organization, I've
made only three appointments. Pat Schafer has been named Acting Director,
Public Services and Chair of the IRIS Transition Team. David Block has
been named Director of World Area Collections, which includes the Asia
Collections, Slavic Studies, Latin America and the Africana Library. Nancy
McGovern has assumed the title of Digital Preservation Officer, responsible
for digital preservation policy development system-wide.
3. Searches are currently underway for the Fine Arts and Africana librarians.
Transition
Team:
I have appointed a transition team, chaired by Pat Schafer, consisting
of David Block, Paul Constantine, Lenore Coral, Susan Currie, John Dean,
Carla DeMello, Nancy McGovern, Nancy Skipper, and me. We are taking six
months to examine the current administrative structure of the departments
that now comprise IRIS, which include: Access Services, Reference Services,
the bibliographers and staff in room 504, the Asia Collections, Preservation,
and the Music, Fine Arts, and Africana Libraries. During the past two
months, we have been busy developing a shared vision and action plan as
well getting to know each other. Chet Warzynski, Director of Organizational
Development Services, facilitated two day-long planning retreats for this
group and we've been meeting every Friday for several hours at a stretch.
We've come up with a simple statement to describe the vision of IRIS:
"bringing individuals and information together." But we've also
developed a Transition Team Mission Statement:
"This
team exists to articulate a vision for IRIS that embodies the Library's
mission, as expressed in the Master Plan. Based on this vision, the team
will develop an implementation plan that marshals a transformation of
functions, services and resources in the short and long term. The process
that produces the plan will be broadly consultative, challenging but realizable,
and supportable by library administration. The team recognizes that the
success of the plan depends on the willingness of IRIS staff to engage
each other frankly and emphatically. Only with broad subscription will
we move forward."
We will soon
launch an IRIS Transition Web Site, which will include updates on our
progress and a virtual suggestion box. We welcome your input into this
process.
Anne
R. Kenney
Assistant University Librarian
Instruction, Research, and Information Services
