Business Information Group
Cornell University Library
| Meeting Minutes -- October 20, 2004 |
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In attendance: Lynn Brown (Moderator), Jean Callihan, Thad Dickinson, Lance Heidig, Angela Horne (Scribe), Mihoko Hosoi, Susan Lacette, Lee LaFleur, Jim Morris-Knower, Don Schnedeker, Kornelia Tancheva
1. Impetus for today's meeting. Lynn Brown explained that the new unified instruction brochure that appeared this fall prompted her to consider how business instruction is being handled across CUL. By calling together those with an interest in business instruction (either as teachers or those who help with business research), she hoped to see what collaborations might be formed. As the meeting progressed, we realized the there is a library-wide need for help with (and/or collaborations in) business instruction, business research and business collection development. 2. Business instruction inventory. Those present gave an overview of their current instruction activities. The listings below are not complete, rather a general reflection of classes offered.
3. General discussion. There was unanimous support for regular information sharing / improved communication amongst those responsible for business-related research and instruction. Ideas bandied about and general comments offered included: Many non-Management staff are using the Management Library's site to answer business questions, particularly the Management FAQs ECON 101 is a collaborative success story that currently involves Mann, ILR, and O/U. Stuart coordinates the effort (15-20 sections of 20-25 students/section is taught at the different library partners.) There are guidelines for the class, but each class is not a clone. Management noted that it would be helpful for us to see the assignments/topics beforehand so that we'd be ready for the students who come to us for help. This might be a class Management could become involved in. Develop a common business information webpage (one that pulls together the disparate information each of our libraries offers for business research). This would help us learn from each other and better serve our patrons. Form a standing working group (perhaps named the Business Information Working Group) that would fall under PSEC / IRPC. Launch our own website through the new IRPC webpage. Learn about business resources available only at individual libraries and not through the Gateway. These might be shown during field trips to each other's libraries. Use a discussion list to share questions, problems, solutions, upcoming / current assignments, etc. This might either be IRPC-L or a separate business discussion list. Share information concerning classes being taught, assignments on the go, etc. Offer staff training a là the classes Management held at Mann a few years ago. Specialization versus broad knowledge. What level of general business skill do we expect, and at what point do we refer questions to "experts"? Duplication of effort. How can we minimize this without negating creativity in the different units? Serve as guest lecturers for each other's classes. Collaboratively/cooperatively investigate business collection development needs/gaps. This might be funneled up through the social sciences team. Develop a common class that tackles core business research competencies; might be collaboratively scripted and rolled out for Fall 2005. This would be an open-to-all traveling workshop conducted in different libraries. Human resources instruction or entrepreneurship instruction are two other areas to consider for collaborative efforts. What are the physical restrictions on instruction classes. For example, can non-Hotel students take library classes that are held in the Hotel School lab? How does economics fit in? (Olin typically handles undergrad questions while grads come to Johnson.) 4. Student needs. We talked broadly about the sorts of areas we need to address: Job search (can break this up into the specific skill sets / competencies) Navigation (of print and online) Company information Entrepreneurship Marketing Assignments (business or business "like") Where can students go for help? (which libraries are open to them, what's online, etc.) 5. CUL staff needs. Most of the discussion points appear in part three of these minutes; we recognized quickly that we can't address student needs without looking at our own internal staff needs. 6. Next steps. Send these notes to IRPC-L and consider what collaborative steps we'd like to take as a group. To be discussed at our next meeting, Wednesday, November 17th, 1030-noon, ILR 237. |