Do you know what StaffWeb is?

• (All simple "Yes" answers are omitted - those people answered the questions that follow)
• No. (2)
• Of course!
• I don't know what StaffWeb is, so that is the only question I am able to answer. I'm a relatively new employee (started April 30th), so that's probably why I haven't heard of it.
• I know what it is, but I don't use it.
• Only vaguely from CU-LIB.
• You can at least count me as a user and someone who knows what it is (provided feedback elsewhere).

If you know what StaffWeb is, how do you use it?

• I use it mostly for downloading forms and reports. Sometimes I go there for statistics.
• I use the directory and to locate documents (Hot Topics), and committee personnel.
• To look up info, re: training & devel., and review old Kaliedescopes.
• I've used the following:
  • CUL Committee on Distributed Learning: An Interim Report (8/00)
  • CUL Digital Futures Plan (1/01)
  • Digital Library Federation Report
  • Guidelines for the 2001 CUL Internal Grants Program
  • Minutes of the Academic Assembly
  • Staff directory
  • Minutes, etc. of the various committees.
• Well, I click on various things to make various others things appear that I either read or print... I actually use it a lot. It has basically replaced my personal paper files of official documents.
• To find CUL information I need.
• Staff directory, Kaleidoscope, Training Opportunities.
• I don't, but I might if I took the time to see what would be useful.
• I get to it via the Library Gateway link.
• I most often use the directories: People; Units; Statistics; Gateway.
• Access old CUL statistics, staff directory, training opportunities, umm...think it was where we went to look at documentation before Voyager came up. Mostly, it's a place to go for reference when I've deleted an e-mail or thrown out a print mailing that I need to refer back to.
• I haven't very much until this e-mail came through, but can see I could get to use it to look up staff names and address (if it is kept 'current').
• I use it to find postings of notices, or policies, that I have deleted.
• To locate working papers generated by CUL; to read newsletters from CUL; to look up e-mail lists; and to see the Staff Directory.
• I rarely use it.
• I have it bookmarked on my computer...and use if for finding past committee minutes, collection development policies, Kaleidoscope, staff directory, etc.
• I use it as reference for information, which pertains to the entire library organization - including planning, operations, policies & standard procedures.
• Basically, anytime I need info about the library, such as:
  • CPD info
  • Digital Futures
  • Sarah's master plan
• For some reason, I don't usually use the staff directory, relying on the print instead.
• To find statistics and policy info.
• To view Gateway support procedures, travel forms, human resources forms (for new hires), committee minutes, Employee Recognition Report, staff directories.
• I find it a handy working "archive."
• To get reports from various CUL groups, and to get administrative forms.
• I had lost track of the information on it, but now that I have this message it will be easy to access it.
• I access it via the Library Gateway --> CU Library Web Sites. In my role in the library, I use it on virtually a daily basis.
• I go there for:
  • Committee information (names of members, though this is often missing; minutes of meetings, though this is also often missing; upcoming committee events, though this is almost always missing, such as upcoming Academic Assembly events. I keep going back just in case certain committees finally have erected a web presence)
  • Library news (when important new initiatives are announced on CU-LIB, or via other means, I mistakenly assume that there will be online information about the initiative. Sometimes there is, but often there isn't, or its appearance online is delayed).
  • Voyager information (this was a key section when we were readying for the new LMS).
  • Administrative information (travel forms, travel regulations, etc.)
  • NOTE: I reach many of the StaffWeb pages via MyLibrary -- I save time by not having to remember where particular pages are hidden in Staff Web.
• I use the directory, the Voyager Manual, look at Voyager WG minutes, IRPC minutes, as well as those of other groups.
  • I've accessed the Gateway reports and focus group reports; the Gateway technical support documentation designed for reference staff; academic personnel procedure info.; and digital futures plans.
  • I use it as an ever-present repository and archive of information related to CUL activities.
• I use it to find notes from past meetings, to try to find the names of people serving on committees/groups, to locate gateway documentation, to find reports genertaed by library groups and to locate lists of people, such as, the list of selectors on the Collection Development Web page.
• Sometimes I try to find stuff in it, but I am rarely successful.

What information in it do you find useful?

• The directory, hot topics, and committee listings. Since I am at the Medical Library, much of the rest of the staff web is not relevant to me, so I can't really comment.
• Looks like we could keep up to date on any CUL functions, committee work, news, and info re: national events, etc.
• I would find the statistics useful -- or at least interesting -- if they were current. If they are not going to be updated, I suggest you remove that section altogether.
• Have not had a need to use it, but glad its there.
• I do not have a clue what StaffWeb is.
• Mostly reports from various ad hoc groups and the Digital Futures Plan.
• Find the technical procedures info useful, but sometimes hard to find.
• Kaleidescope
• I only use the Library Gateway related materials.
• All of it
• I like it as a repository for items of CUL-wide interest. It's nice not to have to store/file that stuff myself.
• The working papers generated by CUL; the newsletters from CUL; e-mail lists; the Staff Directory.
• Staff Directory (printable version - pdf file), I prefer this layout.
• Hot Topics (e.g., internal grant program)
  • Manuals - Voyager (security profiles, fund structure, procedures) and other manuals.
  • Links to other unit web sites.
  • Forms
  • Committee info - members, minutes, etc.
  • Statistics
• All that kind of background, archival stuff about the library that occasionally you need to know.
• Statistics and policy info.
• This page - http://www.library.cornell.edu/staffweb/culists.html - should have a note in the paragraph at [the] top about how the library lists are for business use only, not for personal use. (I'm listowner for CU-LIB, and I hear complaints about personal postings.)
• It's very helpful to be able to look up posted reports, white papers, etc. (I have a couple on there myself). Also, very good for finding out who is on what committee, and to look at past minutes when you know you read something about a discussion, but didn't note it for yourself.
• Reports and forms.
• Specific information, policies, forms, staff directory, etc.
• I use the StaffWeb to obtain Accounting, HR, and Facilities forms, virtually on a daily basis.
  • I also use it to quickly access and refer to the DLF Report. I used to use it to get quick access to the LMS Implementation site, now obsolete. On occasion, I access the Distributed Learning Report, the Digital Futures Plan, the Hot Topics Archive, Statistics, or the Grant Support and External Funding Manual. Having central reports in one spot is extremely useful to me -- I need to refer to them in writing other reports. I would say that any type of report that summarizes activities in the library as a whole belong here, e.g., CUL Annual Report to the Provost, Lee Cartmill's annual budget report, etc.
• Examples:
  • Voyager Manual
  • Library Training Opportunities
  • CUL Digital Futures Plan

What kind of information do you think it lacks?

• Nothing I can think of.
• Perhaps a log to CUL broadcast messages - a running history; and a current events "post-it" = an electronic CUL Gazette.
  • In Staff Directory: It would be helpful to have a brief description of the person's role - and the ability to search on that. At the very least, their title.
  • For the downloadable Staff Directory, a way to preview the pages, and print only part of it would be helpful. Or at least, some indication of the number of pages the person can expect to be printed if they print the whole thing.
  • Easy access to old information. For example, a copy of the Digital Futures Plan without the progress reports incroporated would be useful. Also, and this is a policy matter, I need to be reassured about the permanence of the information. It would be a problem if, having no paper files anymore, the information that I need disappeared because it was old or out-of-date to somebody.
  • I hope Access Services info gets attached VERY soon.
  • Can't think of anything.
  • Under manuals, should also include non-professional personnel procedures
  • Add links to the various projects going on (e.g., projects shown during the Staff Development week).
  • Search function.
  • Haven't really had time to go through it to see.
  • The Economic Status of the Library Reports.
  • The Phone Directory by Dept. or Unit should have contact names and their titles. The printable version of the Staff Directory states that it is updated several times during the year, but it is very outdated and unreliable. The information it contains is very useful for new staff who need to understand the complex organization of the library system. It is an indispensable tool for searching for the correct staff member within each department or division, for questions or scheduling meetings. I usually use a paper copy and update it myself when staff leave the library or new appointments are announced (using Kaleidoscope or e-mail). In the past, the Staff Directory included a section for Retired Library Staff, and I think it should be included in the current one. Frequently, I receive calls for information about staff who have retired or left the library and, periodically, we need to contact them to invite them to library sponsored events.
  • Server space for committees... and access to the server. When I was on the Professional Development Committee, we created a Website for new librarians, which we were forced to keep on the ILR server. It would have made more sense to have it on the CUL server, but for some reason we kept getting resistance when we asked to have it moved to the staff web page. Looking at the current PDC webpage, I can see it is still on the ILR server.
  • I'd also like to see the Economic Status of Librarians Report on this site.
  • Some information may not be current - need to raise the priority on maintenance.
  • This may sound weird, but several times I've gone there looking for library logos to reproduce. I eventually made my own.
  • I'd also like to see the full text of the annual report of the Comm. on Economic Status.
  • Also, more Ac. Assembly presentations on the web.
  • I don't know what this would look like, but more info that would make me want to go to StaffWeb other than "I need information about the library." Fun stuff? Maybe on the main page, every week you could display a different work of art by a library staff member--digital photo, watercolor, whatever. I'm not sure what else exactly I'm referring to here, but right now the page as a very utilitarian, phone book kind of identity. Maybe that's all it's supposed to be.
  • I think many CUL staff members would like to have an informal electronic bulletin board for posting non-work related messages, e.g., items for sale, events, etc. However, this might be better served by having a separate CU-Lib "unofficial" listserv, which people could choose to subscribe to or not...
  • Make it more readable. The font is a little too small and dark for me to read - you can remove the underlining (since everything is a link) with a style sheet command A:link {text-decoration: none} You may think I should enlarge the fonts on my browser, but other pages don't have such tiny font.
  • A searchable, web-accessible archive of CULIB-L, and the annual reports of all the individual units of the library (unless they are found on the unit's own home pages). Also, current guidelines on making CUL web pages are lacking.
  • It might be helpful to put in some references to assist in finding other information useful to staff that is located elsewhere.
  • The intermediate page when you click on the electronic/unprintable version of the Staff Directory is confusing. The info you get is also incomplete and doesn't always seem to be up-to-date. I would use a reliable electronic directory that looks like the paper version, but as it is, I almost never use it. There should be a way to e-mail the directory keeper to point out any errors in entries. The Accounting, HR, and Facilities forms pages need to be kept up to date and expanded. Actually, it would be great if they each had their own info. site, reachable from the StaffWeb. Policies, procedures, and forms could be found in one spot for each central administrative unit.
  • One respondent:
    • -- all committees should have an online presence, one that is housed on StaffWeb. It distresses me that there is inconsistency across the library WRT how committee information is disseminated, and I find it troubling that StaffWeb isn't the central home for library-wide information. A secure, password-enabled system that would allow designated individuals to control their tiny portion of StaffWeb would be ideal. Committee chairs could be responsible for administering their pages, handling password access, etc.
    • -- committee minutes. There should be a minimum requirement for committee information online. Members, activities, charge, chair(s), etc. Certain people have said that they don't have the expertise within their committee to create such pages -- could we not have a support structure in place to handle those situations? Most committees will have minimal requirements once their initial pages are established. Minutes will need to be posted, but little else will change. Give those folks initial help (use a StaffWeb template and this would be an easy task), and then have a mechanism in place for getting their minutes up.
    • True library news. Currently, there isn't a sense that StaffWeb is *the* place to check for information about library initiatives. If there could be an online database that contains all of the important e-mails that are distributed via CU-LIB, for example, we could stop saving so many e-mails in our individual Eudora accounts and start using the available technology to the betterment of all. Yes, Eudora has a search feature, but how many of us save every bit of e-mail we receive? The one message we really want to find is usually the one we've just trashed!
    • -- an events database. This would be a centralized dbase that would let someone know what library "stuff" is going on at the individual library level as well as library-wide. Lectures, special exhibits, ongoing exhibits, meetings, etc. The creation of such a dbase could perhaps be a joint project with the Committee on Professional Development.
    • -- we might want to develop a library-only portion of StaffWeb that contains just that -- library-wide information that is restricted to CUL. If we're not placing documents online because we don't want the world to see them (such as the Economic Status Committee's reports), we can instead, place them online in a CUL-only space. I'd love to be able to log onto the private StaffWeb and see Sarah Thomas' latest trip report. :-) (Yes, that's a bit "Where's Waldo"-esque, but it would be community-building.)
    • -- a feedback mechanism. This could be an online suggestion box that allows all staff to submit comments about any library issue. I've heard others ask for this, and I hope it can be brought about.
    • The minutes of certain groups, such as task force groups, that meet and then disband upon completion of their charge. The history of their work gets lost. We should be as inclusive as possible in keeping information about all CUL groups on Staff Web.
    • Each commitee listed should have the names of the people serving on it. This information can be hard to find.
    • Keyword search.
    • Browse title index.

Can you suggest ways to improve its organization?

• No, I find it easy to use.
• Glamourize it!
• Highlight the training component, possibly having it be one of the main categories instead of as part of "Newsletters".
• One other idea: Notify new library employees about this great tool! When I started, I wallowed around trying to get a handle on the structure of the system, major initiatives, etc. Then I found Staff Web! -- invaluable for a new library employee, but not something that individual supervisors may remember to mention.
• A search engine, a link from the main Gateway page (having to go to the next page then scroll down to get to the link is a pain), more (ideally all) procedures and forms, direct links to procedures and forms indexes.
• ...but the organization of it leaves something to be desired -- for instance, the Forms button does not lead one to the Human Resources forms--could there be a link, please?
• A search mechanism would be useful.
• No, I like it as it is.
• Have each link with a brief description underneath it so you can tell at a glance where the link takes you without having to meander around. It is quite possible that many of the links are self explanatory, but I bet there's information in there that would be useful to a much broader selection of employees.
• It was reorganized a bit 2-3 years ago, which was a big improvement. I thinks it's fine.
• It could use more "PR" to make more staff aware of it's existence and use.
• Often if something I want isn't right at the top level, I have difficulty finding it, b/c [because] there are so many links on that front page. It would be nicer to have fewer, more broad categories at the top level, without all the sublinks. Make sure that the broad categories are helpful to users figuring out which is the right one for a subcategory, and add a search feature so that we can find things if the category system isn't obvious.
• I don't know how expensive or how much work this would be. Because the Library is such a large unit, and we do not get to meet each other on a regular basis, I think it would be nice to get to meet the employees through a short bio next to their name and job description area along with a photo of them. ... just a 'wild' idea.
• It should be password protected on a secure server.
• I often have a difficult time finding what I am looking for on Staff Web. A good example of this is that the Academic Assembly committees are not lumped under Library Committees & Policy Groups... which is where I always think to go first.
• I don't get the "forms/training/committees" nav bar on the top.
• Make it searchable!
• Here's an elaborate plan: display just the nine main categories, and make it so when you mouse over one of these, the sub categories are displayed WITH short descriptions of what each is. This would allow you to display all this info on one page without scrolling, and would allow for brief annotations of each category. The latter would help with those categories I know nothing about, but would like to before I click on them (e.g., "CRL OPAC task report"). See the navbar at the top of http://www.palm.com, as an example. I don't think this script is actually all that complicated.
• No, I think it's fine -- we don't need fancy graphics or animation, etc. Keep it simple!
• Maybe organize the major topic headings in alphabetical order.
• I wish the link to get to the StaffWeb was on the top level of the Gateway, so I wouldn't have to go through one more link. Or at least, located at the top of the Web Sites page so I wouldn't have to scroll down the entire page to get to it. In other words, easier access to the site itself. As for the site itself: Needs to be updated more often/more diligently.
• One respondent:
  • Include a search feature. The library homepage also desperately needs a search function, so perhaps the two groups (Staff Web and the Gateway) could partner to select one. What search functions are individual library sites using? Could their scripts be, err, used/borrowed?
  • Allow for cross-references, multiple ways to find the same information. Most people don't see the top buttons, but they're the easiest way to jump to the committees list, rather than checking the "groups" category. Having said that, the committees button is misleading -- you won't find the Academic Assembly committees listed therein. Why?
  • Use more descriptive headings. For example, "units" is misleading, for it is not comprehensive. I'd prefer to see a full list that may not have all sections functioning (but serves to drive groups to create web presences) than an incomplete list. We're a distributed team, CUL, and having as much information about us online (for staff purposes) should be a goal. Let's crush rumours about certain projects by having information about them available.
  • Include such important websites as Morgan Elmore's Digital development site.
  • The "employee recognition request" is hidden in its current location. Try using the card sort method to determine what category labels to use/how to organize the categories.
  • It works for me pretty well now. I don't have a problem with restructuring it, but it doesn't seem broken to me. One thing that I hope does not change is that older information does not get lost--not directory-type info--but historical documentation that doesn't seem important right now, but would be useful to access at some later point--such as Voyager Implementation information. We need to keep this--not necessarily at the forefront--somewhere within StaffWeb so that it can be accessed later, as needed.
  • Keyword search
  • Browse title index

Other comments

• Your other message reminded me that you are on the StaffWeb page committee, and the Team for Injury Prevention would like to have its page linked. I had a rudimentary one up for a while (a student assistant worked on it), but I want to totally redo it. I now have access to Dreamweaver and Elaine will be giving me some tips. The page will live on one of Mann's servers and I'll maintain it. Are there any style standards, etc. that the StaffWeb TF has established for pages within StaffWeb? The page will give people contacts, basic information, alerts for upcoming programs, links to other resources, etc. Let me know if you have any special instruction.

• I use StaffWeb to locate people in the staff directory, to check minutes from WGC or DRC occasionally, or check the history of some committee or other. It's useful, but I think the information isn't kept as current as it should be. Examples: Membership of Gateway Committee has changed, but not on StaffWeb yet, and no minutes for the Gateway committee since 1999? There's a tech services home page that Diane Hillmann had done, with no revisions since 1997. I also don't think the Staff Directory is kept up to date with new staff members listed real quickly. My use of the online staff directory was when a new staff member wasn't yet in the print copy. I couldn't find her online either.

• I think the basic organization is good. Just that some old stuff needs to be updated, or gotten rid of. Glad you and the others are looking at it.

• Thanks for the reminder that the site is one stop shopping for CUL staff! I *will* use it more, thanks to the reminder!

Return to Task Force On StaffWeb: Final Report