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[The following document was discussed by the Senate Library Committee on October 25, 2000.]

Relationships of the Faculty Senate Library Committee and the Library Representatives

Each academic unit has a library representative so there are nearly 100 representatives for about 100 academic units. In contrast, there are 14 members of the Faculty Senate Library Committee.

Typically, library representatives focus on collection development and management issues affecting their unit:

• Recommend items to be added to the collection
• Inform library representatives (selectors) of unit wants and needs
• Inform library representatives of curricular and other changes affecting collections
• Inform library representatives of faculty changes
• Inform library representatives of program and accreditation reviews
• Inform colleagues about library problems, policies, procedures.

Faculty Senate Library Committee members should focus on broader problem and policy issues likely to impact several academic units. While collection issues are important, the Committee should also be concerned with services and larger issues such as the changing role of the Libraries , especially with the increased use of sophisticated information technology on campus.

Library representatives report to their unit and, in a sense, to the library administration through the head of collection development. Individual representatives are limited in their ability to reach a wider audience.

Faculty Senate Library Committee Members are responsible to the Faculty Senate and are able to reach a wide audience and perhaps influence campus administrators.

1. Should the Committee have any direct relationship with the library representatives? For example, would it be helpful for the Committee to meet with library representatives to learn more about their concerns?
   
   
2. To what degree does the Library Representative program reduce or minimize the need for the Committee?