RMIT Library Conference Room

CAUL Executive Meeting 2004/1

17 February, 2004 from 9am

RMIT Library Conference Room

Minutes
(updated 5/3/04)

Attendance & Apologies. Madeleine McPherson (President), Andrew Wells, Derek Whitehead, Cathrine Harboe-Ree. In attendance: Diane Costello. Apology: Eve Woodberry (Deputy President)
Minutes of the previous Executive Meeting - 2003/7 November, 2003, Canberra. The draft minutes have been circulated. The minutes were accepted.
Business arising from previous meetings not otherwise listed on the agenda.

a)Valuation of Library Collections. CAUL recommended that this topic, and the draft statement by Professor Carnegie, be added to the agenda for the Peak Bodies Forum. It was clear that the concerns of the universities were not reflected by the state libraries who appreciated being able to manage the valuation for their own purposes. Derek Whitehead will revise the statement for presentation to CAUL. (Action: DW) It was suggested that this topic could be of interest to the Australian Financial Review.

b)Scholarly Communication. Cathrine Harboe-Ree will follow up with Alex Byrne regarding a CAUL statement on scholarly communication. The OECD has issued a statement, following a meeting chaired by Peter McGauran, Minister for Science. (Action: CHR)

c)External services in university libraries. Andrew Wells has questioned why the commercial service is still being offered at UNSW – it mostly consists of copyright-cleared document delivery. Monash has reviewed and renamed its service to Community Relations Unit, because the business base has reduced significantly.

d)Reference Services. Derek Whitehead has offered to make available Swinburne’s typology of reference services. (Action: DW)

e)Access to Government Information. Madeleine McPherson has drafted a letter from the chair of ARIIC pertaining to this issue.

Access to the Internet by those beyond the metropolitan areas has been slow , partly because universities were prevented from offering broadband services locally because of the government’s competition agenda.

Madeleine McPherson will discuss the future of NOIE with Senator Lundy. NOIE was tasked to work on e-commerce, identity, trust, etc but it appears that their work will be moved into DCITA. Members discussed whether to wait to gauge Labor’s policy direction before raising CAUL’s priorities or to make recommendations ahead of their determination of policy. It was noted that Mark Latham is strongly supportive of libraries. His book Civilising Global Capital : New Thinking For Australian Labor St Leonards, N.S.W. : Allen & Unwin, 1998 JQ4098.L3L38 1998refers to the skills required for the new economy.

It was agree that the Executive develop an agenda for the forthcoming federal election. What should NOIE be working on? Which organisations should CAUL align to and what are they doing eg the EFA on civil liberties issues, IIA (Peter Coroneos), AIMIA (Lynne Spender). Derek Whitehead will draft a list of issues. (Action: DW)

The AVCC document on access to the internet in universities is a result of problems in the music industry, and should be limited to this, however some universities are shutting down access completely. It was noted that universities are not the targets of the current action; Kazaa is the primary target, infringers the secondary targets. IT directors see this as a security issue. Most universities are developing policies but the libraries may not be involved until later in the development stages. Librarians should promote the access agenda. It was suggested that this be discussed at CCA, and possibly added to the agenda for the Sydney meeting. (Action: DC)

It was suggested that the AVCC develop a code of conduct agreement with MIPI (Michael Speck, CEO). USQ has set a precedent of working outside the AVCC with respect to CAL.

f)Peak Bodies Forum. Andrew Wells will discuss with Jan Fullerton whether a forum could be held in conjunction with ALIA in September. (Action: AW)

STRATEGIC PLAN

Review of Progress of Strategic Plan (Standing Item).

Investigate a project to explore effective service delivery through linking learning management and information management systems. COLIS was initially intended to develop a test bed, not a product. Some institutions are linking these systems together. Swinburne has jointly bought a CMS with a common metadata approach. It was suggested that members be encouraged to demonstrate their systems at EDUCAUSE.

It was suggested that EdNA web site on metadata and CMS be widened to a survey of COLIS-type access in universities. Swinburne is a corresponding member and steering committee member of the Real World Metadata project, run out of Tasmania. It is not clear whether this a research project or information gathering and synthesising.

Madeleine McPherson proposed that metadata relevant to CCA would be a suitable subject for a workshop at EDUCAUSE. It was suggested that a survey of current practice in universities be undertaken rather than developing a project at this stage. It was agreed to propose to CAUL that someone be contracted to do it, and present the results at EDUCAUSE.

Andrew Wells will draft a paper for CAUL, and if approved, take it to the CCA meeting in June, proposing a major workshop at EDUCAUSE. The paper will take into account the JISC approach in articulating the issue. The approach to metadata needs to be very practical, able to be implemented, with learning objects covered, and web-based metadata not driving the approach. ACODE and CAUDIT should be involved from the beginning, and it should not be unduly library-focussed. (Action: AW)

AICTEC is restructuring standards committee, and will be setting up sub-committees, one of which may be metadata. Madeleine McPherson will advise DEST of the planned approach. (Action: MM)

Research into User Behaviour. Members asked whether the library schools have appropriate personnel who can conduct research? Monash is conducting research into post-graduate information-seeking behaviours. Cathrine Harboe-Ree will discuss with Graeme Johanson at SIMS. (Action: CHR) David Groenewegen has been tracking international research in this area. A Monash forum on the impact of electronic information resources on teaching & learning could be of interest to CAUL. Are other CAUL members conducting investigations in their own institutions. UNSW still has a small school and is seconding researchers. Andrew Wells will discuss with Connie Wilson the potential for doing some research. (Action: AW)

Define a technical and topic framework for sharing management and planning information such as reports, instruments, RFIs, plans, position descriptions, and posting short summaries and URLs to a common web site, determine resourcing requirements and propose a course of action to CAUL eg on buildings, workforce, strategic plans, software specifications, etc (Action: DC) When staffing is available in the CAUL office, this will be addressed. In order to survey CAUL annually asking for these documents, it was suggesting issuing forms at each CAUL meeting asking whether they have recently developed any such documents. If the forms is ticked then the office will follow up. A site map of the web site will also be compiled. (Action: DC)

Statistics. Three new measures will be tested in 2004. The data collection will start earlier. CAUL is still being approached by Bibliostat, but the product is still too expensive for an annual payment, and is still not available as open access product. Information literacy statistics will be subject to the advice of the ILWG.

CAUL Achievement Award 2003. It was decided that Peter Green will be invited to attend the April meeting and make a presentation. (Action: DC) It was noted that there is a very good article in InCite.

CONTRIBUTION TO RESEARCH

ARIIC. Madeleine McPherson reported on the last meeting held in December. The next is on March 11 in Brisbane. There were presentations on the four projects. It was noted that the ARIIC agenda is one-removed from libraries. A meeting on collaborative storage will be held on March 15 between UNSW, University of Sydney, Swinburne and CAVAL. The key question will be the type of resources which must be retained. It was suggested that the JISC tender on service models in e-prints could be a useful background document for the ARIIC projects.
AARLIN. A meeting of members was scheduled for late November. Andrew Wells and Derek Whitehead attended the meeting, with all associate members. Geoff Payne has resolved the issues related to project management. Susan Liepa has now replaced Geoff Payne, but the latter will remain as a resource for AARLIN. The licence does cover undergraduate use but the technology doesn’t have the capacity. There will be a pilot in some institution to include undergraduates. AARLIN should be up and running by mid-2004. The hardware would have to be expanded. AARLIN should have a business plan for ongoing operations by the end of 2004. There is potential for outsourcing. CAUL should develop a process for bringing what has been learnt back into dialogue, and provide some input into the way forward. There isn’t yet any understanding of the costs likely to be incurred after 2004, or how the program will be organised. Most will need to budget in August. CAUL continues to have an interest in a post-2004 option. There are other options available in the market eg Encompass. Cathrine Harboe-Ree will discuss with Earle Gow. (Action: CHR)
CEIRC (CAUL Electronic Information Resources Committee). Eve Woodberry wrote: “Due to changes of membership of the CEIRC Committee it is necessary for the Executive to nominate a Deputy Chair as outlined in the Terms of Reference. The three CAUL members of CEIRC are : Heather Gordon, Gulcin Cribb and I….” The Executive confirmed Gulcin Cribb as Deputy Chair of CEIRC for 2004. (Action: DC)

CONTRIBUTION TO TEACHING & LEARNING

Information Skills Survey. An email has been received from Cristobal Pasadas Ureña of the University of Granada, and a member of the European Network for Information Literacy (ENIL), requesting permission to use, adapt and test the CAUL ISS in a pilot project to develop an IL assessment tool in the HE sector across the European Union. Dr Pasadas will be advised that CAUL is happy for them to use the survey, but advised that it hasn’t been tested outside the research process. CAUL will be interested in the ongoing feedback. (Action: DC)

Diane Costello will discuss the management of the ISS intellectual property with Ruth Quinn. It had been agreed to manage the signed agreements and the sale of the publications within the CAUL office, but it does not have the resources to support the use of the document or any ongoing negotiations with Dr Catts. If the ILWG is unable to manage this, then the option remains to offer the management to ANZIIL. (Action: DC)

MANAGEMENT FOR BEST PRACTICE

Information as a Strategic Resource. This is the topic of a forthcoming JISC Consultation Workshop. Derek Whitehead suggested that it would be a good topic for the next CCA meeting, and it was suggested that Andrew Treloar make a presentation. Members could consider frameworks that all three groups fit into. It could be possible to spend 1-2 hours on the subject. (Action: DC)
NISO MetaSearch and URI initiatives. Andrew Wells suggested that we ask for reports from CAUL’s IT/19 representatives. He also suggested that there may opportunities for others to represent CAUL. These standards both have implications for university library services. It is not clear how representatives are appointed or nominated. (Action: DC, MM)
Library Patron Privacy. The publication of ARL’s SPEC report on patron privacy prompted this discussion. Andrew Wells reported that ASIO is not subject to Australian privacy laws and may request and be given library circulation reports. If ASIO is covered by an Act of Parliament, then this access is legitimate. It is not clear whether this is a recent regulation change. Andrew Wells has raised this with Jennefer Nicholson, ALIA. It was suggested that CAUL draft a statement along the following lines – the library system has the ability to retain your library circulation records but please be aware that these may be searched – do you wish to retain them? He will review the ALIA statement on privacy. Derek Whitehead presented a paper on privacy to an NSCF round table. It was noted that it is difficult to remove all circulation records because current data is needed. It was questioned whether university privacy policies address this issue already. The universities have already determined that email is no longer considered absolutely private, in instances where law enforcement agencies require access to these records. Andrew Wells will present some of the issues raised as a CAUL hot topic. (Action: AW)

COMMUNICATION & ADVOCACY

a)AUSFTA. Derek Whitehead reported on the conference on intellectual property organised by Griffith-ANU held on February 13. Both the Attorney-General and a retired judge addressed the IP consequences of the FTA. It entails adopting all the provisions of the US copyright regime. Four issues were important to the US – greater criminalisation of infringement of copyright, and of the use of anti-circumvention devices, liability of ISPs and extension of copyright term. US provisions of the DMCA have been subject to massive abuse, with numerous requirements to take down material – one ISP has had 17,000 takedown notices.

Parliament will establish inquiries to consider the FTA, then the government, not parliament, chooses or not to sign it. It’s not clear whether Australia will be committed to extending the copyright term again should the US extend it again. It is important to encourage the ADA/ALCC to move on this quickly. CAUL should argue to adopt a US definition of fair use, to mitigate the effects of the other changes, and to recommend separating material created for commercial use. Madeleine McPherson will raise with Senator Lundy in March. (Action: MM)

Communication. (Standing item)

a)CAUL Communication Strategy & Guidelines.

b)President’s Report. Madeleine McPherson attended the first meeting of the EDUCAUSE conference committee in Auckland in January. Her costs are being met by the conference organisers.

In November, she and Eve Woodberry attended a meeting at DFAT to discuss our concerns about possible negative effects of a Free Trade Agreement with the US, if Australia were to agree to conform with US copyright legislation. DFAT also invited ALIA, the NLA, the AVCC and ADA to attend but only the latter two were able to do so. The meeting was arranged with Geoff Binns, Executive Officer, Intellectual Property Section and attended by one of our FTA negotiators and staff from the Attorney-General’s Department and lasted nearly two hours. A report has been circulated to CAUL.

Also in November, the President attended the funeral of Warren Horton as CAUL’s representative.

Librarians taking on big business, Health Report, Radio National, 16 February 2004. …. interviewed a PhD student from UNSW, Michael Eisen and a publisher from the American Medical Journal, and commented on open access publishing and ‘leaving our card catalogues’ to take on big business. Madeleine McPherson has written in response, drawing attention to more recent developments in libraries.

c)Communication with CAUL.

d)Public Relations/Media Reports. Andrew Wells will contact the Australian Financial Review regarding possible topics for coverage. (Action: AW)

e)Executive Officer’s Report. The report is appended. Diane Costello discussed the National Data Network proposed by Jonathan Palmer at ABS. The issue of public liability for CAUL is being investigated, as the absence of insurance cover has made it difficult for CAUL to hire facilities within major convention centres. (Action: DC)

Relationships with other organisations.

a)JULAC. John Shipp is taking the lead in the organisation of a study tour to Hong Kong and China. It is likely to happen in October 2004. The approximate length is 10 days, taking in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. 2004 October 12-16 Shanghai SILF2004: The 2nd Shanghai International Library Forum. Cathrine Harboe-Ree, Madeleine McPherson, Andrew Wells and Derek Whitehead plan to attend. (Action: DC)

b)CAUDIT & ACODE.

i)EDUCAUSE 2005. Madeleine McPherson attended the first meeting of the conference committee in January.

ii)Joint Executive Committee. June 7 and December 6 have been confirmed for meetings in 2004, in Brisbane and Melbourne respectively. Suggestions for the next meeting agenda include “information as a strategic resource” – as per item 1146 above; copyright – ACODE and CAUDIT have different perspectives; a proposal for a metadata project – as per item …. above; access to the Internet in universities – most universities will have done some work on the AVCC document, which should have involved consultation between the three areas. (Action: DC)

c)CONZUL. Andrew Wells will attend the CONZUL meeting in March while visiting for the ADT presentation. There were 7 participants and 2 mentors from New Zealand at the Aurora Leadership Institute.

CAUL Meetings. At the CAUL meeting in September, it was suggested that attendance at CAUL seminars be extended to other staff. It was agreed that the Executive would consider logistics and additional accommodation requirements.

Given that venues and dates are planned so far in advance, it is difficult to hold a slot open with bookings for different size venues in case a suitable topic is found. The Executive considered whether CAUL meetings were primarily for networking among members, or could play a staff development role. They also considered whether CAUL should be facilitating events for staff, and if so, whether this should be on a cost recovery basis.

On the basis of the difficult logistics, and the networking aspects of the meetings, it was decided to keep CAUL meetings separate from staff seminars. It was decided that if the quality seminar seems appropriate, it could be repeated at a later date.

a)CAUL Meeting 2004/1, Sydney (UNSW), 1-2 April 2004 with satellite meetings on March 31 @ Tyree Room at Scientia

i)Venues – Andrew Wells will draw up a list of hotels in the Sydney CBD (Action: AW)

ii)Catering – Andrew Wells will organise the catering, and is prepared to sponsor it to some extent. (Action: AW)