Meeting Minutes
Diversity Committee
Meeting, May 23, 2006
Present: Eleanor Block (Chair), Linda Gonzalez, Deidra Herring, Beverly McDonald, Duke Morgan, Cyndi Preston, Charles Smith
Absent: Amanda Clark, Eboni Francis, Virginia Reynolds
Membership topics discussed included the size and needs of the committee and how we select members. Eleanor already has two applications, Wendy Adcock and Rebekah Kilzer. Eleanor has asked the applicants to provide a paragraph saying that they are interested in committee membership and why. She will also send a general message to liball seeking interested and committed individuals to whom diversity is an important and valued goal.
Absent: Amanda Clark, Eboni Francis, Virginia Reynolds
Minutes
The minutes of the May 9, 2006 meeting were approved as written.Diversity Committee membership
Three members of the committee, including Eleanor Block, have terms that end in June 2006 and a fourth member may be leaving the committee. Eleanor has agreed to continue on the committee as chair and Beverly McDonald and Charles Smith have agreed to continue as members. The Resident Librarians will also continue on the committee. Virginia Reynolds will be contacted to see if she wishes to remain on the committee.
Membership topics discussed included the size and needs of the committee and how we select members. Eleanor already has two applications, Wendy Adcock and Rebekah Kilzer. Eleanor has asked the applicants to provide a paragraph saying that they are interested in committee membership and why. She will also send a general message to liball seeking interested and committed individuals to whom diversity is an important and valued goal.
Vice chair of the Diversity Committee
Because Eleanor may retire before her term is up, we need to appoint a vice chair to help and to provide continuity if/when Eleanor leaves. The vice chair should be someone who has Diversity Committee experience. Duke Morgan was nominated for the position and approved unanimously.
Workshop on Diversity
We will have a workshop on diversity entitled "Building Community by Welcoming Diversity" during Summer Quarter 2006. The date will probably be July 6, 2006. Eleanor and Pat Hall, the Assistant Director of the Multicultural Center, are still working on the place and the length of the workshop (i.e., full day or less). Larry Allen will do the publicity, Joe Branin will support the workshop and Linda Gonzalez will take care of the food, room set-up, etc.
Diversity Committee meeting dates
The last scheduled meeting for this year (July 2005-June 2006) is today, May 23, 2006. We will not need to meet any more to plan the Diversity Workshop but might meet during the summer to discuss our plans for Fall Quarter 2006. We will continue to meet every other Tuesday, 1:30-2:30 p.m., September 2006-August 2007. Eleanor will share the dates and the locations of the Diversity Committee meetings once this information is known. If there is not adequate business to discuss, the scheduled meeting will be cancelled.
OSU Libraries/Kent State School of Library and Information Science Fellowship
According to the website that lists the Ohio State University Libraries's Standing Committees, the Diversity Committee oversees the OSU Libraries/Kent State School of Library and Information Science Fellowship. Linda Gonzalez will investigate this further, see what the situation is now and report back at a future meeting. It was noted that the position of director for the Kent State program at Columbus has not been filled since the death of Mary Kim. In the past, the Libraries paid for an OSU employee to go to the Kent State Library Science program full time for one year. While we know of several OSUL employees who would like to go to library school, the fellowship is only for minorities. Cyndi Preston would like for the program to be part-time since many staff members can't give up their paychecks.
Office of Minority Affairs
Charles Smith has agreed to be our liaison with the Office of Minority Affairs.
Next meeting
The date and place of the next meeting have not been decided.