By Dan Crump, American River College and CCL Liaison to the ASCCC

ASCCC Fall Plenary Session, November 3-5, 2022

The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) held its Fall Plenary Session in November at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel.  Session was in a hybrid mode, but with a twist.  Session is usually a combination of general sessions with topics that have a broader interest to faculty as well as breakouts which focus on more narrowed topics but might be in more detail.  In this Session, the number of general sessions was increased to nine, all hybrid (i.e., available to attendees both online and in-person) and a block of in-person-only breakout sessions each day.  Increasing access while keeping costs down remains a priority in the program structure design.  Session information, including the program, presentation materials, and the approved resolutions are available on the ASCCC website.

As noted by ASCCC President Virginia “Ginni” May (Sacramento City College) in her message to attendees, “much work lies ahead, including establishing a common course numbering system, clarifying general education and transfer pathways, growing baccalaureate programs, creating low-cost and zero-cost course materials, protecting academic freedom, and other important matters. Over the next three days we will hold discussion and debate regarding these issues and more. By working together, listening to lived experiences, and using the collective voice of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, faculty can ensure an outstanding education for the students they serve.”

In addition, the Session delegates adopt resolutions that guide the work of the ASCCC.  The resolutions cover a wide range of topics relating to “academic and professional matters” (the ASCCC 10+1).  All the resolutions adopted by the delegates at the Fall Plenary Session are of interest to faculty, but two were of special interest for librarians:

•2.01 (Advocating for the Retention of a Library and Learning Resources and Support Services Substandard to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges 2024 Revised Accreditation Standards), and

•7.06 (Action Plan for Increasing Library Staffing in Accordance with Title 5)

In brief, Resolution 2.01 calls for the ASCCC to support inclusion of a specific substandard regarding library and learning support services in the proposed new standards of the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).  There has been some progress on this, but it is felt more can be discussed and included in the standards.  There had been concern raised in various librarian venues (both online and in-person) about the lack of such a specific standard/substandard in the initial proposed draft of the revision of the ACCJC standards.  One of the responses to this concern was the preparation of an ASCCC resolution to address this issue.  Several library faculty (Susie Kopecky, Kellye Cohn, and Trevor Passage, all from Allan Hancock College) brought this to the attention of the ASCCC and it was referred to the ASCCC Accreditation Committee for discussion.  Committee chair Robert L. Stewart, Jr. (LA Southwest College) convened a small group of librarians including the three aforementioned librarians, Parisa Samaie (LA Southwest College), and Ngheim Thai (Merritt College) to work on the resolution that was adopted at Session.  Special thanks to all involved.  I would also like to note that Ngheim is a member of the ASCCC Accreditation Committee this year. This is one more example of librarian involvement in the work of the ASCCC.  I encourage all faculty librarians to consider service on one of the many committees/task forces/work groups of the ASCCC (and the other groups for which the ASCCC appoints members).

Resolution 7.06 calls for the ASCCC to work with the Chancellor's Office to advocate for an action plan dealing with the library staffing minimum standards in Title 5 (section 58724).  IMHO, I would hope that the ASCCC and CO would call upon the Council of Chief Librarians (CCL) to be strongly involved in any such dialogue and discussions.

CCL will connect with ASCCC President May and Executive Director Mica on how best CCL can work with the ASCCC on these resolutions

In addition, the resolutions on Open Educational Resources and Zero Textbook Costs are of interest to librarians as many of them are vital resources (and leaders) in OER and ZTC initiatives at their colleges.  

As many of the credit library courses offered at the colleges do satisfy the Lifelong Learning component of the current CSU GE Breadth Requirements, librarians will also be interested in the resolutions regarding changes to the GE and transfer requirements to the CSU and UC systems.  

Lastly, librarians welcome 13.02 (Updating Codes of Conduct to Support Safe and Welcoming Classrooms and Learning Spaces in a Politically Charged Climate) as the library is our classroom and learning space.

Amy Beadle, Director

Systemwide Purchase Recommendations/Announcement

The LSP Governance Committee recently made a recommendation to the CCCCO to purchase OCLC Cataloging & Metadata and LibKey for the 110 colleges in the LSP Program. The Task Force also made recommendations to the CCCCO regarding how funding decisions could be made in the future and proposed an updated LSP Governance Committee Charter. We are awaiting responses/action by the CCCCO.

In order to keep the LibKey offer from expiring, CCL and the CCLC Consortium opted to use previously collected LSP operations funds to subscribe to LibKey for all 110 colleges in the LSP program. Access information will be provided very soon and we hope to have all colleges onboarded and using LibKey early in the New Year. Colleges that previously purchased LibKey will be issued a CCLC credit for 50% of their FY 2022-23 subscription cost.

Statewide Database Contract Award

While we wait for finalization/approval of the Butte-Glenn CCD/EBSCO contract, the CCCTC has asked for us to not make any announcements about content included, etc. EBSCO, however, offered the following:

“All of us at EBSCO would like to thank the CCLC member libraries for supporting EBSCO’s contract renewal for another five years (pending the formal contract approval by the District Board of Trustees on December 14th)!  We are excited to be able to continue providing the same package of databases that you have come to rely on.  Access to the databases will continue without interruption.”

Newer/Possible New Consortium Resources

We are considering agreements with the following vendors and have issued an interest survey that is open until December 15th.

• Digital Theatre

• Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

• Kanopy 

• Canva (Pro Account)

• Padlet (Backpack Account)

• JoVE

• American Energy Society

JSTOR Update

JSTOR is changing how their resources are grouped and priced.  As of July 2023, the entire Arts & Sciences Collection will be one large collection - no longer in smaller collections (I, II, III, etc.). Pricing will be based on FTE bands and will be discounted for consortiums. This will allow the Consortium to provide a 25% discount to colleges and retain a 5% administrative fee.

If we are able to get all 115 colleges that provide library resources to subscribe, we would be looking at significantly deeper discounts - around 60% off their new list pricing. Again, pricing has not been finalized, but annual subscription costs could be as low as $1,000-2,000 per college if all 115 colleges opted in. More information to come in the new year.

Winter Break

The CCLC Offices will be closed December 19, 2022 - January 3, 2023. Best wishes for a lovely holiday season and joyous New Year!

  By Nancy Golz, CCL-EAR Committee Chair

In the midst of the pandemic, the Community College Library (CCL) board renewed its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Past CCL president, Leslie Tirapelle, affirmed in the CCL Outlook (September, 2020)  that the CCL will “promote the acquisition of collections and resources that support inclusive and anti-racist programs and curriculum, that are reflective of the community at large.” For the past two years, the CCL-EAR committee has been considering our role in supporting students through a DEIA lens. The committee recently formalized a DEIA statement that was approved at the recent CCL board meeting. This statement will guide the work of the CCL-EAR committee as we evaluate and consider databases that support our diverse students.  

• The CCL-EAR committee will view electronic resources, databases, and information with equity considerations in mind. This includes: 

• the representation available in the content on a platform, and 

• actions by the vendor, including: 

• accessibility, 

• representation among content area experts, 

• equity statements, and 

• their response to CCL values and concerns with respect to equity issues. 

•    The committee will bring DEIA issues to the attention of the vendor and our colleagues and 

•    will advocate for increased representation of historically-underrepresented groups

MLA Handbook Quick Look Review

The CCL-EAR committee has a Quick Look review of the MLA Handbook ready for you as you consider upcoming database purchases and renewals. The review is available on the CCL-EAR committee portion of the CCL website in the Reviews section. In the summary of our review we noted that the MLA Handbook Plus (MHP) merits further attention because it provides convenient online access to the recent edition of the MLA Handbook (9th edition). Library access to an electronic version of the MLA Handbook (9th edition) is only available through a subscription to MHP. We encourage you to read the MLA Handbook Plus Quick Look for more information, and consider a trial to explore MLA Handbook Plus if you think that this database might meet the needs of your students.

It is hard to believe that the 2022 semester is quickly drawing to a close. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Past Chair and current Vice Chair Tami Weintraub, for her many years of service on the EAR Committee, both as an area representative and as a leader through the online years of the pandemic. I have heard Tami repeatedly state that serving on the CCL-EAR committee has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her academic library career. The CCL-EAR committee continues to benefit from her kindness, knowledge, and leadership. Thank you, Tami!

Dr. Nancy Golz
CCL-EAR, Chair
Faculty Librarian
Merced College
nancy.golz@mccd.edu

By Gregg Atkins, CCL Executive Director

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

That famous first sentence from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities lodged itself firmly in my brain (so many) years ago.  It has always served to remind me to search for a broader aspects of a situation -- and to be thankful that I was not a French aristocrat.  Mindful of enrollment numbers, in-person/Zoom classes, some schools already in budget difficulty, and current pandemic/flu/etc. issues, yet consider these things:

•    The LSP moves forward on firm footing with ongoing state funding. CCL and the League have fashioned a very workable operational structure (with CCL in the role of a vendor managing administrative and operational services and CCLC as our sub-contractor). The extraordinary collaborative effort of librarians working together to understand and shape the tools and fashion approaches is the very best part.

•    The work of CCL moves forward thanks to dedicated efforts by its officers and Board members (and new Board members stepped in to serve when needed).

•    A new multi-year contract proposal between Ex Libris and the Chancellor’s Office is being developed, and CCL is actively working with the CCCCO side to help ensure that the known issues (bib record limits, named users limits, etc.) get addressed successfully.

•    Another 5-year state-funded EBSCO contract begins Jan. 1, 2023 – and, yes, CCL-appointed librarians (who did a lot of heavy lifting in a short timeframe) were key to the effort and the recommendations.

•    You and your colleges continue to support the work of CCL through payment of membership fees.  Almost ½ of the colleges have paid, and I know many payments are in process.  (Need another copy of the invoice?  Or never saw it?  Or the ether ate it?  Easy to remedy – let me know!) 

CCL does have a clear mission – “making the world safe for CCC libraries.”  Please remember to lean on CCL when you and your colleagues need to.

Regards -- Gregg

Gregg T. Atkins, Executive Director CCL

By Pawel Szponar, Network Zone Manager & Systems Administrator

As the largest Consortium of Community Colleges in the country, the CCLC required a library services platform that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our students, faculty, and staff, regardless of which of the participating Colleges they belong to: from the smallest to the largest, Alma and Primo are serving the full spectrum of academic libraries that exist in the CCLC system. In order to maximize efficiency and the utilization of resources, a great number of projects have been implemented within the Network Zone of Alma to facilitate data-driven decisions and leverage the opportunities of a shared system. From the shared management of over 250 electronic collections, through the centralization of the NetLibrary titles to the implementation of the Change The Subject Project, each and every college in our system is set to enjoy a reduction in duplicate efforts, improved discoverability of materials and quicker troubleshooting of common issues affecting the system. Through a number of ongoing maintenance and clean-up efforts at the Network Zone, the overall number of records in the system has been reduced, the quality of the existing records improved, and duplicate records identified and removed.

On the cataloging front, OCLC Publishing profiles allow the libraries to automatically synchronize their bibliographic holdings and local records with OCLC’s Worldcat, which results in increased accuracy of the holdings and constant updates to the shared records. The consortia members are enjoying less time-consuming cataloging-related workflows and more efficient updates to their holdings thanks to the integration between Ex Libris and OCLC in this area.

Further, in order to facilitate communication and error reporting from the member libraries, monthly meetings are scheduled between the Network Zone Admin and Ex Libris staff in order to discuss critical ticket escalations and priority issues facing the schools within their Alma and Primo instances. This not only allows for more attention directly from the vendor towards the most impactful issues facing our schools, but also for on-going conversations on how to improve the system and make it more useful to all our stakeholders. 

Finally, thanks to incredible efforts made by our Work Groups, we are able to create policies, procedures and documents aimed at not only codifying the best practices across all areas of the system, but also to envision and implement various improvements and projects across all functional areas of Alma and Primo. By providing guidance on common Alma-related configurations and workflows, our Work Groups are improving the experience of individual colleges in areas such as Acquisitions, Analytics, Circulation, Cataloging, ERM and Discovery and User Experience. 

All in all, the opportunities and the challenges presented by being able to share this environment across all our institutions are numerous and require a lot of time, effort and attention to tend to properly. Thanks to the incredible wealth of knowledge not only from the CCLC staff, but in each and every one our schools, we are able to build up the system, enhance features and provide deep levels of support that not only alleviate various pressure points in terms of workloads for our Librarians, but also present unique opportunities for all our students across the Consortium. As we go on, and as we deploy more and more unique projects and ways of centrally handling systemic issues, we are hoping to further enhance everyone’s experience and satisfaction with the Ex Libris Solutions we’ve chosen to implement as a Consortium.

Better late than never -- Rio Hondo College Library is proud to announce that 3 of our full-time faculty librarians have been granted tenure in Spring 2022!

Librarian Young Lee previously worked as an attorney until he made a career change and worked as the Reference and Electronic Services Librarian at the University of La Verne Law Library. Young joined Rio in November 2017 and has since been our de facto Electronic Resources Librarian (and provider of donuts, pastries, and other sweets to our Library Division).

Librarian Claudia Rivas started at Rio as a student, then as an adjunct instructor, and then as an adjunct librarian until August 2018 when she became a full-time librarian. Claudia has accomplished many feats in Library Outreach, including increasing our social media presence, obtaining library swag for student giveaways, and introducing Zines to Rio students through library workshops and orientations.

Librarian Brian Young started at Rio as a Library Intern while attending San Jose State University for his MLIS. Shortly after completing his program, he joined Rio as an adjunct librarian and eventually became full-time in August 2018. Brian is our editor-in-chief for our library newsletter (called The Library Checkout) which is published every semester to inform faculty and students with library-related news.

Congratulations to all!

By Sally Ellis, Riverside City College

In 2017, Riverside City College (RCC) Library conducted a poll, asking students to rank 15 library improvements they would like to see implemented. The options included adding board games, water bottle refill stations, a full-sized skeleton, and food vending machines. The top ranked improvement was the addition of nap pods. In cooperation with facilities and the cafeteria, and as budgets and small donations allowed, we have implemented each of these wishes.

As many CCL librarians, deans, and directors are aware, our students have long struggled with juggling work, family, school obligations and, more recently, increasing housing insecurities. We hoped to mitigate some of those stressors by creating a quiet, softly lit area where students could lie back and recoup some energy. We also wanted to meet the needs of our praying students, as they have been spotted in the stacks in the past, looking for privacy.

Unfortunately, sleeping pods were prohibitively expensive. Instead, we opted for leather recliners. An under-utilized 270 sq.ft. alcove was sectioned off with a portable room divider and outfitted with seven recliners. Donations of a wave-sound machine, vaporizing mister and oils, a prayer rug, and salt lamp for warm lighting, completed the space. Other supplies donated or repurposed included colored pencils with coloring pages, origami paper, fidget poppers, plants, and stuffed animals. After a second poll of users, we added blankets and throw pillows, both of which are used daily. Still to be installed is a donated tv with DVD player, which will play silent nature videos. A third poll determined the name of the room, The Serenity Lounge.

We had no official “opening,” and have not announced or marketed the space formally. We have, however, mentioned it in personal conversations with contacts on campus, specifically in speaking with faculty that work with our Guardian Scholars and in our RCC Buy Nothing Group, where we have asked for needed items. We’ve found that word of mouth is a powerful thing when comfortable seating is involved and have overheard campus chatter recommending the space.

This project was spearheaded by Shannon Hammock, our Technical Services Librarian, who is always on the lookout for ways to improve our space in both form and functionality. We consider this project to be a resounding success as the chairs are in constant use by sleeping students, and we have placed an order for four more. Our students have expressed their appreciation of the space through messages on origami paper, the whiteboard, and by tucking the stuffed animals in for a nap, all bringing satisfaction and a little laughter to our days.

Knowing that the path to successful completion at a Community College requires acknowledging and addressing the whole student, we at the Riverside Community College Library are happy to support their academic, as well as their physical and psychological needs.

By Shamika J. Simpson, Long Beach City College

The Long Beach City College Library is excited to announce the installation of The Zen Den. The Zen Den is an indoor green space designed to promote well-being. It is a quiet space where people can relax in the tranquil atmosphere, meditate, take a break, de-stress, practice breathwork and center themselves. The Zen Den features a calming, cool - color scheme and includes vines on the wall, faux succulent wall art, faux grass rugs, bean bags, and comfortable chairs. The Zen Den room is also wheelchair accessible.

 

 

 

 

Images taken by Shamika J. Simpson

 

 

 

 

 

Images taken by Shamika J. Simpson

 

Why a Green Space?

Regarding office green spaces and employee engagement, Pamela DeLoatch writes, "[A]cademic research suggests that green spaces can relieve mental fatigue, which can improve employee work performance, satisfaction, learning, inquisitiveness and alertness¹." While this article focuses on employees, all of the benefits of green spaces and wellness apply to the student body as well. Spending time outdoors in nature is best, but when this isn't possible, bringing elements of nature into indoor offices can improve wellbeing and reduce stress.

At the LBCC Library we put students first and are continuously implementing new and innovative services and resources that focus on well-rounded students and their unique and individual needs.

We've received many kudos and verbal feedback from students, staff and faculty on how much they love having this space. The Library will use a Happy or Not survey machine to capture additional qualitative data and quantitative data.

 

 

 

Created by Shamika J. Simpson using Canva

 

The Zen Den supports the following LBCC Strategic Plan Goals:

● Goal: Through fostering a culture of care and collegiality, students and employees will feel supported, valued, and respected.

○ Focus on the institution’s role in creating positive experiences for students and employees:

● Goal: Focus on the institution’s role in creating positive experiences for students and employees

○ Further invest in mental health supports for students

● Goal: Create spaces/activities for employees to connect, build community and relationships, and share best practices and experiences

○ Support employee participation in events and programs on campus

The Zen Den is located in the LAC Library (1st floor) and is open during regular Library hours. For more information, please contact Shamika J Simpson (she/her/mrs.) at ssimpson@lbcc.edu.

Special Thanks

The Zen Den would not be possible without the contributions of the donors:

● Simpson & Simpson Garden

● Dele C. Ladejobi, Librarian

● Dr. Paul Creason, Dean of Health and Science

● Jeffrey Sabol, Librarian.

Last but certainly not least, we are grateful for those who labored to make the Zen Den come to life: Tamara Lincoln, Student Success Instructional Aide and student workers, Ryan Guade and Sofia Galindo.

Learn More

● Dewar, G. (2022). How green spaces benefit mental health. Parenting Science.

● Key benefits why you should have an artificial plant in the office. (2019, Dec 1).

References

1. Pamela DeLoatch, “How to Embrace Office Green Spaces for Better Employee Engagement,” HR Dive (Industry Dive, July 24, 2018) ↩

By Dele C. Ladejobi, Long Beach City College

Bobbie Smith (née Bobbie Jean Davis) was born and raised in Mississippi, United States. She attended grade school in Mississippi during the trials of segregation era and experienced the harsh discrimination of Jim Crow laws. She received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in religious education from Eureka College and a master's degree in Library Science from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. Bobbie was married to her high school sweetheart, Herbert (“Herb”) Smith,” a famous basketball player on the Harlem Globetrotters for 35 years and they had two children.  

Bobbie and her family moved to California in 1965 in the midst of the Watts Riots. In the late 1960s, she was hired as the Audio-Visual Department librarian at LBCC. She was the first African American librarian to be employed at LBCC. She previously worked in the Los Angeles County Library system in their audiovisual department. Bobbie was successful in raising the stature of the LBCC Audiovisual Department at a time when technology was becoming more important in education. Under her guidance, the department was eventually elevated to the status of Media Services Department, and she served as its director for several years prior to being elected Library Department Head. She served in that capacity until her retirement in 1992.
 
During her tenure as librarian, Bobbie served on numerous college committees, and she was active in both state and national library organizations.  She achieved many noteworthy accomplishments, such as, the first African American to be elected the Academic Senate President where she served multiple terms; and the first African American to serve as the Faculty Union President. She was also responsible for the introduction of automation and computer use in the LBCC libraries.

In 1988 she became the first African American elected to the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education and served four terms as President. In this capacity, she facilitated the restructure and reform of the schools in her district. Bobbie made a positive mark on Long Beach local history in 2014, when the former Peter Burnett Elementary School was renamed in her honor in recognition of her role, impact and contributions to the community. This event was important and meaningful because the elementary school shed its namesake from a racist, White supremacist California governor and slaveholder to claim a new forward-looking identity in which students could now take pride. According to Bobbie, this accomplishment was “a lifetime achievement” and the “GEOT – Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, Tony award all rolled into one.

Bobbie is fondly remembered for her physical beauty, charm, wit, humor, and charisma. She was so elegant and had a distinguished aura about her. Bobbie was an incredible mentor, multi-talented and creative. She had amazing compassion and empathy and was extremely generous and supportive.

Bobbie passed away in California on July 20, 2022 at the age of 90.

To learn more about Bobbie:

• “Herbert Smith (1931-1991)”. Find a Grave Memorial (Online) November 16, 1991. Accessed August 10, 2022. 
• LBUSD News. “Paying Tribute to Dr. King.” (Online) January 21, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2022. 
• LBUSD News. “Remembering Bobbie Smith.” (Online) July 21,2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. 
• LBUSD News. “Smith School Celebrates Its New Name” (Online) December 19, 2014. Accessed August 10, 2022. 
• Wilkin, Binnie Tate. “Bobbie Smith: Former Coordinator of Libraries Long Beach City College and Recently Retired Member and President Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education.” In African American Librarians in the Far West: Pioneers and Trailblazers, 221–28. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2006.