NASIG Newsletter

PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Marit Taylor, Chair

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2006-2007

Members:  Linda Pitts (University of Washington), Miki Scholl (University of St. Thomas), Jeff Slagell (Delta State University), Gracemary Smulewitz (Rutgers University), Glen Wiley (Rensselaer Research Libraries), Yvonne Zhang (California State Polytechnic University), Mary Page (Board Liaison).

Linda Pitts was originally chair of the committee but felt the need to resign as chair because of health and work concerns.  She remained on the committee and her service is greatly appreciated.  The co-chair, Marit Taylor, took over as chair.  Jo McClamroch resigned from the committee because of too much to do at work.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PENDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

NASIGuides.   The committee is charged with identifying topics for new NASIGuides and soliciting authors for them from outside the committee, as well as developing a schedule for updating them and other NASIG publications. Glen and Linda reviewed the existing NASIGuides for dead links and anything else needing updating.  Linda found no problems, and Glen contacted their original authors to ask them for updates.   The committee brainstormed and suggested more ideas for new NASIGuides.  Linda sent out a message to NASIG-L asking for volunteers to write new NASIGuides, and listing some recommended topics, and got some positive response.  Glen also asked the Continuing Education Committee for input.  New guides that are assigned to authors and either planned or already being worked on include ones on working with subscription vendors, cancellation workflow, serials in institutional repositories, MARC for serials, and FRBR.  Each NASIGuide will be edited by one committee member for content, and another for style, etc.  We hope that at least some will be up by the conference, and others should be ready by sometime in the fall.  A new call for authors and ideas for new guides will be posted in the NASIG Newsletter.

Human Resources Directory.  The committee is also charged with revising and updating the Directory.  Glen and Jeff had some preliminary discussion on how we might want to update them.   There was some concern about whether the Directory was much used or needed.  Marit sent a message to NASIG-L asking for feedback on that subject, and received a positive response.  Some respondents have used the Directory, and others did not know about it but might use it now that they know.  Several people said they might volunteer to be included in the Directory.  It is clear that the Directory needs more publicity; there will be information about it in the Newsletter.  There was a problem with the submission form, which Jeff resolved after consultation with the Electronic Communications Committee.  The committee discussed changes and updates to the list of subjects for speakers, and Gracemary and Yvonne collected ideas.  Gracemary prepared a spreadsheet of topics to add, remove, or change.  Jeff suggested that we rename the Directory, and the committee agreed on changing it to the Speakers and Consultants Directory.  Marit asked Mary to submit the change to the board for approval.  Jeff drafted and the committee approved a message to be sent to people presently in the Directory asking them up update their entry; this should be done at least annually.  Jeff has been working on ideas for making the format of entries more consistent. The plan is for the committee to divide up the names in the Directory and each contact those people asking for updates.

NASIG-L.  Mary Page asked the committee to discuss ideas about how the scope of NASIG-L might be changed, and feedback given to the Electronic Communication Committee.  After discussion, the committee members felt that the scope did not need to be changed, and Marit reported this to the ECC, which had come to the same conclusion.

The committee has not acted on other elements of the committee charge on the recommendation of Mary Page, because of the pending outsourcing of the NASIG Web pages.  These involved selecting a metadata schema for NASIG publications and establishing HTML/XML/PDF standards, and standard announcements.