Edna M. Meisel Interview Transcribe (Library Beat Update)

"My role on the committee is Recording Secretary. I attend all of the meetings and participate as a member. And, as secretary, I take minutes, type them up formally for the committee and for Faculty Senate review. The Library Committee advises the Dean of Libraries on matters of library policy such as library services that directly affect students of Marshall University; the acquisition of library materials and resources; library funds and budgets; cancellations of resources when needed; maintenance of library spaces, and other concerns directly related to our Marshall University Libraries. We also review the activities carried out by the administration of the libraries. Library administrators make up part of the committee as non-voting members. We carry out studies relating to library functions. We serve as a liaison between the faculty of our respective departments to inform them of library issues. We are also the liaison to the Faculty Senate; we report issues at the Faculty Senate monthly meetings. And we are liaisons to the university libraries. Recently we have talked about budgets and resources of the library and how this affects students here at Marshall University. We also discuss how the libraries are serving faculty with requests for materials that can benefit their teaching of MU students. We strive to cover all of our responsibilities as presented in your second question above at each of our meetings; focusing on those that are most important at the time. This has mostly impacted the MU Library’s ability to maintain journal subscriptions, and the acquisition of new books and other resources needed by students and faculty. A shrinking budget impacts the “amount of funds spent per student” in library resources here at Marshall University. The MU Library Committee encourages Marshall University students to contact WV Legislators who control budgets to express their concerns of how budget cuts affect their library resources. And of course we also encourage students to express their experiences with the MU Library system and how it benefits students here at Marshall University!"