ACRL Distance Learning Section Web Committee Meeting Minutes 20 January 2002

Members Present: Jack Fritts (Chair), Kate Adams, Nicole Campbell, Billie Peterson, Rebecca Sedam, Monique Threatt

Members Absent: Marissa Cachero, Beth Reiten

Announcements
Jack Fritts announced that he was taking a new position at Benedictine University in Lisle , IL, effective March 4, 2002. This change won't affect the DLS web site (i. e., it won't need to be moved to a new server), but he will most likely need to find a new way to manage the DLSWEB listserv.

Minutes
Kate Adams moved to approve the minutes of June 17, 2001 and Rebecca Sedam seconded. The minutes were approved.

Discussion
There was some discussion about the kind of information committee members need to convey to the committees to which they are liaisons. Committee members need to emphasize that we don't create the content -- the committees create the content and the Web Committee members get that content placed on the DLS web site. Minutes should be sent to Web Committee members by February 15, 2002.

Reports on Liaison Activities

Communications Committee (Nicole Campbell)
They will send the minutes to Nicole. They have some minor committee roster changes that need to be made. They are interested in using the DLS web site as an on going "bulletin board" for "news" items.

Discussion Group (Monique Threatt)
Monique indicated that she would attend the DLS discussion forum on Monday, January 21, 2002.

Electronic Resources Committee (Rebecca Sedam)
They will send the minutes to Becky. Becky and the committee discussed what formats they should use to send content to Becky to make it easier for her to post the information to the web site.

Guidelines Committee (Jack Fritts)
They will send the minutes to Jack. They have some roster changes to make. They also want to post the guidelines dissemination report on the web. They would also like the DLS web site to support a form on which people could post information on how they have used the guidelines, with the information being sent both to the Guidelines Committee and a copy of it being sent to or displayed to the person who submitted the information. The Web Committee members thought this was a good idea and discussed briefly some of the implications of implementing such a form. The discussion was postponed until later in the meeting when restructuring of the DLS Web site would be discussed.

Instruction Committee (Billie Peterson-Lugo)
They will send the minutes to Billie. They expressed concern that the two bibliographies that they sent to Beth haven't been posted to the web site ("Best Practices for Library Instruction and "Evaluating Web-Based Library Instruction"). Becky indicated that both bibliographies had been posted, albeit relatively recently. They also indicated that they wanted to post their committee charge, but they wanted to review it first. Becky indicated that the charge should already be posted. Billie will communicate this information back to the chair of the Instruction Committee after the Midwinter Conference.

Membership Committee (Nicole Campbell)
They will send the minutes to Nicole. The committee will soon have a PDF version of the membership application to post on the DLS web site. They would like a link on the main page and Nicole suggested a link on the "join us" page. Also, they pointed out that some of the DLS web pages don't use the new DLS logo. After some discussion, Becky indicated that none of the DLS web pages were using the logo and that she would get a copy of the logo and make that change.

Program 2002 Committee (Billie Peterson-Lugo)
They will provide the minutes to Billie. They were deep in discussion about the program, so they don't have any information for the DLS web site at this time. Billie told them that she was their liaison and that they could send any content for the DLS program promotion to her and she would send it to Becky to be posted on the DLS web page.

Program 2003 Committee (Kate Adams)
They will send their minutes to Kate. They are still discussing what to do for the program and have nothing for the DLS web site at this time. Kate let them know that she is their liaison.

Research Committee (Kate Adams)
They will send their minutes to Kate. The committee would like to have a version of the research interests survey up for the Off-campus Library Services meeting.

Statistics Committee (Rebecca Sedam)
They will send their minutes to Becky and contact her later about information for the DLS web site.

Strategic Planning Committee (Jack Fritts)
They will send their minutes to Jack. They had a concern about the structure of the committee pages on the DLS web site. Instead of having all of the links to their minutes listed on the Committee web page (with the roster of committee members), they would prefer to have a single "minutes" link that leads to a page listing links to all of the committee minutes. Becky indicated that she would make this change on all of the committee pages.

Review of Committee Charge
ACRL pointed out that the charge they have for the DLS Web Committee differs from the charge on the DLS web site. After reviewing and discussing both versions of the charges, the Committee decided to tell ACRL that the version on the DLS web site is the correct charge

Other Business:
Structure of Web Pages Becky indicated that she felt like some aspects of the DLS web site were getting out of hand, the Committee pages, for example. She also felt like some work needs to be done on the bottom bar of links that leads to the work of various committees. She feels like the overall design of the web site needs to be freshened up. Discussion among the committee members generated a list of things that could be (or definitely needed to be) changed about the site, such as:
-- Change the logo to the current logo (must be done)
-- Freshen up the design
-- Index and develop a search engine for the site
-- Develop an FAQ
-- Make more use of images on the site (photos and possibly clip art or other graphics)
-- Develop a site map, which could be could be used by the visually impaired

Billie suggested looking at the site from the users' perspective and Jack suggested that he could post a brief survey to the Off-Campus listserv, to elicit from the members information on how they use the site.

The Committee developed three questions for him to post.
1. How often do you visit the DLS web site?
2. What are your top three reasons for using the DLS web site?
3. What would you like to see on the DLS web site that is not currently there?

Jack will compile and summarize the answers to the survey and distribute them to the rest of the DLS Web Committee.

The DLS Web Committee will also review the site and suggest ideas for changes to Jack. Nicole suggested that the Committee place each of the major sections of the DLS Web site on a card and then rearrange the cards to see if a new and improved structure evolves.

Action Items

Action	Responsibility
1. Liaisons are to receive their committee minutes by February 15 and send them to Becky to be posted on the DLS Web site.	All DLS Committee Members
2. Post a brief survey on using the DLS web site to the Off-Campus listserv.	Jack Fritts
3. Compile and summarize to the Committee the results of that survey.	Jack Fritts
4. Examine the DLS web site and send comments to DLSWEB listserv.	All Committee Members
5. Correct the DLS logo on the DLS web site; change the display of minutes on the Committee web pages; make other roster corrections as needed.	Becky Sedam

Respectfully Submitted Billie Peterson-Lugo January 23, 2002

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