The Social Sciences Council, a subject-focused group organized to discuss/advice on library issues related to collections & services in the social sciences, discussed New Directions at its Jan. 17th meeting.

Milt Ternberg, a member of the New Directions Committee, started the discussion on new directions describing the process as still being in the investigative and discovery stages. The new directions guidelines/forms were passed out. Highlights & comments on New Directions follow:

1. a new initiative/training module, Data Services/Statistical Literacy, was strongly recommended; see "Statistical literacy is critical thinking about statistics in arguments"
2. discussion on need for Firefox on public PCs led to unanimously supported resolution that has since been forwarded to Beth Dupuis as AUL liaison to Soc. Sci Council.
   Resolution: Social Sciences Council resolves that Systems should install Firefox browser on public workstations as a first step towards fostering greater open access on public workstations.
3. the group agreed on need for the entire library organization to be reviewed and changed as part of ND and need for change in the library; see "We Need to Be Strategically Dynamic" letter from Richard Blum to UC Regents on need for organizational/infrastructure change
4. library needs to adopt an open-source software first policy
5. students expect and should have a digital workplace in the library
6. Research & Development department strongly recommended; this department would have the necessary power to initiate & manage new initiatives/projects
7. leadership and visionary vacuum in the library noted
8. concept and models of implementation needed
9. library leadership (i.e. Librarians Office) needs to be embedded in the library work units
10. support for implementing the Google model of 20% employee time used for innovation
11. acknowledgment that in the library new ideas/initiatives have been bottom-up not top-down; we need to better recognize and support self-organizing teams and innovations
12. library culture & environment that gives little to no approval or encouragement to employees
13. pervasive fear of failure that inhibits innovation and change