Service Quality Improvement Council

Non-Roman Script Task Force Charge

Purpose:

The Vernacular Script Task Force was organized in May 2000 to address the introduction of vernacular scripts to library public research workstations.

Charge:

It is now possible to set computers to be able to display vernacular text at least with some of the Asian languages. However, we also project that there are service implications in introducing this capability on public workstations. For example, will we need to provide additional training to front-line service staff to assist in launching the capability, or is it self-explanatory; should we mount this only on stations near staff or not; what publicity to alert readers about the new features should we provide and through which avenues?

Colleagues elsewhere on campus, especially through ITS and the Foreign Language Lab, are interested in what we offer in the libraries, so we should plan to coordinate our introduction of this with them.

The outcome of the group's deliberations should be a report to the SQI-C before mid-July in which the group identifies what issues should be a concern, which public workstations [in SML as well as any of the School and Department Libraries] should be equipped with the necessary changes to provide reader access to vernacular script, and what do service staff need to know. The Task Force should consider their recommendation in light of the Policy Governing Access to Public Research Workstations

[see: http://www.library.yale.edu/htmldocs/pubworkstations.html]

and suggest any changes that might be required there to incorporate this new feature.

  [May 5, 2000]