LiSA Minutes
November 15, 2007
Bass Library Conference Room

Meeting convened at 2:13 p.m. by Gareth Gibson.

Attending: Gareth Gibson, Barbara Heck, Melissa Van Tine, Clayton McGahee, Daniel Hartwig, Soli Johnson, Pina Laursen, Kathryn James, and Andrew Gray.

NEW STAFF RECEPTION:
Andrew Gray updated the group about the plans for the New Staff Reception on November 28, 2007 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the SML Lecture Hall. The Lecture Hall will open at 3:00 for staff and new employees to talk informally until the beginning of the formal event at 3:30. Pina and other LiSA volunteers will greet the new staff as they come into SML. The AULs will introduce their new staff members (approximately 40) by presenting short biographies about each individual as he/she is introduced. LiSA members will take photographs of the event and post them on the Library web site. Gareth commented that the catering was in place and ordering was less expensive and simpler than last year due to a change in the ordering system. Now, an event planner can order items a la carte (rather than a required package deal like last year) and closer to the event (and hopefully a more accurate attendance count). LiSA members were encouraged to ask fellow staff to come to the event and stay rather than just coming and taking food back to the unit. LiSA members might be needed for a short time at 5:00 to assist with the clean-up.

NOOKS & CRANNIES :
Soli reported that the Halloween day tour of the Church Crypts on the Green had gone well and was enjoyed by all attendees. Halloween is the last day of the year that tours are available since the crypts are open only seasonally.

The next tour will be of the Collection of Musical Instruments and the Organ.

HOLIDAY PARTY :
Barbara and Melissa discussed the upcoming Holiday Party. Gareth told the members about a LiSA subcommittee that had met with the Beinecke event staff earlier in the week relating to the venue and catering. At that meeting, the group discussed the difficulty of having children at a party in a building that was not designed for them. The Beinecke staff offered several alternatives specifically addressing the issues raised by child attendance. The Beinceke staff had also spoken with Alice Prochaska about the event and the Beinecke staff conveyed the information from that conversation to the LiSA subcommittee members.

Gareth told the group that Alice Prochaska had asked that twenty five additional guests from senior University management be allowed to attend and offered a champagne/sparking cider toast to celebrate the end of a very successful year for the Library. Gareth will talk with Alice about the possibility of having the Holiday Party in the Linonia and Brothers Room. The L&B Room would be much better for children and would provide a larger space for people to mingle plus the catering options would be larger.

Barbara discussed the various options related to catering the event. After a long discussion about alcohol, food consumption, and menu options, the members agreed that a total of $5,000 (including $900.00 for beer and wine) would be allocated to the Holiday Party. Yale Catering would be providing the food, beer and wine. Melissa had made arrangements for the flowers and will continue to investigate the employment of a Santa, band, and some type of child entertainment. Gareth will determine what the new Yale security policy requiring the employment of police officer(s) for each 125 participants at events held on Yale property would mean for the Party.

HOLIDAY RAFFLE :
Kathryn reminded the members that she would be going out on maternity leave so raffle prizes would need to be delivered to Martha Repp at the British Art Center. Soli will collect items at the Divinity School and take them to Martha.

MEETING TIME AND PLACE:
The next meeting will be Thursday, November 29, 2007. Gareth will contact members about the location.