Off the Record

It seems like not that long ago we talked about the need to reduce paper files, and the anxiety that sometimes comes with the transition. When we relocated out of the building at 1300 Linden Drive, we made a massive leap forward to transfer information into electronic formats. The hum of the "Snap-Scan" was up and down the hall - the sound of moving into the next phase of records management. Departments, administration and centers took advantage of this opportunity to streamline operations and leverage record keeping in the clouds.

Now that we are preparing to move back to the building some things have changed - we are more nimble, have fewer file cabinets and have a better "carbon footprint" because we are not printing so much material.

But because we are a public enterprise there are still rules and regulations about what records must be stored in hard copy, what we are required to keep on premises, what is appropriate to send to Archives and what (or when) is the protocol for final disposition.

The campus has an excellent resource to help answer some of your questions - University Archives and Records Management (ARMS.) Please take a few minutes and look at their website:
http://archives.library.wisc.edu/

Letting go of hard copies can be a blessing - I've got about 90% of the building information stored electronically. Occasionally I freak out my team member Roberto because I can search and pull material faster than anything, because it's stored electronically.

I know, can you believe it?! When I move back, the materials in the single 5-drawer cabinet (which is all building stuff) will be cataloged and sent to Archives, along with the contents of a 2-drawer cabinet.

Now if I can just clean up my desk at home....

Mighty Neighborly

Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,
One on a side.
It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, "Good fences make good neighbors.

"Mending Wall" Robert Frost (1874-1963)

To the left, construction of the preschool playground retaining wall begins.

Below is a view of the pedestrian walk-way between Ag Hall and the Preschool playground.

Key Area

It wasn't until I started on this project that I came to appreciate the role keys play in my everyday life. A key still starts my car (working towards a Prius), unlocks my office and secures a bike lock. I use special limes for key lime pie, work on a keyboard, write key points for a presentation and about twenty years ago, I gave my husband the key to my heart.

Fast forward to this time next year when we are in the new building....the days of issuing keys to hundreds of students will be gone and in its place - card access.

Security and access is important - the safety of students and staff was a major topic for the Building Committee. During peak times of the semester undergraduate students will be working at all hours to complete a class project, graduate students may be pushing hard to meet a funded project deadline - we are not a group that fits nicely into a 9-5 scenario.

The beauty of card access is the ability to quickly grant (or remove) access without having to handle a key. With a few short keystrokes (you can boo) the facility manager will be able to add or remove access priviledges for anyone with a valid WISCARD.

For those who "pooh pooh" card access thinking students will just prop open the door, we've got you covered. Each door with card access is connected to the campus Police so if a door is open for more than the allowed time (it's wicked short) then an alarm is sent to Police. The data will show the last person to swipe their card...you see where I am headed. This is serious business.

My key ring is getting lighter - now all I have are keys to the car, my house and suite at work. And guaranteed, I'll still forget where I put them.

The Hills are Alive

I've been out of town on a much needed (as my office mates will attest) vacation and spent a chunk of the morning yesterday walking the construction site with my team member Roberto.

And look what we saw - the north hillside has been cleared (thanks to the goats) and what was once overgrown with nasty scrub, weeds and...well... crappy plants....is being transformed into a marvelous landscape. It was so cool to see a small herd of bobcats whipping up, down and all around this area - moving dirt, placing rock and prepping the area for plantings.

Thanks to the talents of Ken Saiki Design and the good folks in the campus office of Landscape Planning, the view to the north will be simply glorious.