Minutes of the 2/5/09 MHLS Directors Association Meeting
Meeting was called to order at 9:35 a.m. by Steven Cook.
Present
Columbia County: Luisa Sabin-Kildiss Chatham, Sally Alderdice Claverack, Carol Briggs Hillsdale, Julie Hamrah Johnson Kinderhook, Jeanne Bogino New Lebanon, Karen Garafalo Philmont
Dutchess County: Phyllis Keaton Beacon, Terry SennettClinton Corners, Gloria Goverman East Fishkill, Julie Spann Fishkill, Gregory Callahan Hyde Park, Lisa Karim LaGrange, Margaret Quick North East Millerton, Robert P. Reilly Pawling, Marguerite Hill Pine Plains, Daniela Pulice Pleasant Valley, Tom Lawrence Poughkeepsie, Mary Anna Egan Red Hook, Steven Cook Rhinebeck, Joanne Meyer Rhinecliff, Matthew Pfisterer Wappingers Falls
Greene County: Debra Kamecke Cairo, David DeShong Catskill, Linda Deubert
Putnam County: Jean Buck Carmel, Gillian Thorpe Cold Spring, Carol Donick Garrison, Frank Rees Kent, Patricia Kaufman Mahopac, Patti Haar Patterson, Kathleen McLaughlin Putnam Valley
Ulster County: Julie Kelsall-Dempsey Highland Clintondale Branch, Margie Menard Kingston, Laurie Coccio Milton, John Giralico New Paltz, Faith Johnson Town of Ulster, Kara Lustiber West Hurley, Amy Raff Woodstock
Mid-Hudson Library System: Josh Cohen, Margaret Keefe, Merribeth Advocate, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Laurie Shedrick
Action Items
R. Reilly moved that the minutes of the previous meeting be approved. T. Sennett seconded and the motion passed.
Deletion of items with offline status: L. Shedrick will report to each library any items with offline status and directions to correct this. Any offline items remaining by 3/15 will be deleted.
Waiving fines from other libraries: Motion carried that libraries should not waive other libraries files, which includes not using the ‘Waive Fines’ button in check-in. Add to MHLS Resource Sharing Standards document.
Status change of “missing” items: Motion carried to add to MHLS Resource Sharing Standards document: “When an item placed on hold cannot be found, the owning library should change the status to ‘missing’ within 36 hours.”
Definition of “acceptable” items: Motion carried to add new text (following in bold and italics) to the MHLS Resource Sharing Standards document in 6.B. “Do a visual check before check-in. If the item is missing pieces or damaged beyond normal wear and tear, do NOT check the item in.” L. Shedrick will update the damage report form to include the disk number.
OPAC revisions: New draft was reviewed. Association agreed they liked the look: “cleaner”, “more intuitive”. MHLS staff will refine the categories and show at March DA meeting.
MHLS Reports
MHLS Executive Director’s Report Josh Cohen
A written report was circulated in advance of the meeting.
Your advocacy efforts paid off in helping restore all but 2.88% of 2008 system funding. Continue advocacy to legislators to stop proposed 18% cut in 2009 system funding. NYLA is working on putting money for construction in the Federal Stimulus Package. Contact Senator Schumer and Senator Gillabrand immediately to get libraries included in the Senate version of the Incentive package.
Task force meeting: Committee is looking at several formulas. Average cost is projected to be approximately 1% of each library’s budget. Issues discussed: how to allocate the charges; how to implement it; how to explain to boards and public; how will it impact the libraries procedurally; how will it impact library budgets. Task force will meet again at the end of the month. Anticipating voting at the March DA meeting on the Task Force recommendation of a model. J. Cohen will send out numbers to the libraries based on various models.
MHLS is updating their bandwidth to about 5mps. Libraries are encouraged to look at their bandwidth – upstream and downstream. M. Toufali is developing a list of questions to ask your provider.
J. Cohen will ask libraries to send at the end of February the number of tax forms their library distributed.
MHLS Board Liaison Report Frank Rees: A written report of the 1/24/09 meeting was circulated in advance of the meeting. F. Rees reported that the MHLS Board is interested in DA feedback from the System Funding Task Force discussions.
Advisory Committee Reports
Central Library/Collection Development: The next meeting is scheduled for 2/19/09.
Continuing Education/Professional Development : The next meeting is scheduled for 5/15/09.
Marketing and Program: A written report of the 1/29/09 meeting was circulated in advance of the meeting.
Resource Sharing: A written report of the 1/20/09 meeting was circulated in advance of the meeting.
Consultant Activities
Outreach & Education Coordinator: Merribeth Advocate
Dutchess will be the first to rollout the new Recorded Books ‘One Click Audio’ interface.
MHLS member library web site use up quite a bit. Issue discussed: could be looking for tax forms, ways to save money, better web address advertising by libraries. Take advantage of this opportunity to reach new users.
MHLS system annual report submitted. All MHLS member library annual reports due 2/17.
3/6 workshop on Securing Your Library’s Future is for all libraries who have done a 414 and/or want to go to a public vote to insure reliable funding.
Coordinator of Membership Information: Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Use the Advocacy Toolkit http://midhudson.org/funding/advocacy/toolkit.htm for ways that Library Directors, Staff, Trustees, Friend and Patrons can make an impact. Online petition, Lobby Day Experience, Anecdote Gathering sheet and Coloring sheets mentioned are included here.
Lobby Day is Tuesday, March 10 th
Barnes & Noble Bookfair to benefit the Foundation for Hudson Valley Libraries during National Library Week: 4/12-18. Vouchers will be sent to each library (will work in any B&N in the country but not online), we ask for your help in promoting the event to your patrons.
County Funding Advocacy Meeting on what is working: 2/26. All counties restored to their 2008 funding level or increased (Putnam & Ulster).
Friends Support Group: 2/11 from 5:30-7:30 @ MHLS. Topic: financial record keeping.
Roundtable for New Directors: 3/3 after DA meeting.
Youth Services Coordinator: Margaret Keefe
Upcoming opportunities for YS staff:
2/ 20: Performers’ Showcase @ MHLS
3/ 19: Movement & Music in Storyhour w/Sukey Molloy @ MHLS
Summer Reading Workshops: 3/25 @ MHLS, 4/9 @ Germantown
Book Banquets: Dutchess 4/14 at MHLS, Putnam 4/22 @ Mahopac & Ulster 5/12 @ Ulster BOCES
4/15 Youth Services Dept. Open House
Bulk purchasing opportunity for AWE Early Literacy workstations – purchase timeframe is 2/1- 28. Handouts at on the MHLS Youth Services site.
MHLS 2009 Incentive Program now includes support for YS attendance at YSS Spring Conference (4/3 in Canandaigua, NY). Info on the MHLS Youth Services site.
Automated Systems Manager: Laurie Shedrick
New features of the OPAC upgrade: DA recommends that the feature of “Forgot Your PIN?” be turned. Demo-ed option of Innovatives “My List” feature in My Millennium – referred to Marketing & Program Advisory Committee for fine tuning & promotion.
L. Shedrick will review size allocation of create lists files, and will send an email telling Directors that files over 1 month old will be emptied. Every library should send someone to the Millennium Users Group meeting. Libraries sending problems to L. Shedrick need to include record numbers so she can investigate the problem directly. Libraries are not putting appropriate ‘P Types” in place, which affects how the patrons interact with Millennium – did a clean up yesterday – 3 libraries will be notified about their consistent P Type errors.
Old Business
New Proposed Business & Information
Adjournment
T. Lawrence moved to adjourn the meeting. R. Reilly seconded and the meeting was adjourned at 12:15.
The next meeting is scheduled for 3/3/09 (snow date 3/4/09).
Submitted: 2/5/09 Merribeth Advocate