July 20, 2005
Members Present: Barczyk, Hamon, Drew, Lynch, Huang, Bendix,
White (for Jewell)
Others Present: Wilkinson, Boehning, Schneider.
The meeting was called to order at 1:25 p.m. by Chair Ewa Barczyk. Members
introduced themselves and the group welcomed new member Rita Magno, representing
independent college libraries, to the Board.
A MOTION to approve the minutes of April 6, 2005 was made by Huang, seconded by Hamon. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
WiLS FY05/06 BUDGET. Schneider noted a correction to the budget proposal dated 6/23/05: in Note 1 on Page 3, the change in FTE includes a shifting in staff positions rather than only representing an increase in student assistants.
Schneider reported that Peter Hamon will be retiring from his position at the South Central Library System at the end of this year and can therefore no longer serve as an Alternate Delegate on the OCLC Members Council. Because our two representatives (Wilkinson and Boehning) have consistently been available to attend the OCLC meetings, Schneider suggested that the Board consider not filling his position during FY05/06. Sending two members to OCLC meetings rather than three will save $1,500 in the coming fiscal year. A MOTION, to not fill the OCLC Members Council Alternate Delegate position vacated due to Hamon’s retirement was made by Hamon, seconded by Huang, and approved unanimously by voice vote. With this change, the new dollar amount for total expenses in the WiLS budget for FY05/06 will be $7,496,495.
The Board discussed the budget proposal, which had been reviewed by the newly formed Finance Committee. After questions were raised and answered, a MOTION to approve the budget as amended with the $1,500 reduction in expenses was made by Hamon, seconded by Bendix and unanimously approved by voice vote.
OCLC GROUP SERVICES INITIATIVE: Schneider and the Board discussed the proposed WiLS OCLC Group Services Initiative and its implementation. Revised pricing was obtained during a meeting with OCLC in May. Board members requested a clarification regarding eligibility for possible participation in the program: Schneider explained that libraries with unlimited FirstSearch access, willing to commit to the program for three years, would be eligible. Currently, there are 71 libraries with unlimited FirstSearch access, representing all types of libraries in the state; it is not known at this time how many of the 71 would agree to participate initially. There was discussion of what was meant by “unlimited interlibrary loan” and the apparently recent changes that OCLC had made to their definition of “unlimited.” Due to the complexity of implementing group services for Wisconsin, it was generally agreed that the best way to move forward was to establish a Phase I pilot project as soon as possible, then develop more specific information regarding cost for services during the initial phase. As decided earlier by the Board, WiLS will subsidize Group Services so participants can sign on to the program without incurring additional costs until July 2007. Because libraries choose from a variety of OCLC services, custom quotes for individual libraries will be needed. Board members discussed setting limits on WiLS surcharges for the upcoming 3-year period. A MOTION, to limit the maximum WiLS surcharge for FY06/07 to a cap of 13.3%, and for FY07/08 to a cap of 14.0% was made by Hamon, seconded by White, and passed by voice vote with one abstention.
The Board agreed that a direct comparison between WiLS plans for statewide service and the similar program developed by Illinois (with a high level of state subsidy) is becoming confusing. Rather than focusing solely on the Illinois model, future presentations describing WiLS OCLC Group Service will include information from other states or a hypothetical Wisconsin program. A list of “next steps” was reviewed.
Schneider reported that more high school libraries had elected to purchase PromptCat and CatExpress services. There seems to be potential in showcasing these services to school libraries; in the future, the Board may wish to consider hiring a consultant to explore ways of encouraging more participation from high school libraries.
There being no additional business, a MOTION to adjourn was made by Drew, seconded by Huang, and passed by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia D. Lynch, Secretary