July 27, 2006
Members Present: Ewa Barczyk, Peter Hamon, Ed Van Gemert, Leanne Hansen, Mary Bethke, Karen Boehning, Patrick Wilkinson, Meagan Eggers, Karen Grothe, Leslie Christiansen, Janet White
Chairman Peter Hamon called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.
Introductions & Minutes
New Board Members were
welcomed to the WiLS Board, and all members and staff introduced themselves. Approval
of minutes from April 6, 2006 was MOVED by Barczyk, SECONDED by Van Gemert, and
PASSED by voice vote.
Budget FY07
Approval of the proposed FY07
budget as prepared by Schneider was MOVED by Van Gemert and SECONDED by Barczyk
and discussion followed. Schneider noted that WiLS staff is stretched thin, partially
due to the impacts of the WHO project. The FY07 budget includes a half-time professional
or para-professional vacancy that will not be filled until the exact responsibilities
of the position are finalized. A half-time clerical position is also included
in the budget and will be filled in the near future. Schneider reported that WiLS
is currently in good financial condition. Following discussion, the MOTION to
approve the FY07 budget PASSED by voice vote.
Election of Officers
Schneider described the duties of the three officer positions and asked for
volunteers. The new WiLS Board officers (Ed Van Gemert, Chair-Elect; Carol Brill,
Treasurer; and Leanne Hansen, Secretary) were unanimously APPROVED.
OCLC
Members Council Report
Wilkinson reported on the May Member's Council
meeting, which included discussions of OCLC's interest in expanding relationships
with cultural heritage institutions, the role that OCLC should play in simplifying
and unifying e-content, and OCLC's growing interest in international markets.
OCLC's recent merger with RLG will help OCLC expand access to cultural heritage
institutions. Boehning indicated that representatives of smaller US libraries
expressed some concern that their needs might not be met when OCLC shifts focus
to museums and global markets. The theme that OCLC has selected for the coming
year is "OCLC Organizational Dissonance: The New Harmony," focusing on OCLC's
movement away from its current identity as a North American cooperative organization
and towards international vendorship.
WiLS Director's Report
Schneider
reported that her interviews with staff regarding plans for retirement have been
well-received and she forsees no major problems with this issue. WiLS staff will
be looking at possible purchase of software for processing monthly statements;
the software would save significant staff time and should help WiLS develop billing
statements that are easier to understand. Because this $20,000 item was not in
this year's budget, Schneider will bring any recommendations for purchase back
to the Board for further discussion.
OCLC's relationship with its networks continues to be a contentious issue. Recently, some very large New England consortia were offered a "deal" from OCLC with network pricing but not network responsibilities. The Network negotiating team that worked on the Partners Manual last winter will meet with OCLC leadership for fact-finding and airing of concerns. This topic will undoubtedly be discussed at the next Members Council.
WiLS will no longer use an outside firm for monthly accounting services. At the suggestion of the Auditor, WiLS will use our own contract accountant to prepare monthly reports.
Schneider raised the issue of possible legal liability of WiLS Board Members or Officers due to the fact that WiLS does not have "Errors & Omissions" insurance. She is pursuing information on this. Members surmised that WiLS' status as a corporation might offer some protection to the Board, and suggested that Schneider might request the opinion of a corporate lawyer.
Update: DLTCL RFP & WiLS
Schneider
reported on DLTCL's Request for Proposals for a new WisCat. WiLS/OCLC are among
the "finalist" proposals. Negotiations will start in August for a contract that
will start in January 2007. Members discussed possible ramifications if a vendor
other than OCLC is selected.
Adjournment and Orientation for New Board
Members
Schneider suggested that the next Board meeting should take place
in early November; Tuesday, November 14th and Friday, November 17th were noted
as possible dates. It was agreed that starting the meeting at 9:00 a.m. would
be desirable.
There being no further business for the entire Board, a MOTION to adjourn was made by Hansen, SECONDED by Barczyk, and PASSED by voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 2:30. New Board Members remained after the meeting for orientation. .
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia D. Lynch, Secretary