October 5, 2007
Members Present: Marc Boucher, Carla Burmeister, Leslie Christensen, Sally Drew, Karen Grothe, Leanne Hansen, Lisa Jewell, Rita Magno, Ed Van Gemert
Excused: Kathy Boguszewski, Carol Brill, David Weinhold
Others Present: Phyllis Christensen, Patrick Wilkinson, Kathy Schneider
Chair Ed Van Gemert called the meeting to order at 10:00am.
Minutes and Introductions: Introductions of those present were made. Approval of minutes (noting correction of Phyllis Christensen’s name) from July 26, 2007 was moved by Boucher, seconded by Grothe, and passed.
WiLS Member Survey: Schneider reviewed the findings of the recent member survey. Some of the responses indicated that there’s confusion about WiLS, particularly in regards to organization and funding. The two key issues that emerged are: 1) the need to communicate more information and in a timely way; and 2) WiLS major role of identifying and facilitating changes for the future. The survey indicated high satisfaction with staff expertise and support. During a lengthy discussion, board members made suggestions to help address some of the misperceptions and the perceived problems. The larger issues will be added to the agenda of an upcoming board meeting to allow more time for discussion. Board members also made suggestions for the marketing documents that WiLS staff members are producing.
WiLS WorldCat Group: The statewide threshold for the WorldCat group has been reached, presenting opportunities for expansion. Schneider outlined several scenarios with a recommendation for action: Assess a fee of $300 per library for full access January through June 2008 for WorldCat/BadgerCat to cover the internal WiLS expense for implementation; for library groups (such as public library systems), the fee would be $300 per library up to a maximum of $5,000 total. In discussing the recommendation, board members likened the January –June 2008 access to a trial offer for this fiscal year. The targeted market will be those libraries that use OCLC for cataloging, but are not participating in the group. A motion to accept the recommendation was made by L. Christensen, seconded by Jewell, and passed with an abstention by Drew. Current participants will be notified of the free trial offering for expanding membership.
Report on the OCLC Study of Networks: Schneider shared the two outside reports done by independent consultants and an executive summary of the reports. OCLC has not yet given an official response, but is expected to have some statements by October 12th to which the networks can respond. One of the issues between OCLC and its networks is the role, particularly for marketing and sales of products, that each of them serves. A written partnership agreement between OCLC and networks would help all parties work towards resolution of their problems.
Financial Report: The Board received the pre-audit report for FY07. All looks fine, especially as there was an unexpected increase in interest. Schneider informed the Board that she’s making some slight projection changes on income and expenses for the FY08 budget that will better reflect actual figures from this past fiscal year.
Members Council Report: P. Christensen is the new alternate for WiLS and is looking forward to her first Members Council meeting later this fall.
Wilkinson reported that Members Council is pleased that a resolution between OCLC and networks seems near since it also affects their work. Another study -- this one on OCLC governance – is now underway. International growth and potential changes between OCLC and the networks have prompted a look at how governance is structured. The relationship of Members Council and the Board of Trustees is also being examined as Members Council becomes more active. The E-Book Task Force, chaired by Wilkinson, has finalized its report and will present it at the next Council meeting on October 21st.
WiLS Director’s Report: Schneider asked the Board to consider whether or not to make another contribution to the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation’s Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries. Boucher made a motion that WiLS will contribute $500 to the campaign, seconded by Burmeister, and approved. Schneider reported on several staffing positions. Much staff effort was put into implementing the new billing software, Traverse, which is now available online to members. Schneider said that it’s working well.
There being no further business, Boucher made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Burmeister, and approved. The meeting was adjourned at 2:15pm.
The scenario subgroups met after the meeting to continue with planning.
Respectfully submitted,
Leanne Hansen, Secretary