Maine InfoNet Board Meetings, March 28, 2007
- Date: March 28, 2007
- Location: Maine State Library Conference Room
- Time: 1:30 – 3:30
- Next Meeting: April 19, 2007, 1:30 p.m. Maine State Library
Members present: John McManus, Director Millinocket Public Library (via ATM, Bangor Public Library); Sue Jagels, Eastern Maine Medical Center Health Science Library Director; Barbara McDade, Director, Bangor Public Library; Clem Guthro, Director Miller Library, Colby College; Joyce Rumery, Dean of Libraries at UM; Karl Beiser, InfoNet CEO; Gary Nichols, Maine State Librarian; Elizabeth Reisz, Library Supervisor York School Department; Steve Podgajny Director, Portland Public Library Linda Lord (non member – recording secretary)
Members Absent: David Nutty, Director of Libraries at USM; Ralph Caruso, CIO University of Maine System; Judy Frost, CMCC; Richard Thompson, CIO for the State of Maine;
1. The Board first order of business was to express sympathy to David Nutty who is vacationing in the south of France undoubtedly trying to enjoy French food and wines.
2. Minutes from the February 21, 2007 meeting were unanimously approved after a motion from Gary which was seconded by Joyce.
3. CEO Report - Secretary’s additions from the meeting are in italics in parentheses.)
Report to the Maine Info Net Board - Karl Beiser, Executive Director
Staff
- Ellen Conway of Falmouth has begun working as a part-time cataloging consultant. She will work approximately 12 hrs/wk and Bonnie Collins will continue in the role but for only 8 hrs a week. They will divide responsibilities with Bonnie focusing on training and Ellen on defining and implementing data fixes, monitoring current cataloging, responding to specific questions about cataloging and database maintenance practices, etc.
Pilots
- Google Scholar – I have been working with it on the test page. (This has been working but oddly. It depends on what server one goes in through. Karl is working on resolving this.).
- Expresso will be up soon, running on an ITS virtual server.
- Google Books Lashup: Awaiting news on when the promised MaineCat data export functionality will be made available by Innovative.
Current Services
- Minerva Relations
- Jon Forest and I met with Cora Damon (Maine General Hospital) and Sarah Sugden (Waterville PL) of the Minerva Planning Cmte on March 27. We reviewed drafts of several documents that reflect Committee thinking about a new process for bringing libraries into Minerva. By midweek next week we will have exchanged suggestions for modification.
- It is anticipated that these documents, along with a Memorandum of Understanding between the Minerva libraries and the Maine State Library / Maine Info Net will be ready for review by the full Minerva Users Council in May. If approved, the moratorium on new libraries would be removed under this new set of understandings and procedures.
- Minerva Authority Processing
- Reload of bib records should be done by this weekend, and all authority records loaded by the end of next week. It is a long process due to daily limits on the number of records that can be loaded.
- The new Overnight Authorities and Headings Notifications services will begin operating shortly after the conclusion of loading.
- We will also work to define headings management procedures for use in concert with the new authority file structure and the batch processes that will take care of most of the maintenance of that structure. (Debbie and Jon are working on this.)
(Clem asked what difference this will make to MaineCat. Response: Master records sent to MaineCat from Minerva will reflect these changes. Reloading will not propagate the changes.)
- SOLAR 2.0 re-launch has been slowed by other tasks, but is still in the pipeline
- Resource Records from LC are fully loaded.
- Load profiles for incoming records have been and continue to be tested with several small loads
- Introduction of SOLAR Express
- Need to discuss one last time with ARRC contacts
- Download, install and go approach
- The URSUS hardware upgrade and migration to a Intel / Linux server platform and implementation of enterprise disk-based backup system went well.
- Minerva will be making a similar migration in June.
(The MaineCat server and Solar will be moved in this direction in the near future.)
PR & Marketing
- The brochures have all been stamped with the Maine InfoNet URL and are at MSL. We have decided to send them to all libraries.
- I propose to distribute them in these quantities:
- 100+ Libraries on the delivery service (mostly the largest, most active libraries in Maine, including all academic libraries, large publics): 100 each (10,000) (Jenny Melville at NMLD office will do this.)
- 512 Elementary schools: 20 each (10,240) (Cheryl and David at MSL will take care of this mailing and the following ones.)
- 103 Middle / junior high schools: 20 each (2,060)
- 531 Other public, special and high school libraries: 50 each (14,000)
- This leaves 1200 for distribution on request
- Will send to delivery service sites first
4. Board Committees
- Maine InfoNet Board Finance Committee
- March 26, 2007 – 12 noon
- Members Present: Karl Beiser, Sue Jagels, Richard Thompson
Maine InfoNet Board Finance Committee Charge, Discussion, Action
| Committee Charge |
Discussion |
Action |
| Monitor financial status |
Karl provided the committee with the following summary documents:
- UMS budget 2007
- MSL budget 2007
- Digital Library Budget (July 2007 modif. 8/9/07)
- InfoNet Finances (3/26/07
|
Karl will provide Maine InfoNet Board members with the same documents |
| Budget plan for upcoming fiscal year |
Fiscal year of both UMS and MSL are July to June |
|
| Capture what we have today |
Karl reported on rescheduling of charges for iii MaineCat support which will push some payments into the next FY. Also some surplus from Walk In Wireless. This should put Maine InfoNet in the black for this FY. |
|
| What to accomplish for the balance of the FY |
|
|
| Project what we would like to spend |
Dependent on pilot program
(Google Scholar Article Linker) |
|
| Assess where appropriations will come from |
|
|
| Suggest/peruse grants |
If above is successful, seek grant. Dilemma is to seek funding for project that is sustainable.
Karl reported on Emerging Libraries Conference. NSF announcement about cyber infrastructure, distributed approach to digital storage |
|
- The Finance Committee report (see above) was presented following a telephone conference call among members. Steve Podgajny will join this committee. Are there projected budget needs for 2008-2009? Karl responded, not yet, but he will work on a capital needs projection.
- Resource sharing committee; Clem is waiting for a CDD representative.
- Delivery service: There are two contracts for this service, one with the Maine State Library and one with the University System. The contract with MSL is up at the end of June 2007. (MSL bills URSUS.)
- The explosion of interlibrary loan among public libraries has overwhelmed delivery drivers, and most of the current vans/cars are too small. ILL among academic libraries has plateaued. They have billing issues but not delivery issues. Are there any other delivery service options? No, because others do not cover the entire state. Dean Corner (MSL) has compiled information for a delivery survey but Karl has not had time to study this. Clem reported that Colby studied DHL, FedEx and other delivery systems. None could provide what Colby needs. Gary reported that public libraries complain because deliveries can’t be tailored to their specific needs week by week, monthly, or season by season.
- E-Resources: Submit names of potential committee members to David. Each Board member should make certain his or her committee is presented on this committee.
5. Legislative Update: Gary updated the Board on the Governor’s Bond issue ($2 million is allocated for New Century grants) This will be in the portion of the bond voted on in November 2007. LD 793 would provide 2.8 m for each of two years for increased database licensing, delivery system funding support, digitization and collection development. A fact sheet regarding this bill was distributed to members. Gary also referred to LD 1413 (tax reform bill) and LD 2012 regarding a Civil War Sesquicentennial in 2012. The Joint Legislative Committee will be meeting on Friday, March 30. Clem pointed out that grants for digitizing would/could relate to this commemoration. Maine/s contribution to the civil was unique and particularly noteworthy.
6. Other: The Minerva Memorandum of Understanding was distributed. The next meeting of the executive board is May 16. The InfoNet Board needs to decide whether or not to sign this. Steve Podgajny asked who produced this document. Response: the Minerva Executive Board and is planning committee. The catalyst was the NELINET InfoNet report of several years ago.
- Gary announced with great regret that Karl Beiser is retiring effective at the end of May, 2007. The Board praised Karl for the work he has done and the manner in which he has done it.
- What are the steps to get a new CEO? Gary and Joyce will talk to the new chancellor of UMS. A search committee will be established.
- In his remaining weeks Karl will focus on budget, staff training, memorializing the history of InfoNet and listing the projects each staff member is working on and the progress on each.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Lord, Recording Secretary
