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Home > About InfoNet > Board > Meetings > May 23, 2007

Maine InfoNet Board Meetings, May 23, 2007

  • Date: May 23, 2007
  • Location: Maine State Library Conference Room
  • Time: 1:30 – 3:30
  • Next Meeting: June 13, 2007, 1:30 p.m. Maine State Library, following meetings July 18 and August 15, 2007.

Members Present; Judy Frost, CMCC; David Nutty – Director of Libraries at USM; Barbara McDade, Director, Bangor Public Library; Steve Podgajny Director, Portland Public Library; Clem Guthro, Director Miller Library, Colby College;; Karl Beiser, InfoNet CEO; Richard Thompson, CIO for the State of Maine; Gary Nichols, Maine State Librarian; Joyce Rumery, Dean of Libraries at UM Linda Lord (non member – recording secretary).

Members Absent: Ralph Caruso, CIO University of Maine System; Elizabeth Reisz, Library Supervisor York School Department; John McManus, Director Millinocket Public Library; Sue Jagels, Eastern Maine Medical Center Health Science Library Director;

Minutes

April minutes not available.

Minerva MOU

The final Minerva MOU was distributed to the Board.  Gary Nichols thanked Judy Frost and Betsy Pohl for their extensive work on this document. The Minerva Executive Board has unanimously voted to accept this MOU.  Karl Beiser and Judy Frost reviewed the process used to develop the MOU as follows:

  1. MOU needed to answer questions about the role of Minerva members
  2. The State of Maine owns the contract with Triple III
  3. What can Minerva users do as an organization?
  4. The Linda Bills’ report highlighted major issues such as who has governance over Minerva? Who is responsible for staffing? Who can make decisions for MINERVA libraries?
  5. Arnold Hirshon led a two day meeting with the Minerva executive board (??) and the Board then started working on the MOU.  It tries to eliminate confusion between the OPAC, the system used, and the group using Minerva (the users’ council) are all called Minerva. Karl stated that Minerva is a group that shares a single, integrated library system. They want control of internal policies that don’t impact others outside the Minerva group.
    1. The Minerva users council want to control the growth of the system including what libraries are brought in, the rate of speed with which they are brought in and what needs to be in play.  Systems-wide cataloging standards are critical.
    2. There is an appeals process for libraries not satisfied with a Minerva Users’ Group decision:
      1. Appeal to the Minerva Executive Committee
      2. Appeal to the Users’ Council
      3. Appeal to the Maine InfoNet Board
  1. David Nutty asked about Paragraph 4 and what the “additional services” referred to might be. Karl said these might include hiring a consultant or buying databases for Minerva libraries.
  2. Two critical issues facing the Minerva Council are how to add staff for more support and how to manage Minerva funds. The funds will be transferred out of the State Library. No decision will be made about where the funds will be transferred until the MOU is signed by all parties.  Steve P. asked how new staff would be handled financially. Karl replied that $20,000 - $30,000 is normally left over from fees after all invoices have been paid.  This is not enough to hire a new staff person. 

Clem G moved and Joyce R seconded that the Maine InfoNet Board accept the MOU as presented.  The Board voted unanimously to do so.

Discussion with Jim Breece, Vice Chancellor for Student and Academic Affairs, and new MOU between MLS, UMO and Board

J. Breece has spoken individually to Joyce R, Gary N, and David N about communication (or the lack thereof) between his office and the InfoNet Board.  He would like a new MOU between the Board and the University System that formalizes and redefines his relationship to the Board and that clarifies communications and reporting requirements and relationships.  The Vice Chancellor would like to attend one InfoNet Board meeting annually and receive an annual report from the Board.  The Maine State Library would like to see InfoNet considered an integral part (i.e. as direct support) for the Chancellor and to keep the InfoNet CEO’s office in the UMS office. Joyce believes that adding just a few words to the MOU will address J. Breece’s need for reporting and his relationship to the Board. The MOU also needs to include that Joyce and Gary will do the CEO performance review. The UM Provost has assured Joyce there will be space on campus for the CEO – probably in Neville Hall.  However, the InfoNet CEO will remain at the University Systems office level. The governance section of the MOU also needs revising.  David Nutty encourages checks and balances in the MOU.  Joyce needs money shifted from the Systems’ Office to the automation account.

Legislative Update

Gary reported on Senator Edmond’s LD 793 hearing before the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the excellent testimony from “citizens”, a businessman, a graduate student, a library director and the Secretary of State.  Passage of this LD would provide funding for two Minerva staff; public library collection development; MARVEL resources, digitization of material, and van delivery.

$200,000 will be on the November Bond for MARVEL data bases. ($100,000 in 2008 and again in 2009)

LD 1876 related to funding for the Cultural Building Task Force has “run into a wall” because of its fiscal note.  The State and Local Government Committee wants to leave it up to the Task Force to raise $100,000 for a building study and come back to them in 2010.  The Task Force may be restructured. The Secretary of State and BGS have had large roles in this process.

CEO report and transition issues

Karl began his comments with “there’s a certain inevitability to the calendar” as this is his last Board meeting.  Jon Forest, Jonathan Williams, and Deb Hensler attended a Triple I conference in San Jose, CA.  Ellen Conway is sharing cataloging instruction with Bonnie Collins.  Karl has been preparing notes for Barbara McDade and Jon and Deborah.  Solar has had problems in the past month.  The issues have been identified and solved with a new disc controller and motherboard.  A question was asked about server warrantees. There is no documentation or warrantees for the HP servers.  If these weren’t covered by warrantees, does the Board want to purchase that or go a la carte depending on the next migration?  URSUS and Solar will be moved to a Lynx server soon. The Minerva server will be moved to Linux from Alpha in June.  It is possible to move Minerva to a virtual server and if that works well, URSUS and Solar can also be moved to a virtual server.  UNET has a huge server (linux) that can be divided up so to the outside world it will look and work like separate servers.  InfoNet will be moving from a server to a commodity if we go this route.  There would be a monthly fee to ITS rather than a fee up front and then a maintenance fee. Joyce inquired about problems with viruses in virtual servers as opposed to a discrete server. 

Tim Pellet set up EBSCO host for University sites but MARVEL is not there yet.  Tim is working a Google Scholar Project.  Jonathan’s Espresso project is now called GoGetIt.  It may not be spectacular but it works and fairly quickly.  Facet points have been added so users can define their research.  GoGETIt searches OPAC data and digital collections data.  It not a federated search engine but it’s a path that we might want to pursue in the future.

Joyce has not heard anything regarding Innovative contracts.

Welcome Interim CEO Effective June 1: Thoughts, comments, goals

Barbara will be in the Bangor Public Library director’s office one day a week.  She will be in the InfoNet CEO Office “hidden” in the basement of BPL four days a week.

Search Process of CEO; Job Description Review; advertising strategy and timelines

David passed out the ad and job description used last year.  The job description needs a broad review.  David will interview all InfoNet staffers about their perceptions regarding the CEO job description in the next week or two.  The Board will serve as the committee of the whole for the search.  Joyce will chair the Search Committee (will be on vacation from June 22 to the 3d week in July).  Applications can go to Fogler in her absence; Mary Cady will copy them and get them out to Board members.  Joyce asked for a co-chair to help with organizing the process and making sure it moves along quickly. Clem Guthro volunteered.    Gary believes the ad can go out almost immediately.  It does need to be run by Mr. Breece first.  Joyce will do this a.s.a.p.  Corrections in the ad copy were given to Joyce.  David stated that the committee will “plow ahead” on getting a new CEO even if all Board members can’t be present.

Committee Reports

  • Finance Committee – no report – Question:  Are we hiring a student assistant next year?  Response: Undetermined.  Marilyn Lutz is updating quotes for capital equipment.
  • Resource Sharing Committee – CBB member has been added.
  • E-Resources Committee – CBB member added.

The Board passed a resolution of thanks to Karl Beiser as the First CEO of Maine InfoNet.

After a round of applause the Board wished him well and told him not to be a stranger.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Lord
Recording Secretary