Connecticut Library Association-Executive Board Meeting

Essex Library Association

June 6, 2013

  1. Call to Order: Carl DeMilia called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m.
  2. Board introductions: None
  3. Approval of Minutes of April 4, 2013: Peter Ciparelli moved the minutes should be accepted, Mike Spellmon seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
  4. Old Business
  5. President’s Report
  6. Carl DeMilia said he has enjoyed his year as CLA President and thanked the Board Members for their help and support. He thanked the Legislative Committee Chairs, Carl Antonucci and Jay Johnston and Lobbyist, Bobbie Shea for their hard work promoting and fighting for library issues in Hartford. Carl also thanked the Editorial Committee Chairs, Doug Lord and Jennifer Datum for the excellent work on the website and newsletter.
  7. Vice-President/President-Elect’s Report
  8. Richard Conroy said he has heard from some of the Standing Committee Chairs as to whether they are continuing or not but still needs to hear from the rest so replacements can be appointed if necessary before the new Board year starts.
  9. Due to scheduling conflicts, the August Board Meeting/Retreat will take place next month on July 11th at the Middletown Library Service Center.
  10. The Connecticut Leadership Institute will be held August 9th at the University of Hartford.
  11. Treasurer’s Report
  12. Christina Baum reviewed the profit/loss statement for the period ending May 31st. She noted the Conference Income was $46,058.92 way ahead of the projected $21,127.00 in part because expenses came in $26,000.00 less than projected.
  13. Membership dues are down for the year and it appeared more people opted to pay the non-member rate for the Conference rather than renew their memberships this year.
  14. Section Chairs need to submit their completed budget forms to Christina by July 1st. Forms can be found on the CLA Website.
  15. Secretary’s Report
  16. Beth Crowley said she is ending her two-year term as Secretary and thanked the Board for their support.
  17. Out-going Board Members need to forward the names and contact information of their replacements to Michele Martin, incoming Secretary, so she can update the Board list. Board Members should remind their replacements that they need to be current individual membersin good standing of CLA.
  18. Conference 2013 Wrap Up
  19. Ben Shum said the Conference went well with a total of 751 people attending. He thanked the sections for all their hard work in putting together a great slate of programs.
  20. Incoming Conference Chairs, Chris Angeli and Jason Neely, announced the 2014 Conference will again be held in Cromwell on April 28th and 29th. The feedback from the 2013 Conference was overwhelmingly positive and they are working to incorporate some of the suggestions of areas that could be improved.
  21. David Boudinot said he will continue as Exhibits Chair and reported the comments from the vendors this year were positive and many are interested in returning next year.
  22. Long-Term Insurance Update
  23. Cindy Schofield said an email went out regarding the availability of long-term insurance through CLA. The information is also posted on the CLA website and there have been a few sign-ups already.
  24. Membership Committee Update
  25. Cindy Schofield said she has been working with Jennifer Keohane and Jennifer Datum to clean-up the membership section of StarChapter but there is still room for improvement in terms of the membership categories.
  26. Cindy requested the Trustee dues category on the website be changed from $30 to $35 to reflect the amount listed in StarChapter. The request was approved.
  27. Cindy then presented the changes the committee is recommending (see attached) to the membership categories and made the following motion:

“Whereas, a review of the current membership structure has revealed underused membership categories, and Whereas, there have been numerous requests from the general membership for additional categories and changes in membership benefits, Therefore, the Membership Committee proposes changes to the member categories that include the addition of ALA joint membership categories, the addition of member discounts to the institutional categories, new honorary categories and the elimination of underutilized categories as outlined in the attached document. Furthermore the membership proposes a full vote of the CLA membership via electronic vote to be completed before August 30, 2013.

Carl Demilia seconded the motion. Discussion followed. Richard Conroy moved the motion be amended to remove the State Librarian and President of CLA from the Honorary Membership category and replace them with the Presidents of the Friends of Connecticut Libraries and the Association of Connecticut Library Boards. Sheri Szymanski seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

  1. New Business
  2. StarChapter and Voting
  3. Steve Cauffman said he assists the Past President each year with the voting for new officers. He has noticed some problems with incomplete or outdated information in StarChapter, such as a name and no other information or a lack of a currentemail address which means they won’t receive the survey. Another problem is incorrect or no listing of the region the person works in which is required for voting for Region Representatives. Discussion followed regarding ways to clean up the database including asking members to verify their information each time they renew and making certain fields required. It was also agreed that more information to CLA members and Board Members would be helpful. Jennifer Keohane said she is working on informational documents about StarChapterand suggested including short training sessions on various topics at the end of each Board Meeting for the first few months.
  4. Passing the Gavel
  5. Following New Business, Carl DeMilia passed the gavel to President-Elect, Richard Conroy.
  6. Reports
  7. Archivist
  8. Gerald Seagrave read a headline from an article he discovered in the archives regarding librarians meeting in East Hartford on June 9, 1913.
  9. CLC
  10. Jennifer thanked the Board for their help, support and open communication during her first year as Director of CLC. She said it is privilege for CLC to represent CLA.
  11. There is a closet at CLC that contains CLA documents that need to be organized. Jennifer said they are trying to find a library school intern to help with the project but if anyone knows someone who might be interested please let her know.
  12. CLC’s 10th Anniversary Party and Annual Meeting washeld on Thursday, May 16th at the Eli Whitney Museum. It was a fun evening and they received great feedback.
  13. Bus transportation and discount on registration was provided for BEA attendees. BEA is doing a better job catering to librarians.
  14. Membership dues are going out and are not changing. CLC is tracking each library’s savings and is willing to work with individual libraries to see how they can possibly save them even more money.
  15. Book Bid is going out July 1st and the award will be publicized soon.
  16. The Marketing Roundtable will meet in the summer. Roundtables are member-driven so if anyone has an idea for a new roundtable contact Leah at CLC.
  17. CLC is working with the Universal Healthcare Foundation to provide training opportunities for librarians on the Affordable Care Act.
  18. CLC would like to keep a connection with librarians who have retired and they are embarking on a special project to do so. Please send any names of librarians CLC should reach out to.
  19. Connecticut State Library
  20. Ken Wiggin attended the ALA Library Legislative Day on May 8th and was able to meet with 6 out of 7 Representatives. Representative Esty said she had been contacted by publishers in regards to the ebook bill but it was agreed this is a local issue. Ken also met with the White House Domestic Policy Council to discuss how libraries can meet the needs of immigrants.
  21. Webjunction is being discontinued and the content is being moved to the State Library website. Webjunction is too expensive for the amount of use it received.
  22. Moving iConn to Ebsco is going well. If anyone has any questions regarding Gale Products please call Bill Sullivan.
  23. The Governor and approximately 120 kids attended the Summer Reading Kickoff.
  24. The CSL will be working with libraries who wish to digitize their newspaper collections.
  25. 19 libraries in Connecticut will be piloting the Edge Initiative.
  26. Customer Service Committee
  27. Brandie Doyle said they held a program on Proactive Communication on June 4th with 19 attending. They are holding another program called “Improving Customer Service: What To Do When Things Go Wrong” at the Clinton Library on June 11th that is full.
  28. Editorial
  29. Jennifer Datum said the next CLA Today Newsletter will be out June 17th and will be a conference wrap-up.
  30. Legislative
  31. Jay Johnston passed out the Legislative Report listing the Committee’s accomplishments for the year (see attached.)
  32. A Legislative Summit will be held at the Barney Branch of the Farmington Library on Tuesday, July 30 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. This summit will call together the key people who lobbied successfully during this legislative session.
  33. After reviewing his performance, the Committee recommends a $2,000 increase to CLA Lobbyist Bobby Shea’s fee.
  34. Membership
  35. Cindy Schofield said there is a CLA Meet-Up scheduled for July 20th at Holmberg Orchards in Gales Ferry. Information is on the CLA Facebook page.
  36. NELA
  37. Dana Tonkonow said the NELA Annual Conference will be held October 20-22 in Portland, Maine.
  38. There has been a strong application pool from Connecticut for the upcoming New England Library Leadership Symposium.
  39. PEG
  40. Peter Ciparelli reminded everyone PEG will help NELLS attendees with their tuition costs.
  41. Procedures
  42. Mary Etter said it has been a good year with lots of good questions from Board Members. There doesn’t have to be a vote to approve the new CLA President to sign checks.
  43. Public Libraries
  44. Barbara Bailey said Sally Tornow is taking over as Chair of the Public Libraries Committee.
  45. Young Adult
  46. Linda Williams said Kristie Sadowskiand Bailey Ortiz will be replacing her and Katie Fargo as Co-Chairs of the YA Section.
  47. Region 2 – Marjorie Ruschau
  48. Several libraries in the region hosted authors Robert Steele and Denis Horgan
  49. Avon Public Library – added Zinio
  50. Berlin Peck Library – hosting a fossil-making class for kids
  51. East Hartford Public Library – the main library will be relocating to the Cultural Center this summer or early fall for about 2 years while a new addition is built.
  52. Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill – sponsored a Strawberry Fields Beatlemania program in May
  53. Gideon Welles Library, Glastonbury – their Friends raised $23,041 at their May book sale.
  54. Hartford Public Library – Received the Library Aware Award for Community Service Wednesday night, one of 3 libraries in North America to be singled out.Teamed with WNPR and CT New Project with the support of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, have launched the Community Information Hub for the Capital Region to increase opportunities for people to have their voices heard on issues affecting them and their communities.
  55. New Britain Public Library – held an open mic poetry program for those 16 and up.
  56. Lucy Robbins Welles Library, Newington – Pajama yoga program for kids one night in May. Cookbook club for kids in grades 3-6 where they mix the ingredients, then take the dough home to bake cookies.Starting a garden club for adults and kids who will help run the library garden.
  57. Plainville Library – holding program on growing bamboo
  58. Simsbury Public Library – is now offering Freading eBooks
  59. Southington Library – closed for a day for staff development
  60. Kent Memorial Library in Suffield – added Freegal music downloading
  61. West Hartford Public Library -- In the Hartford Magazine’s “Best of Hartford” library category – West Hartford scored as the #1 library in the area. ALA president Maureen Sullivan also mentioned it on WNPR’s “Where We Live” as a library addressing the many languages spoken in town. Also on WNPR, Colin McEnroe mentioned it on his show for their Indieflix collection. Its Faxon Library branch hosted a Coffee Talk program where residents could meet and talk with town officials.The library’s chef series, Cooks & Books, recently won first place in the profile talk show category of the Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region Video Festival. The show was a collaborative effort with WHC-TV and program host/editor Sara Conner. The publicity poster for Cooks & Books series also won the “Best Library Poster of the Year” award at our annual conference.
  62. Wethersfield Public Library – hosted author Mary-Ann Tirone Smith in May and will host Gina Barreca in June as a kick-off to adult summer reading program.Teamed with the local police for a talk on cyber security.
  63. Windsor Public Library – held a teen program where they competed in computer games on laptops provided by library. Has added Zinio. Asked for volunteers for a weeding and clean-up day of the library grounds.
  64. Windsor Locks Public Library –hosted a local chef in May
  65. Region 3 – Peter Ciparelli
  66. Mansfield Public Library – June is “Food for Fines” month. Each can/box of food will forgive $1.00 in fines.
  67. Quiet Corner Reads – We are moving forward with our featured author Archer Mayor and his work, Tag Man. Book discussions are being held now in all of the participating libraries. We are gearing up for the finale on Tuesday, June 18th at the Pomfret School where we will share light snacks and hear Archer Mayor discuss Joe Gunther and the rest of his characters from Vermont. Tickets are $15.00.
  68. Thompson Public Library – is featuring “Drive-In Summer Movies@The Library” on Fridays at noon through August.
  69. Tolland Public Library –Their expansion project is moving forward to a public hearing on June 11th.
  70. Saxton B. Little Library – Su Epstein announces long-time adult services librarian, Carol Kubala, will be retiring this September.
  71. Region 4 – Sheri Szymanski
  72. Bethel Library has reopened after a renovation that involved moving all library collections. They are thrilled to be occupying a 2nd floor space that has been underutilized.
  73. Stratford Library is welcoming historical romance author, Eloisa James this Saturday at 11. Eloisa is the daughter of poet, Robert Bly and she is a Professor of Shakespearian literature at Fordham University. She appeared on WTNH’s Connecticut Style to promote this event.
  74. Ferguson Library is hosting a Civility in America series featuring former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent on 6/11 and Texas Governor Rick Perry on 6/17.
  75. Wilton Library is hosting author and 1980's film star Andrew McCarthy tonight. Known for his roles in Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire, McCarthy is now a travel writer and author of The Longest Way Home.
  76. Region 5 – Chris Angeli
  77. Shelton Library - Shawn Fields, Director of the Huntington Branch Library, has been appointed as the new Director of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library in Newtown, effective July.
  78. Henry Carter Hull, Clinton -Lynn Hidek, the HCH children's librarian for the past 27 years, retired in April. Lynn received the Faith Hektoen Career Achievement Award given by the Children's Section of CLA at the 2013 conference. Kara Gilbert has been appointed as the new Children's Librarian. Kara is from the Pittsburg area and has a strong background in early childhood education as well as her MLS. The Henry Carter Hull will be going live with Koha via ByWater Solutions in the middle of June. Staff training is happening now and everyone is thrilled with its capabilities.
  79. Essex Library -On April 27th the Essex Library held a “friend raiser” event on the Library’s grounds that drew over 250 people. Entertainment included two bands, a magician and an opera singer, and food was provided by the Big Green Truck Pizza out of New Haven (which is highly recommended). There was also a small live auction. Though this wasn’t expected to be a big money raiser the event wound up bringing in over $12,000.
  80. Cromwell Belden Library, Cromwell -Words from Eileen Branciforte: “Iwould like to give a great big thank you to the Conference Committee and all who made the conference in Cromwell sucha success. My staff enjoyed the workshops, and I heard many pleasant comments about the whole experience. Kudos for finding some decent food in a very high priced scenario!”
  81. Adjournment
  82. With no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Peter Ciparelli, seconded by Ben Shum. The meeting adjourned at 12:07 p.m.

Attendees: Alison Wang, Sheri Szymanski, Ben Shum, Michele Martin, Bernadette Niedermeier, Dana Tonkonow, Gerald Seagrave, Susan Slaga, Jennifer Keohane, Arianna Schlegel, Karen Deloatch, Ed Morrissey, Marge Ruschau, Barbara Bailey, Betty Anne Reiter, Steve Cauffman, Jason Neely, Chris Angeli, Brandie Doyle, Jennifer Datum, David Boudinot, Kristi Sadowski, Linda Williams, Katie Fargo, Ed O’Hara, Peter Ciparelli, Ken Wiggin, Christy Billings, Christina Baum, Cindy Schofield, Michael Spellmon, Carl DeMilia, Richard Conroy, Beth Crowley, Jay Johnston.