Metropolitan Library Service Agency

Advisory Board Meeting Minutes

Friday, July 12, 2013

RH Stafford Library

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Members Present:

Anoka: Marlene Moulton Janssen / Ramsey: Susan Nemitz
Carver: Nick Dimassis / Saint Paul:
Dakota: Ken Behringer / Scott: Cindy Purser
Hennepin: Bill Rodgers / Washington: Pat Conley

Staff Present: Chris Olson, and Judy Todd

Others Present: Joyce Schneider (WCL) and Valerie Horton, Director, Minitex

I. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Dimassis called the meeting to order at 9:10 am.

Valerie Horton, Minitex Director, spoke to the Advisory Board during the first hour. Horton is also the co-editor of Collaborative Librarianship, a new journal which is only five years old and recently achieved 250,000 downloads.

Horton spent the hour explaining how Minitex serves the library communities of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, along with some cooperation with Wisconsin.

One of the newer programs is the Minnesota Digital Library which has one collection – Minnesota Reflections – that has been funded through both LSTA and Legacy funds. There are 135,000 items currently in the collection and there will be 160 contributing organizations by the end of 2013. Minitex will provide training to help libraries to identify and select what items would be good candidates to be digitized. They will also do the digitization, store the items and give back the libraries a master copy.

II. Directors’ Discussion Concerning Speaker’s Presentation

No additional discussion.

III. CONSENT AGENDA

A. Approval of Agenda

B. Approval of Meeting Minutes (June 14, 2013)

Motion by Nemitz to approve the Consent Agenda. Second by Rodgers. Motion carried.

IV. DISCUSSION / ACTION ITEMS

A.  New Learning Agenda Focus (Olson)

Olson gave a brief outline of four potential projects to be considered for a focus on a new learning agenda initiative..

·  Naperville Public Library – Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

·  Denver Public Library – Fresh City Life

·  Las Vegas – Clark County Library – Life Skills: 101

·  California – Digital Literacy State Campaign – icalifornia

After discussing the qualities of each project, the Advisory Board decided e government and benchmarks (The Edge) would be appropriate projects. A survey in the libraries for a week to find out how computers are being used was suggested as a tool to be used during the first year of the project.

The Advisory Board charged the new group to:

·  First assess the ways in which libraries are currently involved in providing e-government services to residences and the way those services are likely to change in the future so that the libraries can be prepared to integrate them anywhere into the service patterns.

·  Promote these services to the general public and to our funding bodies.

·  Identify best practices so we can learn from each other.

·  Help citizens use government resources efficiently.

·  Provide staff training to include evaluation.

·  Recommend collaborative projects.

Nemitz and Conley will serve as Advisory Board liaisons to the new group. The Board will forward the names of new members to the MELSA office.

B.  MLA / MEMO Legislative Forum (Olson)

Olson has asked Peg Werner and Kit Hadley to discuss the broadband issue and decide whether to bring the topic before the Legislative Forum.

Conley reported she will ask for reinstatement of the Homework Help service. She would also like to discuss e-filing and wants the courts and the legislature to become aware as they move to non-print that there is a burden placed on the libraries and libraries should be compensated or recognized.

C.  MELSA Shared Patron Database (Olson)

Nemitz updated the Advisory Board on the local resident who was abusing library privileges. A pawn shop database showed numerous items from the Ramsey, Saint Paul Public, Dakota and Anoka libraries which have now been returned to the libraries.

After a lengthy discussion, the Advisory Board decided WCL and DCL would investigate a pilot project for a shared patron database between the two library systems. The vendor would build a common patron database that meets the data security practices that are currently involved in statute and a tracking system that leaves a trail that can be reported for every time a card is accessed by standards. Behringer and Conley will update the Advisory Board during the August meeting.

D.  Other

Olson will talk with the regional library directors to see if they have an interest in joining him along with Thompson, Hadley and Behringer for a meeting with the Commissioner of Education to discuss the position of the State Librarian.

V. OTHER REPORTS

A. Board of Trustees’ June Meeting (Nemitz)

No report given.

B. Executive Director’s Report (Olson)

No additional report given.

i.  E-Book Subgroup Update

3M will be ready to test the product in August.

ii.  RLTA Reimbursement Update

Olson explained the recommendation made by MELSA and approved by the Advisory Board during the last meeting would not benefit all libraries. Therefore, MELSA staff will bring forward another recommendation before the September board meeting.

C. Other Staff, Team and MELSA Group Updates

None.

X. ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 12:25 pm.