Minutes of the Regional Council held at

Great Moor House, Exeter on Thursday 19thMarch 2009

The meeting commenced with an update on Cyprus Well,the newly named SW Literature Development Agency, by guest speaker, Alex Cluness. Recruitment of trustees for this new charity will be held in April/May and there will be an open evening for successful candidates in May. SWRLS has agreed that it will become a strategic partner and will encourage members to apply to become trustees.Interested persons should email A copy of the presentation is available on the SWRLS website.

Present:

Rob Froud (Chairman and Somerset), Antonia Leak (Arts Institute in Bournemouth) Alasdair MacNaughtan (Treasurer and Plymouth), Jean Bradford (Vice Chair and University of Bristol), Andy Brisley (North Somerset), Rosemary Lazzard (Wiltshire), Geraint Hughes (Devon), Gera Bodey (Bournemouth), Ann Heppell (Devon), Liz Kent (Torbay), Jackie Chelin (UWE, Bristol), Lesley Castens (DCMT, Cranfield University),Martin Burton (Secretary and South Gloucestershire), Doreen Pinfold (University College of Falmouth), Ellen Buck (University College of Falmouth).Lynn Osborne (Director).

  1. Apologies: Alison Baud (Bath Spa University), Allyson Jordan (Swindon), Andy Hobbs (Somerset College of Arts and Technology),Anne Mathie (Gloucester University), Carolyn Date (Bournemouth), David Ball (Bournemouth University, Geoff Langridge (Wiltshire), Kate Davenport (Bristol), Jean Hillier (New College, Swindon), John Lane (Poole), Maggie Falla (Guernsey),Melanie Maloney (Basingstoke College of Technology, Paul Leivers (Dorset), Rosemary Peden (Bournemouth and Poole College), Steve Alston (University of Bath) ,Tracy Long (Dorset),
  1. Minutes

The minutes of the Regional Council AGM 16th October 2008 were agreed as a correct record.

  1. Matters arising

None

  1. Financial Report
  2. 2008/9 budget Alasdair MacNaughtan spoke to the current state of the budget. It was forecast to end the year with a small deficit of £4.7k, which had been the aim so that reserves would begin to be used.
  3. 2009/10 budget Alasdair tabled the draft budget for 2009/10 (copy attached separately) which shows an overall increase of £3.5k. This is due almost entirely to the £3.18k regional contribution to be made to Share the Vision (STV), a not for profit company which provides support to those libraries who offer a service to visually impaired people. This expenditure will however be offset by pro rata income raised from public library authorities. The remaining increase is in the salary related lines. The individual subscription rates for each authority and £158 for HE and £53 for FE, were proposed by Alasdair Macnaughtan and seconded by Andy Brisley. All agreed
  4. FE College new member incentive: A discussion about encouraging new members to join SWRLS concluded that it was worth offering a “subscribe for the first year, get the second year free” to FE colleges. This would allow time for the benefits of membership to be appreciated. ACTION: Lynn Osborne to contact prospective new members with this offer.
  5. Independent Examiners: Ann Heppell proposed that Francis Clarke be re-appointed All Agreed
  1. Strategic Plan

The latest version of the draft plan was discussed. It was agreed that this would be an organic document so would evolve over time. Lynn Osborne asked members whether any of the action points should have priority and it was agreed that those that bring added value to members services, such as WorldCat Local regional union catalogue work should have top priority. It was also suggested that the outcome/benefits column be broadened to include impact of action on users. ACTIONS: Lynn Osborne to add impact notes to the version on the website, to align her work plan to the strategic plan and report on progress at future meetings.

  1. MLA and SW Cultural Sector

Rob Froud reported on the meeting held in Bridgwater the previous week. This meeting had discussed the future working arrangements and structures of the different programme boards. The updated action plan had not yet been issued and a further meeting to discuss the Local Authority Advisory Board structure and terms of reference will be held in Bristol on 24th April.

Jon Finch, the SW and West Midlands MLA Director of Engagement and the new regional worker will be invited to the SWRLS AGM. ACTION: All to provide DCMS with any evidence of how libraries are supporting people/ organisations in the recession.

  1. OCLC UnityUK and WorldCat update

Rob Froud referred to the Business plan which had been tabled at the Extraordinary Meeting on 28th January 2009 and where it had been agreed that the move to WorldCat Local would be supported. SWRLS will pay the implementation set up costs for each public library authority as they sign up and the authority will pay a discounted annual subscription which is held for five years (plus inflation). Authorities have five years in which to signup to benefit from the implementation charge payment and a five year fixed annual rate fee and their five year contract will commence from the sign up date. 10 authorities have already agreed to sign up from 2009/10 and implementation is expected from the autumn onwards. The procurement process has been cleared by Somerset CC on behalf of all members. The position for HE and FE members is that OCLC have only offered a one year discount fee so far.

ACTIONS: Existing Wisdom subscribers should now give notice to Axiell to end their contract at the end of June.Rob Froud and Lynn Osborne to liaise with OCLC on the implementation timetable and contract issues. Lynn Osborne to send Jackie Chelin the details of HE costs.

  1. Director’s Report

Separate link to be attached when distributed.

  1. AOB
  2. Fil Conference 2009 - 2 sponsored places would be offered to members, one for public library and one for academic librarystaff.
  3. Bank account signatories- Ann Heppell proposed that in future chequesissued from the RBS under £5k should be signed by one Trustee and over £5k by 2 Trustees to speed up the payment process. She pointed out that Devon County Council finance staff always checks the invoices first and that most invoices are low risk because they are for known and agreed content. All Agreed.
  1. Date and venue of next meeting

AGM 15th October, venue to be arranged.

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