June 21, 2002 -- SCLS Auditorium

Suffolk County Library Association

Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting

June 21, 2002

Location:  SCLS Blue Room

Present: E. Hayes, S. Atlas, R. Dressler, J. Olney, J. Loughren, J. Clemens, D. Bucher, P. Bornstein, A. Lehner, J. Carhart, L. Tesoriero, F. Byrne, C. Gray, K. Baudouin, C. Farrugia, G. Pepa, D. Miller, M. Fusco, S. Ketcham, S. Ingram, S. Holden, K. Minschke, E. Cichanowicz, B. Hoffman.

J. Clemens called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. 

D. Bucher reported on the White Elephant Sale fundraiser.  Della submitted a copy of the letter she would be sending to the Town of Islip, requesting to participate in the Antiques & Collectibles sale again this year.  Della thought it would probably be the third Saturday in October.  She said she would be able to print flyers at Harborfields Public Library.  Della asked those present for the loan of extra tables and shelving units for the sale.  Collection of items to sell would begin the first week of September.  All donations can be sent to Della’s attention at the Harborfields Public Library.

After reviewing the April 2002 minutes, S. Ketcham made a motion to accept them.  M. Fusco seconded the motion.  None were opposed.

TREASURER’S REPORT:  J. Loughren reported that one of the divisions had had their application for tax exempt status turned down, because their description of their services had not been specific enough.  Joe said he would ask the State agency for guidance on this.   He went over the May Financial Statement.  There was a fund balance of $18,516.44, with $1,703.50 in the Scholarship Fund, and $342 in the Intellectual Freedom Fund, for a total of $20,562.44.  J. Olney made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s report.  J. Carhart seconded it.  None were opposed.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: 

-  R. Dressler reported that half of the L.I. Ducks tickets for August 20^th were sold, and she encouraged everyone to buy tickets.  (Proceeds will go towards the Scholarship Fund.) 

-  Rona asked E. Cichanowizc about the “Writers on the Vine” series.  Edana reported that she had sold half of the available tickets so far.  She pointed out that ticket holders could be use their 20% discount at the Palmer store, even if they could not attend the event.

-  Rona thanked everyone, especially Joan Clemens, for staffing the SCLA table at the Long Island Library Conference.  She said the feedback from the surveys was positive. She reminded Board members to send in reimbursement forms for the conference by the end of June.

-  Rona thanked everyone for helping to update the SCLA Handbook, and passed copies around.  She thanked Angie Lehner for putting it together.

-   Rona reported that Sheryl Sessa of Comsewogue Public Library had volunteered to coordinate the “clearinghouse” for SCLA events which had been discussed at the previous Board meeting.  Rona asked that divisions and committees notify Sheryl of planned and proposed programs or trips.  This will eliminate duplication and encourage joint efforts.

-  Rona read aloud a letter from the President Elect of the  N.Y. Library Association, soliciting SCLA’s contribution to their capital campaign to purchase a headquarters.  After some discussion, P. Bornstein moved to contribute $100.  C. Gray seconded it.  The motion passed.

DIVISION REPORTS:

DASL:  S. Ketcham reported that their program at the L.I. Library Conference had been a huge success, attended by approximately 100 people.  DASL’s last meeting had been June 14^th at Dowling College.  The next meeting will follow the Legislative Breakfast on September 20th.  DASL’s webpage is still under construction.  Once it is ready, Sue will send an announcement via e-mail.  Future programs include:  Oct. 11^th, Information Literacy, location to be determined, and Dec. 6^th, the US Patriot Act, at NYIT at Central Islip.  DASL’s annual luncheon at the Culinary Institute will take place right after the Dec. 6^th workshop.

STATISTICAL & POLICY SURVEY COMMITTEE:  S. Atlas reported that the questionnaires had gone out the first week in May, and so far, she had gotten responses from 50% of the libraries.  They hoped to have all the needed information by the end of the summer, and to publish the results in the autumn.  S. Ketcham suggested including academic libraries in the survey.  Sandra said she would look into that possibility for next year’s survey.

RASD:  J. Carhart reported that their Executive Board had met on June 4^th and would next meet on Sept. 10^th.  The Electronic Resources Committee met on May 4^th and June 19^th.  In May, Edana Cichoanowizc had attended and discussed some new electronic products and possible changes in the Virtual Reference Collection.  A new demo page would be set up soon.  Health Concerns met on June 11^th.  They have confirmed a speaker on the topic of autism for the October annual meeting.  Diane Edelman is the new Historian for RASD.  Jo-Ann thanked Arlene Levanthal for her years of service to RASD.  The Long Island History Committee last met on May 31^st and discussed plans for celebrating Brookhaven Town’s 350^th anniversary.  The committee planned a summer outing to the East End, which would include visits to the East Hampton Library and local historical spots as well as a lecture on East End architecture by local author Alastair Gordon.  O.A.R.S. last met on June 12^th and heard a speaker from Verizon on the topic of services to people with disabilities.  Reader’s Advisory met on June 11^th.  They will meet on September 26^th to discuss “coming of age” novels.  In December, they will focus on non-fiction that reads like fiction.  The RASD annual dinner was attended by 30 people on June 6^th at the Irish Coffee Pub.   Jo-Ann said that handouts from RASD’s program at the LILC were available on their webpage. She gave a special thank you to Camille Iuliucci for helping out at the RASD table.  A L.I. Reads evaluation meeting was held on June 11^th at NLS, and another will be held on July 18^th.  Plans have begun for next year’s program.  Jo-Ann reported that RASD currently has 315 members.

CATS:  No report.

SSSD:  F. Byrne reported that their board had met on June 18^th and discussed the election process. Marie Mueller will chair the Nomination Committee.  SSSD hopes to reach out to custodial staff with some of its future programs.  The division is also looking into co-sponsoring programs with CATS, since Technical Services departments are often staffed by clerical workers. The SSSD’s request for tax exempt status was denied, but they plan on appealing the decision.  Over 60 people attended the division’s second Roundtable Discussion program on April 24^th at Longwood Public Library.  Approximately 300 people attended their program, “Handling Confrontational People and Situations,” at the LILC..  Evaluation forms were positive.  Many people stopped by the SSSD table that day, and eight new members joined.  Fran said they were very pleased with the staff of the Crest Hollow Country Club.  Unfortunately, the division’s annual dinner was cancelled, because they were unable to meet the minimum number of guests required by the restaurant.  They look forward to trying again next year.

YASD:  No report.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

ARCHIVES:  No report.

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS:  No report.

CONTINUING EDUCATION:  K. Baudouin reported that their program at the LILC went well, and that they found the Crest Hollow staff helpful.  C. Gray reported that the committee had met May 28^th.  The committee might sponsor a tour of the Health Sciences Library at SUNY Stony Brook in the future.  Sheryl Sessa has begun to receive notification of planned or possible SCLA events.    She would like to forward the information to the SCLA President and committee heads, in order to keep them informed.   Angela Modelli of LILRC requested that people follow the existing format when submitting events for the LILRC Regional Calendar page.  The committee is looking into running a program entitled “Internet Addiction” in the fall.  Peter Mastroinni of SUNY Stony Brook may run the program.   Carol asked if the committee could use SCLA funds for refreshments for the program.  After a short discussion, $25 was agreed upon as the maximum the committee would be reimbursed.  The next committee meeting will be held June 25^th.

ELSA:  G. Pepa reported that very few nominations had been received so far, and urged Board members to encourage staff members at their libraries to get nominations in soon.  In response to a question, she said that no nominations had been received from library patrons. 

FALL DINNER:  C. Guzzo reported that Marine World in Riverhead got the most votes when she surveyed members about their preference for the location of the Annual Dinner.  It will be held Friday, November 8^th.  Dinner will probably be served in a separate room, but attendees will be free to meander among the tanks in the Aquarium during the evening.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM:  No report.

LDA AWARD:  P. Bornstein reported that Harriet Edwards, Assistant Director at the East Meadow Public Library, was presented with the 2002 LDA Award during the L.I. Library Conference on May 8^th.  Paula thanked Janet Barr, Sue Ketcham and James Olney for their work on the committee.  She asked about the honorary SCLA membership for the winner, and said that she would fill out a 2003 application for Ms. Edwards.

LEGISLATIVE:  L. Tesoriero reported that the LILRC Legislative Committee had discussed “New Centuries Libraries”, the Regents Legislative and Budget Initiative for libraries in New York State, and seen it in a positive light.  The NOVEL (N.Y. Online Virtual Electronic Library) component is seen by the committee as a viable first step in the process of funding libraries.  The two public Library Director Associations could be asked to endorse these initiatives.   These New York State proposals would be discussed during planned visits with individual legislators. Links to information on these proposed funding programs have been added to the SCLA webpage under “Legislative Committee.”  During meetings with legislators, committee members will also ask for restoration of system funding.  Utilizing Friends of the Library organizations to solicit for library funding was also discussed by the committee.  Plans for the Legislative Breakfast on Sept. 20^th are moving ahead.  “Save the Date” post cards were almost ready for mailing.   (Note: the SCLA Board will meet on Sept. 15^th in order not to coincide with the Legislative Breakfast .)

LISTSERV:  No report.

L.I. LIBRARY CONFERENCE:  S. Cohen sent a written report.  The Conference  was held for the first time at the Crest Hollow Country Club, and it “was a smashing success!”  Over 830 people attended.  There were 93 Exhibitors at 109 tables.  16 Associations had tables, some of which had never attended before.  Steve wrote: “We had 12 well thought out presentations and our keynote speaker, N.Y. Times best selling author, David Baldacci, got rave reviews from the crowd.  Not only did he wow us with his words, but with his generosity as well.  As noted, a donation was made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the amount of $1,500.  Plus, we sold over 250 of his new book, which he signed for anyone who asked.  Because of our happiness with the work of Crest Hollow and their staff, we have extended our contract with the facility to host the LILC for the next two years at little additional cost ($1.50 per head for lunch) to the conference.  Financially, we were able to turn a decent profit from the event and will be supplying each county association with a reimbursement check for $3,500. “  Steve reported that Regina Mascia of West Hempstead Public Library would be the next chairperson for the conference.  He thanked SCLA for allowing him to serve as the LILC Chairperson.

LONG-RANGE PLANNING:  S.Holden reported.  She shared samples of the new brochures prepared by the committee, each of which profiles careers in different fields (Public Libraries, School Media, Academic, Special, and Support Staff).  These were developed for library school students or potential library employees.  Final revisions on the brochures will be made soon.  Committee members will attend orientations for library school students at the Palmer School and at Queens College in the autumn.  They invite SCLA members to volunteer to help at these meetings. The committee plans to meet over the summer and discuss ways to reach high school students and college undergraduates in order to promote careers in libraries. Sue noted that she was glad that Long Range Planning would be featured in the upcoming SCLA newsletter.

MEMBERSHIP:  A. Lehner read a report sent in by R. McEneaney.  As of June 9^th SCLA had 595 active members.  Non-renewing members had been dropped from the list after May 5^th.  Regina has purchased a box of mailing labels for each division and sent a memo to each division president explaining how to reimburse her for the labels.

NEWSLETTER:  B. Hoffman reported that the new issue of the SCLA newsletter had just been printed.  She noted that it contained an exclusive report from Mary K. Chelton of Queens College which dealt with the CIPA hearings and decision. Barbara said the next newsletter deadline would be August 2^nd.  Barbara noted that e-mail is the preferred format when submitting material for the newsletter.

NOMINATING:  J. Clemens reported that James Olney and Sue Ketcham had joined the committee.  They hoped to have a slate ready by the July Board meeting.

PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS:  No report.

PUBLIC AWARENESS/PUBLICITY:  S. Ingram displayed several proposed new logo designs for SCLA t-shirts.  The Board voted by a show of hands on the preferred design.  It was agreed that the new shirts would sell for $10 each, be printed with black ink on grey shirts, and that the following quantities would be made up: 50 each of medium, large, and extra large sizes.

SCHOLARSHIP:  C. Farrugia reported that she had received four applications for the 2002 Scholarship.  The committee will select a winner in September.  Thanks to Danielle Zubiller, information about the new Continuing Education Award has been added to the SCLA webpage.  Printed flyers will soon be distributed to libraries.  The committee has already obtained some raffle prizes for the raffle which benefits the Scholarship Fund.  Raffle tickets will be enclosed with the SCLA membership cards that are getting mailed out soon.  Please contact Christine if you know of a business that would be willing to donate a raffle prize.

SUFFOLK COUNTY JAILS LIBRARY SERVICE:  No report.

WEB PAGE:  R. Dressler noted that D. Zubiller had put information about the “Writers on the Vine” series on the SCLA webpage, as well as the links from the Legislative Committee section.

LIAISON REPORTS:

CLASC:  No report.

BOCES: No report.

LILRC:  No report.

LVA SUFFOLK:  No report.

NCLA:  L. Tesoriero reported that NCLA Board members had been impressed with Northport Library employees who helped present their Continuing Education Committee’s Security Workshop on May 31^st.  (The guest speakers/presenters had been Stephanie Heineman, Eileen Minnogue, James Olney, and Head of Security Charlie Cornetta.)   Laurene also reported that the NCLA Civil Service Committee has been working on inquiring about eliminating the residency requirement for working in Nassau County Libraries.  

PLDA:  D. Engelhardt faxed her report.  PLDA will be working with SCLS to negotiate with Baker & Taylor for low-cost (or free) Titlesource II software.  The Board will reach a decision at its September meeting regarding which of its existing committees will stand, and which will be dissolved.  Debra noted that payment for tickets to the L.I. Ducks game outing was due in one week.

SCLS:  No report.

SLA:  J. Olney reported that the association was working on a new slate of officers.  He also said that the N.Y. Chapter would be hosting the SLA’s national meeting in 2003.

OLD BUSINESS:  It was announced that the new SCLA t-shirts would be available this summer.

NEW BUSINESS:  R. Dressler asked everyone to consider a revision of the dues structure for SCLA members – one that would encourage more part-time and clerical workers to join.  There was some discussion about changing the categories, which are determined by annual income, to include more categories. Board members were asked to be prepared for more discussion at the next meeting.  It was announced that SCLA Executive Secretary Angela Lehner would be retiring from her SCLA job at the end of September.

J. Clemens asked for a motion to adjourn.  J. Carhart made a motion.  J. Olney seconded it.  The meeting was adjourned at 11:35 a.m.