Suffolk County Library Association

Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting

July 18, 2003

Location: SCLS Blue Room

Present: S. Atlas, S. Holden, C. Gray, K. Baudouin, S. Ingram, F. Altemose, S. Johnson, L. Squires, J. Barr, K. McCoy, H. Biblo, J. Clemens, J. Loughren, B. Hoffman, P. Thomson.

J. Clemens called the meeting to order at 10:04AM. After a review of the June 20th minutes, some corrections were made. S. Johnson moved to approve the minutes. C. Gray seconded. None were opposed.

TREASURER’S REPORT: J. Loughren distributed copies of the monthly financial statement for June 2003. The report showed a fund balance of $35,612.76 as of the end of June 2003. J. Clemens asked how this budget compared to this time last year. Joe reported that we’re doing fine. Joan asked that all requests for money be e-mailed, stressing that having a written record of the request seems to work best. Joan also reiterated that people can submit budget requests now, or they can wait until the end of the fiscal year. F. Altemose moved to accept the financial report. K. McCoy seconded. None were opposed.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT: J. Clemens reported that September’s Executive Board meeting has been changed. The new date is now Friday, September 12. The date was changed in order to avoid a conflict with the Fall Legislative Breakfast, scheduled for Friday, September 19. Joan reported that she received a check from Andy Ippolito for the plaque for the LDA Award. Mr. Ippolito has requested that the cost of the plaque be no more than $100 in future years. Joan reminded everyone that information like this is very important for present presidents, chairs, and liaisons to pass along to their successors. Joan also made a motion to approve reimbursing F. Altemose $765 for the purchase of the Long Island Ducks tickets for the SCLA Fundraiser in August. S. Johnson made the motion. L. Squires seconded. None were opposed.

DIVISION REPORTS

DASL: K. McCoy reported that on June 18th, 12 people attended a DASL business meeting and tour of the LIU, Southampton College Parish Art Museum & Library. It was a successful day and enjoyed by all. Upcoming programs include a business meeting on September 19th at the Sachem Public Library, immediately following the Fall Legislative Breakfast, and a presentation on the PATRIOT Act in Libraries on Friday, September 26th at SCCC, Selden Campus. The speaker will be Tracy Mitrano, co-director of the Computer Policy and Law Program at Cornell University. Also scheduled is an annual meeting and luncheon on December 5th. It will be held at NYIT, Central Islip Campus. Lisa Melendez, Library Instruction librarian at Suffolk Community College will be speaking about information literacy in Cuba.

RASD: P. Thomson read the following report. The Health Concerns meeting of RASD met on June 11th. On August 13th, there will be a meeting to discuss the formation of a new committee within RASD. This committee would address multi-lingual or multi-cultural concerns of libraries. A petition is being drawn up, and other preliminary work has begun. The 4 members of RASD who are on the ‘Long Island Reads’ committee met with the full committee on June 10th at the Nassau Library System. At present, they are reviewing a short list of books for the 2004 selection and are still considering some other suggestions. They will meet again on July 15 at 10AM at the Lindenhurst Memorial Library with the hope of selecting a book. They want to give library programmers as much time as possible to plan events for the 2004 event.

CATS: No report.

SSD: No report.

YASD: L. Squires reported that 10 people attended the first Network Meeting at the Brentwood Public Library. The topic was Running Job Fairs, and Martha Mikkleson spoke. Those attending commented on benefiting from the opportunity to discuss topics relevant to them with colleagues as well as having the opportunity to see other YA library settings. A Network Meeting is scheduled for August 14th at the South Country Public Library. The South Country Teen Advisory Board will discuss the topic of Teen Advisory Boards. Lorraine reported that many people are preparing for the Battle of the Books competition in August. YASD is sponsoring a fundraiser; candy will be sold at the Battle of the Books and at individual libraries with the proceeds helping future Battle of the Books competitions and future Best Awards.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

ARCHIVES: S. Johnson reported that nothing was new. J. Clemens asked where the archives are located, and Suzanne discussed the location and what types of materials are included in the collection. 

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS: No report.

CONTINUING EDUCATION: C. Gray and K. Baudouin reported the following: the committee met on July 8th, which was changed from the original date of July 1st. Three people attended. They have added one member to the committee. Details of the October 3rd trip to the Museum of Natural History and the New York Historical Society were discussed, and a flyer was created. Also, there will be two pick-up locations, one at SCLS and one at Exit 49 of the LIE. Upcoming meetings include a meeting in September with the Nassau County Library Association Continuing Education Committee to discuss topics for the 2004 Long Island Library Conference. One possible topic is ‘Marketing Your Library Through Displays, Presentations, and Exhibits’. Another meeting is scheduled for February 25, 2004. The topic is How to Run a Meeting, and it will be held at SCLS. 

ELSA: No report.

FALL DINNER: No report. J. Clemens asked that everyone mark his or her calendar for Friday, November 14th for the Annual SCLA Fall Dinner, which will be held at the Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM: K. McCoy spoke of two topics of interest to this committee. The first deals with CIPA. The Supreme Court upheld CIPA with a 6-3 majority, but without a majority opinion. Four justices- Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, and Thomas wrote the plurality report. Two justices- Kennedy and Breyer wrote concurring reports on narrower grounds leaving door open for further clarification. CIPA requires filter ALL Internet terminals if they receive e-rate and LSTA funds. SCLS and NCLS are currently reviewing their options. A good place for information is www.ala.org/cipa. The other topic is the Total Information Awareness Program. The Senate’s Pentagon budget does not include money for the Total Information Awareness Program. The budget bill still has to pass the house. There is little support for TIA in the Senate, more in the house.

LDA AWARD: No report. J. Clemens reiterated Mr. Ippolito’s request that the cost of the plaque given to the LDA Award winner not exceed $100.

LEGISLATIVE: P. Thomson read the following report. The Legislative Breakfast will be on Friday Sept. 19th at 8:30 am at the Sachem Public Library. Invitations have been sent out by LILRC to the Legislators. At present, 5 legislators have responded at this early date. Assemblyman Fred W. Theile (R), Senator John J.Flanagan (R), Michael Fitzpatrick (R) Smithtown Council Member, and Assemblyman Ramos will attend. Assemblyman Thomas F. Barraga (R) will not. A listserv announcement about the breakfast will be posted during the month of August and then again in the beginning of September. Laurene Tesoriero has not been able to speak with Judith Willner with regard to anything that has been developing with PLDA and any special presentations to legislators at the breakfast as of yet. At the last meeting someone suggested handing out framed certificates to those legislators who have shown their support for library funding. She will report any new developments that she learns of. Laurene has contacted the three individuals interested in SCLA legislative activity as per their response on the SCLA application form via e-mail. The next LILRC Legislative Committee meeting will be on Thursday, July 31st. at the Farmingdale Public Library.

LISTSERV: K. McCoy reported that there are 836 people subscribed to the listserv and that it is growing fast. Kevin asked that people continue to use the listserv to promote any activities or meetings scheduled. 

L.I. LIBRARY CONFERENCE: S. Johnson reported that there is nothing new. The next meeting is scheduled for September. She asked if anyone knew if the $2500 for SCLA was deposited in the Fund Balance. Those present were not certain.

LONG RANGE PLANNING: S. Holden reported that there is one addition to the committee. They are working on a program for Spring 2004 to be held at SCLS. The topic is how to represent the field of librarianship at job fairs. They want to have a panel discussion and are working on arranging for speakers and materials for the program. Sue thanked everyone who sent material to be considered for inclusion in the publicity packet the Long Range Planning committee uses. Queens College’s Student Orientation is scheduled for August 21st, and Palmer’s Student Orientation will be on September 5th. CLASC has been notified of these dates as well. Various professionals from the field will attend, as will members of CLASC, which is a first for that organization. J. Clemens mentioned an article she recently read in Library Journal that addressed the topic of recruitment and how it is changing. Joan also mentioned how a friend of hers who is a military photographer has expressed an interest in using digital technology for archival purposes and that the field of library science may appeal to people presently in other fields.

MEMBERSHIP: J. Clemens reported that as of July 9th, there were 702 members of SCLA for 2003. Joan handed out the names of those people expressing an interest in various committees. Joan also had a draft of a revised renewal application reflecting current contact information. She asked that everyone review for corrections to be made.

NEWSLETTER: B. Hoffman did research issues surrounding advertisements in the SCLA newsletter. She had copies of the SCLA Advertising Policy, the fee schedule, and the contract already drafted. J. Clemens asked if these documents were approved, and Barbara reported that they were approved in 1997 and that some ads were sold at that time. Barbara handed out copies and asked people how they felt about the prices listed. She also asked if anything needed to be done to re-approve these items for use. S. Johnson asked about issues surrounding the posting of advertisements on SCLA’s web page, since SCLS hosts the site. S. Ingram suggested that we delete that particular phrase and only offer advertisements in our newsletter. Everyone seemed to be in agreement. Stephen asked what program is used for the newsletter, and Barbara reported that it’s Publisher that she uses. Joan suggested that all discussion relating to revisions and acceptance of these policies be put on next month’s agenda. She felt that everyone would benefit having time to review, and Joe could have a copy to review from the Treasurer’s perspective. Barbara said she would send a copy to Joe. She expressed her desire to keep ad prices ‘attractively economical’. Barbara also stated that she wanted to use recruit volunteers to help solicit ads. Joan said that she likes the clause that allows all ads to be reviewed and that ads have to be approved for publication. She reported that this discussion would be added to August’s agenda. Barbara reminded everyone that the deadline for the September/October/November newsletter is August 1st. Joan asked if this is the month that one color would be integrated into the newsletter. Barbara reported that she wants to wait due to the expense until ads can help offset the cost. Joan agreed with that idea. K. Baudouin asked when the newsletters are actually sent out. Barbara said she tries for the first week of the month, but sometimes it ends up being the second week when they actually are sent. Barbara alters any announcements and articles as necessary to accurately reflect the information. C. Gray asked if sending a flyer about a program is acceptable for inclusion in the newsletter. Barbara said no problem. S. Holden asked if there was a theme for the fall newsletter. Barbara said there wasn’t at present, but she was open for suggestions. She thinks the Legislative Breakfast may work nicely as a feature article.

NOMINATING: P. Thomson read the slate, as it existed on July 8th. At that time, it read as follows: Vice President/President Elect: Joe Loughren, Secretary: Patty Thomson, Treasurer: Kitty Grinnell and Janet O’Hare. Members-At-Large: Fran Altemose, Edana Cichanowicz, and Paula Bornstein. J. Clemens stated that there should have been a slate for June’s meeting, and asked for additional nominations. S. Holden asked when was the latest that names could be submitted. Joan reported that ballots are typically sent in August or September. Sue said that she believed that this was the first time in 20 years that there weren’t 2 candidates for each position and that we should all try to make it a priority to have additional candidates. Joan said that next year, she plans as Past President to focus on creating a Nominating Committee. In the meantime, she suggested that the slate be accepted as proposed, with the understanding that everyone will work on suggesting additional candidates. Joan feels that one problem is getting support to make meeting attendance possible. S. Johnson reported that, according to SCLA’s bylaws, that there must be at least 2 candidates for elected positions. Joan thought that there was a second name for consideration for the position of Secretary, but she couldn’t remember who it was. She acknowledged that this is an area needing work in the future. Joan asked for a motion to accept the slate as proposed. K. McCoy made the motion. F. Altemose accepted. One person opposed. The motion passed.

PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS: K.Minschke reported that the roundtable discussion went very well. There were 15 people in attendance, and there was lively discussion about such topics as civil service, continuing education, PATRIOT Act, and the image of librarians. People are very concerned about civil service and the lack of understanding about the need for the exam, the frequency of the exam, and the length of time it typically takes to score the exam. J. Nichols has sent letters to the schools offering programs in library science to try to inform people there of these issues. Kris acknowledged the need to work with the Long Range Planning committee to discuss issues of civil service to students of library studies. B. Hoffman voiced one concern – that this issue isn’t relevant to all students. S. Holden said that one option is to educate the advisors of the students. L. Squires said that she believes that many advisors aren’t aware of the issues. J. Clemens reiterated the need of this committee to work with both the Continuing Education committee and the Long Range Planning committee to address these issues. Kris said that they were also considering sponsoring a program at the Long Island Library Conference in 2004. Joan said that Helene Miller of the Suffolk County Civil Service Department visits some classes to speak with students. One thing that Ms. Miller stresses is that she is responsible for more than just the librarian exams. They deal with hundreds of other titles as well, and that can account for the frequency of the exams and the delay in grading them.

PUBLIC AWARENESS/PUBLICITY: S. Ingram spoke of the professional resources website he is working on. Things from their publicity brochure are likely to be posted, and entire sections are to be dedicated to many of the topics just discussed, including civil service. Stephen said he would have something for everyone to review next month. Stephen encouraged any feedback for topics to be included. J. Clemens said there are things that people may not realize. For example, many people don’t know that they can check their civil service scores online, and that this resource could be helpful in educating others about these topics. Stephen also suggested that the listserv be used to announce exams, and Joan said she thought this was a good idea for those not as savvy using the web. Stephen stressed that this resource can be useful in going into depth into many topics people want to know more about. For example, at the Student Orientations, speakers often only have time to skim the surface of many topics. They can only go into depth when speaking individually to people with questions. A resource such as the website could reach more people. K. Minschke thought it could also be useful to address inaccurate perceptions, such as the idea that those hiring are permitted hire anybody they want when, in fact, this is not the case. 

SCHOLARSHIP: P. Thomson read the following report. Over 15 requests for applications for the SCLA scholarship resulted in four candidates who were able to fulfill all the requirements. Copies of each of the files will be distributed to members of the scholarship committee. A meeting will be scheduled at the end of August to select the scholarship recipient.

On June 25th Angela Richards posted the flyer announcing the Support Staff award on the SCLA listserv. In addition, copies of the flyer were distributed to all libraries for posting on staff bulletin boards. To date, Angela has received four requests for applications for this award.

H. Biblo asked for clarification as to which libraries made up the ‘all libraries’ that was reported. Patty reported that she didn’t know the answer to that question, and suggested that Herb contact Angela directly for clarification.

STATISTICAL SURVEY: S. Atlas reported that she has received 21 surveys so far. The deadline is July 25th, and she is sending a reminder memo to those Directors who have not responded today in the system’s delivery bag. She will then wait a few weeks and will follow up with reminder phone calls to those Directors still needing to send information to her. Sandy is hoping to at least match last year’s response of 51 of 55 libraries. She still needs to speak to Mickey regarding statistical information included in the State Report and someone at SCLS about being able to e-mail the file, which is a large file, using the Suffolk Web system. She is having a lot of problems because of the size of her file. J. Clemens reminded everyone that volunteers are still needed for this committee. People with experience in Excel and file management are preferred. Sandy said that SCLA might need to appoint someone else to chair this committee next year. The position requires creating the format of the survey and data entry. She feels the person needs to be very savvy in the use of Excel. Sandy isn’t certain that she will commit for another year, so she asked for volunteers who may be interested.

SUFFOLK COUNTY JAILS LIBRARY SERVICE: No report.

WEB PAGE: No report. J. Clemens discussed the need to find out about the possibility of posting ads on the web page. She asked B. Hoffman to ask Jerry Nichols about this issue. S. Ingram said that he doesn’t think we should consider that. Everyone seemed to be in agreement. Joan said that we’ll drop that issue altogether.

LIASONS

CLASC: No report.

BOCES: J. Barr passed out copies of the Summer 2003 School Library System News. She asked everyone to notice that their web address has changed. She also highlighted the chart that reflects which library districts are automated and which are Electric Doorway Libraries. Janet noted while there has been a lot of progress, there’s still a way to go.

LILRC: H. Biblo passed out a list of events. He also reported that the digitization project is underway, and that the 2 day workshop with a speaker from OCLC was a success and well attended. There will be a hands-on workshop in August for all interested on the mechanics of scanning, and there’s a 2-day workshop being planned to address LINUX Open Source. A mailing has gone out about the new and improved Long Island Union List of Serials. J. Barr asked if there is a CD-ROM version available. Herb explained that the issue is complicated, due mostly to expense, and that they are attempting to make the CD-ROM in-house. A definitive answer will be available soon as to the availability of a CD-ROM. 

NCLA: No report. NCLA will not be meeting during the months of July and August. 

PLDA: No report. There is still no liaison for PLDA.

SCLS: No report.

SLA: P. Thomson read the following report. The Special Libraries Association, Long Island Chapter for our Annual Dinner and Election of Officers for the term 2003-2004 will be on Thursday, July 24, 2003, 6:30-9:30pm at the Library Café in Farmingdale. The cost is $27 for members/non-members and $15 students.

SLA-Long Island announces the following candidates for open positions on our
Executive Board, 2003-2004:

President Elect - Ellen Maleszewski. Ellen is currently a librarian with
the Northport Veteran's Administration Hospital, and was previously an
informatics librarian at Stony Brook's Health Sciences Center. Ellen has
just ended a two-year stint as president of MEDLI (Medical and Scientific
Libraries of Long Island). She received her MLS from CW Post, and has been
a member of SLA-Long Island since 1999.

Secretary - Georgina Martorella. Georgina is currently Assistant Professor
working in Government Documents at Hofstra University. A former librarian
at Newsday, Georgina received her MLS from Queens College, and her MBA from
CW Post. Georgina most recently held the post of Director of our chapter.

Director - Christine Orr. Christine is currently Marketing Manager for
Publications at the American Institute of Physics. Christine received her
MLS from CW Post, and has held several positions in our chapter, including
President, Bulletin Editor, and most recently, Immediate Past-President.

Elections for these officers will be held at our Annual Meeting on July 24th at
the Library Cafe in Farmingdale. If you are a Long Island chapter member, and
unable to attend that meeting, please email laura.mann@newsday.com with your
acceptance or rejection of the slate.

OLD BUSINESS: P. Thomson reported that the Palmer Vineyards fundraiser raised $462. Tickets can be used until the end of the Writers on the Vine Series in August.

NEW BUSINESS: J. Clemens reminded everyone that the September meeting is now scheduled for Friday, September 12th at 10AM at SCLS.

J. Clemens asked for a motion to adjourn. S. Johnson made the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 11:15AM.