NOBLE

MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION MEETING

SAUGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY

NOVEMBER 15, 2001

 

Present: Fourteen libraries were represented at the meeting, one in a non-voting capacity, attendance sheet attached.

 

1. CALL TO ORDER /WELCOME - Deborah Abraham.  Deborah called the meeting to order at 10:05. She stated since there was not a quorum of voting representatives at the meeting any votes that need to be taken will be done at the December meeting.  Sharon Gilley introduced the assistant director at Wakefield, Nanci Milone Hill.

 

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES.  The October Minutes will be voted on at the December meeting since there is not a quorum.

 

3. TREASURER’S REPORT – Thomas Scully.  Tom reported that the budget is 25% expended as of the end of October.

 

10. RESULTS OF THE netLIBRARY CATALOG SURVEY – Camilla Glynn.  This item was moved up on the agenda due to Camilla having to leave early.  Camilla distributed a handout with the results from the netLibrary survey.  The survey polled reference staff and directors as to whether or not the netLibrary e-book records were found to be useful in the catalog, and if so, would they want them in their library scope or in the entire collection scope.  As a result of the survey, the Electronic Resources Working Group Committee decided to recommend taking the records out of all the individual scopes, but to leave them in entire collection scope.  The motion was presented to Executive Board as follows:

                                 “NOBLE will add records for electronic books licensed under NOBLE,

                                   NMRLS, and state contracts to the NOBLE database not scoped to any

                                   individual library.”

 

The motion was passed at Executive Board.  The Committee will meet again in January and Elizabeth is going to pursue a virtual scope.

 

4. MANAGER’S REPORT – Ronald Gagnon.  Ron passed around the NOBLE Member Directory for updating.  Ron reported that he received notification from MBLC of two grants awarded to NOBLE: $13,386 for Image Linking Software and Workstation, and $18,735 for Telecommunications Equipment to bring the three Lynn branches on-line.  Two of the branches are scheduled to be ready by January 1st, and the third shortly after that due to Verizon delays.  Also Ron received contracts from MBLC for our Telecomm Grant for $113,608, and for Virtual Catalog for $105,188. 

 

Ron stated that on January 16, 2002 there would be a meeting of directors as part of the process for NOBLE’s strategic plan to gather input from libraries.  The Executive Board authorized the hiring of Marshall Keys to moderate the meeting.  More detailed information will follow.  The Members meeting scheduled for the next day, January 17th, is cancelled. 

 

An acquisitions survey has been sent out to assist NOBLE staff in planning the acquisition module.  An Innovative trainer is scheduled to train NOBLE staff from January 8th-10th.  Materials’ booking is also being researched. 

 

The part-time cataloger position that was posted last month in NOBLE had no applicants.  The posting was extended to NMRLS and MBLC. 

 

Ron reported that Metro Boston Library Network chose epixtech as their new system vendor.  Minuteman and CLAMS are in the process of looking for new systems. 

 

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Our auditor has completed the year-end adjustments and reviewed a draft of the financial statements with Ron.  He will be forwarding the final financial reports by the end of the week along with the tax returns for filing. 

 

Elizabeth Thomsen.  Elizabeth reported on training.  There have been roundtable sessions for circulation and college course reserves.  Introductory Millennium Create Lists sessions are coming up.  Some advanced sessions will be scheduled for January-June.  Marilyn Graves held the semi-annual interlibrary loan meeting for users of the NOBLE ILL Center last week, which Elizabeth also attended.  It was held at the Swampscott Public Library.

 

Martha Driscoll.  Martha reported she began e-mailing to directors lists of their staff e-mail accounts for them to review.  This will be done on a monthly basis.  Three circulation roundtable sessions were held; two for public libraries, one for college libraries.  Topics that were discussed were e-mail notices, security and password issues.  Starting in January passwords will be changed quarterly.  It hasn’t been decided yet how the passwords will be distributed.  Also discussed at the sessions was the book group request issue that is being recommended by the Holds Committee.  Some procedural issues came up, but overall the feedback was fine with the recommendation.  Martha reported on the Local Tech Meeting on November 1st.  George Lally did a presentation on Windows 2000 maintenance and security.  They reminded everyone that Windows 95 will no longer be supported by Microsoft at the end of this year.  Browsers, the new public browser, and multilingual support were also discussed. 

 

5. HOLDS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION – Thomas Cesarz.   Tom was not able to attend the meeting, Deborah Abraham read the Committee’s two recommendations:

 

1)      Member libraries often utilize “display status” in order to exclude items from paging lists.  We recommend that the maximum time period for an item to be “on display” is three months.

2)      The standard way to request multiple copies of a title for a reading group is to send an email message requesting copies of the title.  While this is quick it circumvents the holds process.  We recommend that requests for reading group titles utilize the holds process by placing multiple holds for any title that is needed.

 

The recommendations were presented to Executive Board and were approved.  This will be discussed at next month’s Members meeting, as there is not a quorum to vote today and it was tabled from the October meeting for further discussion. 

 

6. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW – Elizabeth Thomsen.  Elizabeth passed around handouts and reviewed three components of collection management.

 

Collection Maintenance – This involves maintaining items in your library by following up on long overdues, marking items “missing”, and maintaining inventory.  Elizabeth reviewed a handout that showed a report created using Reportster for missing books.  She explained that it creates links to search the catalog and links to Amazon to search for the title if a library wants to see if the title is still available.  Elizabeth also explained that you could also run reports that list the barcode.  To do this the library would have to purchase the barcode font, the cost is $31.  Elizabeth also reported that libraries have been using the inventory scanner device, alternative ways of using it are being looked into.  Policies and procedures are also being worked on.  She reiterated that collection maintenance and reports work best if library staff use Reportster.  She sent out information on how to download Reportster to a PC.  Information is also on the Staff Information System. 

 

Collection Assessment – The Mass. Board of Library Commissioners requires this area of collection management.  Starting in January, every library will get printed reports of their collection on a given subject area monthly.  The reports will include three different sorts within the subject: call #, published year, and circs.  Similar reports can be run locally as needed using Create Lists and Reportster.  Also


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looking into getting children’s non-fiction, reference, serials, and electronic items into the collection assessment reports -- currently it only looks at adult non-fiction.  The reports will be archived so libraries can see other libraries’ reports.

 

Collection Development – Also required by the MBLC, libraries will develop and share written collection development policies.  The policies will reflect the needs of the community or institution that the library services.  NOBLE will develop and maintain a list of special subject strengths and special collections of member libraries in print and on our Web site. 

 

7. DATABASE QUALITY WORKING GROUP – Thomas Scully.  Tom reported on the issue of removing long overdue and missing items from the database. There will be cutoffs as to when items are removed depending on how long overdue they are. The goal is to not have items in the catalog that are more than three years overdue.  The committee proposes the following steps on removing overdue and missing items from the database:

 

1)      Items that are overdue for more than five years will be removed from the catalog.  Everyone

                    will be informed of the date when that will happen.  A list can be provided before that date if

                    libraries want to check their shelves for the item. 

2)      Items that are 3-5 years overdue will be removed.  Libraries will be sent a list and given the

                    opportunity to either find or delete the item themselves.

3)      After the first two steps are complete, then annually any item over 3 years old will be  

                   removed.  Libraries will be given a list to look for the items before they are removed from the

                   catalog. 

 

Once the vote is taken at the December Members’ meeting, the process will start 60-90 days later.  Elizabeth brought up two possibilities that libraries can do before the item is removed.  They can either just “write it off”and have it removed, or libraries can have the item removed but leave a bill on the patron’s record.  Tom reiterated the importance of marking items “missing” when discovered, and also marking patron records of undeliverable or changed addresses if notices are returned. 

 

8. PATRON NOTICES VIA E-MAIL – Martha Driscoll.  Martha reported that beginning in December overdue notices are going to be sent by e-mail to patrons that provide an e-mail address.  If an e-mail address is not provided the system will know to do a print version.  At the Circ roundtables the public libraries felt patrons need to “sign off” on this service so they know they will be receiving the notice by

e-mail. For the colleges it wasn’t decided on how they wanted to handle this.  Martha suggested they should have patrons “sign off” also. The e-mail addresses for both public and college patrons will be purged.  NOBLE will handle bounced e-mail.  The e-mail address will be removed from the patron record and a “P” message will set saying the e-mail address bounced.  A paper copy of that notice will be sent to the library.  Bills will be excluded from this e-mail process and will be printed and sent to libraries.  Martha mentioned the system can be used to send a reminder to patrons by e-mail when books are coming due --this is an option that can be discussed further at a later date.

 

9. WEB BROWSER FOR PUBLIC WORKSTATIONS – Martha Driscoll.  Martha did an overhead presentation on the Public Web Browser.  It runs in Internet Explorer 5.5 and above.  It was written by staff at the Mayo Clinic and is specifically designed for use in libraries.  There is no charge for the software.  Martha explained it can be configured how you want, any button or menu can be added or removed.  She stated that if a library has a PC that is used only as a browser than this software might be enough for security.  The possibility is there that WinU or any other security software may not be needed on browser only PC’s. Patrons cannot add or remove bookmarks.  She showed some of the features and settings that can be configured.  It has been installed in four libraries and is going well.  There is information on the Staff Information System.

 

 

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11. OTHER BUSINESS.  Deborah Abraham reminded everyone to mark January 16th as the meeting to discuss NOBLE’s long-range plan.  Marshall Keys will moderate the meeting.  The Members meeting scheduled for the next day is cancelled.

 

12. ADJOURNMENT.  The meeting was adjourned at 11:50.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Mary Rose Quinn

Secretary