NOBLE MINUTES

MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION MEETING

AT BEVERLY FARMS

MAY 20, 2004

PRESENT:  Seventeen libraries were represented at the meeting, attendance sheet attached.

 

CALL TO ORDER: Mary Rose Quinn called the meeting to order at 10:10 and thanked Tom Scully for hosting the meeting at the newly remodeled Beverly Farms branch.  Mary Rose presented Anne Tullson with flowers and wished her well in her retirement.  She thanked Anne for her many years of dedicated service to NOBLE.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  John Beauregard moved to approve the Minutes from the March 18, 2004 meeting.  Barbara Lachance seconded the motion.  The Minutes were approved by unanimous vote.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT:  Tom Scully reported the budget is on target as we approach the end of the fiscal year.  Linda Shea moved to accept the report.  Deborah Abraham seconded the motion.  The vote was unanimous.

 

MANAGER’S REPORT:

Ronald Gagnon: 

·         Tech Expo – Ron handed out the Tech Expo agenda.  It is June 12th and is an open house format. An invitation was extended to Roxbury Community College and Malden Public Library, who are considering becoming members, but haven’t heard back. 

·         Innovative User’s Group Conference – NOBLE staff participated at the April meeting.  Elizabeth did three sessions on Create Lists, Martha did two sessions on Automating Reports and Scripts, and Michele did two sessions on Reportster.  Deborah Abraham complimented and praised NOBLE staff on the sessions, which were all well attended.

·         Mass. Board of Library Commissioner’s Meeting – At their April meeting the Commission approved the additional $21,000 in grant funds for the network upgrade.  Also at the meeting there was a demonstration of their new web site.  At the May meeting there was a presentation from a Northeastern University professor whose class did a report examining public library funding.

·         Salem Bid – The bid opening was held May 19th.  NOBLE was the only bidder and was awarded the contract.

·         MLA Conference – Ron and Elizabeth attended the conference. Elizabeth did a session on Blogging.

·         Virtual Catalog –UMass Boston is continuing to manage the project, which is being reorganized.

·         Minuteman Network – Carol Caro is retiring and Susan McAllister will replace her as Executive Director.

·         Internet – Currently NOBLE has two T-1 lines for our Internet access.  This no longer accom­modates the heavy traffic on our network.  Verizon T-1 packages are for 1, 2 or 4 lines.  To double our capacity to 4 lines would cost an additional $24,000.  Executive Board approved the cost. Anticipate having the additional lines installed in the fall.

·         Ron stated Elizabeth would be teaching in China during July and August.

·         Ron and Elizabeth attended a pre-conference at MLA, called MODeL, Massachusetts Online Digital Electronic Library.  Boston Public Library and NMRLS cosponsor this project.

 

Elizabeth Thomsen:

·         Digital Imaging – NOBLE has been accumulating the images libraries scan into our catalog that are attached to MARC records.  As part of NOBLE’s move towards participating in the Massachusetts Online Digital Electronic Library (MODeL) we need to have the images available other than just viewing in the catalog.  Michele Morgan set up a prototype database for access to the images.  Elizabeth encouraged libraries that haven’t participated in scanning images to bring some samples to the Tech Expo.  Christine Morgan will be at the digital scanning workstation to assist libraries.  Tom Scully asked if small specialty libraries would be able to have their images included.  Elizabeth explained

 

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May 20, 2004

 

      that was discussed at the MODeL conference.  Mary Rose added that NMRLS is working on a project  

      for libraries and museums in communities within the region to have their images as part of a

      searchable database.  Elizabeth stated this topic would be discussed at the NOBLE-Hosted

      Web Site meeting on June 15th. 

·       IUG – NOBLE staff has been involved on the Clearinghouse Project, which is a central location for III networks to exchange and share ideas, scripts, and information.  It is based on NOBLE’s Swap Shop.  NOBLE staff did a session at IUG and will be doing a lunch at ALA.

·       ILL Meeting – ILL Librarian Marilyn Graves hosted the annual ILL Center meeting at NOBLE on May 5th.  Marilyn and NMRLS staff did presentations; discussions included labeling, packaging and delivery issues.

·       Roundtables – Reported on the acquisition and tech services roundtable sessions.  Martha wrote a script that will email the head of tech services the temp records from the previous day.  Staff has been working on ways for library staff to monitor their work more frequently.  Acquisition libraries have begun working with field 263 in temp records.  Carol Gray asked how many libraries use acquisitions, Ron stated in the low 20’s.

·       Summer Reading Lists Roundtable - The issue discussed was how libraries can have the books available for summer reading programs.  As schools lists became available they will be posted on the Staff Information System.

·       Collection Assessment – The project is proceeding, Agriculture was done last month.  The report forms libraries fill out will be going into a database.  The schedule for the first six months is on the Staff Information System.  The Collection Management Working Group is meeting tomorrow.

·       Improved Reportster – Michele Morgan will be doing a demonstration on Reportster and how data can now be exported at the Tech Expo.

 

Martha Driscoll:

·         Scripts – Been working on scripts that do behind the scenes functions in the Innopac.  One is emailing temp records, another deletes cancelled orders.

·         Summer Reading Roundtable – At the end of last summer we switched to the advanced keyword search engine.  Many of the book lists and summer reading lists links from last summer were in the old keyword format, therefore were incorrect.  Martha did a pearl script that edited the links. 

·         Majordomo – Was reconfigured to disallow attachments.

·         Brightmail – Is the anti-spam software program that checks all incoming email for spam and unwanted attachments.  Anticipates having it operational next week. 

 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT:

Deborah Abraham reported the committee nominated Tom Scully as treasurer for another 2-year term, and Kim Lynn as secretary for another 1-year term.  No other nominations were made.  The vote was cast and passed by unanimous vote.

 

TELECOMM GRANT UPDATE: 

Ron reported in addition to the $42,400 grant that was awarded in November’s grant round NOBLE was awarded an additional $21,000 at the April Commissioner’s meeting. The additional funds will fund thirteen more routers.  All libraries will receive new switches and libraries that have wireless and servers will receive the first ten routers.  The next thirteen routers to be installed will be based on the libraries number of PC’s.  The second grant was filed in March for the remainder of the project. The MBLC requested a revised budget and clarification on objectives. 

Martha reported the ten routers have been installed along with the switches.  The switches are capable of VLANS, which can separate staff PC’s from public PC’s, as well as wireless users.  The goal is for all libraries to have VLAN’s set up.  Only Saugus has their VLAN set up, Martha will be contacting the remaining nine libraries to schedule a time.  Meeting with Atrion next week to finalize the installation schedule for the remainder of the routers and switches.  Ron added, to assist in the installation process, it would be helpful if libraries know ahead of time which PC’s are staff and which are public. As well as any wireless or other groups that need to be segregated traffic. 

 

 

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May 20, 2004

 

STATE BUDGET ISSUES UPDATE:

Ron reported that in the FY2005 House budget, line item 9506, Library Technology, increased $200,000 from $341,000 to $541,000.  The Senate budget funded the same amount.  There was also an increase in state aid, therefore funding for libraries is more positive.

A discussion ensued on libraries budgets and financial situations. 

 

NEW BUSINESS:    

·         Anne Tullson spoke briefly about a Kids to College summer program for reading.

·         Ron reminded directors the June meeting will be the 24th at Marblehead, with luncheon at the Corinthian Yacht Club following the meeting.

·         Deborah Abraham announced Judith Swarden will be part-time children’s librarian at Shute library.

·         Barbara Lachance announced Lori Stalteri and Marie Lasher will be leaving. 

 

WORKING GROUP UPDATES:

·         Collection Management is meeting tomorrow. 

·         Database Quality and Electronic Resources Working Groups are having a joint meeting June 3rd. 

 

ADJOURNMENT:

Barbara Lachance moved to adjourn the meeting at 11:55.  Sharon Gilley seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous vote.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Kimberly Lynn

Secretary