NOBLE Executive Board meeting
July 20, 2005
@ NOBLE
In Attendance: Dennis Kelley, Linda Hummel-Shea, Doug Rendell, Sue
Koronowski, Martha Holden, Barbara LaChance, Elisabeth Tully and NOBLE
Executive Director Ron Gagnon.
Call to Order: Sue Koronowski called the meeting to order at 2:10
p.m.
Approval of Minutes: Linda Hummel-Shea forwarded a motion to approve the
Minutes of the May 18 and June 23, 2005 Executive Board Meetings. Motion was
seconded by Doug Rendell and approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Ron Gagnon distributed the June 30th
Treasurer’s Report. Some late FY05
invoices were paid from FY06 funds. Bob
Guimond will make final FY05 adjustments over the next several weeks. Surplus of $60,000 is due to Verizon
underbilling issue. This has not been resolved
definitively as of yet. Funds budgeted
for mail and web server will be rolled over to next year and project will be
completed at that time. Motion to
approve Treasurer’s Report by Dennis Kelley; seconded by Barbara LaChance and
unanimously approved.
v
Ron met with the MBLC
last week to discuss resource sharing and telecommunications issues in light of
restored state funding. Ron had hoped
that networks would be restored as a priority of line 9506 funding before additional
delivery and database funding. The
legislature had increased funding with the understanding that the increase
would be distributed equally. NOBLE
will receive double last year’s assistance, but funding level remains at only
half of peak level of 2001.
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NOBLE received full LSTA
funding for both grants submitted to the MBLC in March. The MBLC approved $42,000 for replacement of
the server and $35,000 (100% of the total cost) for federated searching. The new server will be installed in
winter. The current server cannot
handle the III release scheduled for August.
If NOBLE decides to purchase hardware and some software from III, we may
have greater leverage to negotiate with III for price breaks. The Board consensus was to proceed with the
acquisition of software approved last fall and winter by Members in conjunction
with server purchase, funding to be taken from capital account.
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As Beverly and Lynn
public libraries were recertified by the MBLC, NOBLE immediately restored full
borrowing privileged to residents of both communities from those libraries that
had elected not to serve. Martha
Driscoll updated ARIS circ stats to correctly reflect reporting of circs to
those libraries during the period of de-certification.
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FY2006 E-rate requests
for data line and voice services were approved. This represents a 48% discount or approximately $40,000 in
anticipated savings.
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CPA Bob Guimond has been
contracted by NOBLE to begin annual audit.
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The installation of the
T3 line remains problematic due to problems in extending the line from central
electrical room to NOBLE’s office. The
current plan is to run line through a conduit that will run 300’ across
roofline into NOBLE offices. NOBLE has
contracted for an electrician and will hire a roofer to run conduit through
roof. NOBLE is responsible for the cost
of the entire run of line. New hardware
is in place but not activated due to delays in T3 install. As soon as the T3 is in, Atrion will
implement new central site router, firewall and packet shaper. NOBLE has not been able to schedule a
switchover date for Atrion, pending Verizon work. Some downtime will be required, ideally completed during the
summer.
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July 20, 2005
v
In September the MBLC at
their regular meeting will discuss feedback from MBLC Strategic Plan
forums. Among issues identified is the
issue of network vs. region funding.
Although the MBLC funds the regions entirely, this is not the case for
networks. The benefits and drawbacks of
100% MBLC funding include concerns about the possibility of last-minute funding
cuts by the legislature, lack of ability to carry over funds from one year to
the next, lack of mechanism for building capital and required MBLC approval of
any proposed budget line item changes in the fiscal year.
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Ron and Elizabeth
Thomsen attended ALA and spoke with many vendors offering federated
searching. Serial Solutions is a
strong player, and database vendors are currently exploring avenues into the
market albeit with their own proprietary database considerations. The market should change considerably as new
vendors enter the market with product and pricing options. NOBLE sought LSTA funds of $35,000 based on
prices of III’s Metafind product
as well as WebFeat. The LSTA
grant runs for one year. NOBLE would
have to fund subsequent years’ subscriptions.
NOBLE’s choice of vendor and product could conceivably change every year
as federated searching is a subscription service as opposed to
capital/equipment purchase.
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Ron is on planning
committee for November meeting of New England Innovative Users Group at Rivier
College in Nashua, N.H.
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Ron will be on vacation
weeks of August 1 and August 22.
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NOBLE completed MBLC’s
Annual Network Survey.
Appointment of Working
Groups: Ron reviewed the status and
focus of working groups currently active in NOBLE. Ron recommends combining some of the current Working Groups to
more effectively guide NOBLE policy and procedure. The proposed Working Groups are as follows:
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Database &
Electronic Resources Working Group
- responsible for catalog standards and item records issues as well as the
online catalog and integration of electronic resources.
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Resource Sharing
Working Group - responsible for
circulation issues that affect entire network, including holds issues
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Collection Management
Working Group – responsible for
formulating NOBLE Collection Management Policy, required for MBLC funding.
NOBLE seeks committee
members for each of these groups, ideally with a balance of old and new members
and participation balanced between large and small libraries and public and
academic libraries. President Sue
Koronowski is responsible for appointments to working groups.
FY 2007-9 Technology
Plan: Ron distributed proposed FY 2007-9 Technology
Plan. In order for NOBLE to qualify for
e-rate funding, the MBLC must approve the plan. Ron recommends the maximum
term 3-year plan that supports e-rate requirements and is related to
NOBLE’s Strategic Plan. (NOBLE -for LSTA purposes- is required to submit its
Annual Action Plan for 2007 in November in support of its Strategic Plan). Ron asked for Technology Plan review and
feedback by the end of August. The
final document will be discussed by the Executive Board in October and
presented to Members for approval at the October Members’ Meeting.
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July 20, 2005
Board and Officers
Position Descriptions: Ron distributed position descriptions for
President; Vice-President/President-Elect; Treasurer; Assistant Treasurer;
Clerk, and Board Member. The
descriptions are adapted from written NMRLS position descriptions but tailored
to the needs of NOBLE. The Executive
Board approved of the position description language and the allowance for the
position of Assistant Treasurer but discussed at length options for language
that addresses Board members’ leaves of absence and/or suspension of position
within their own organizations. Ron
will solicit legal review and advice regarding language that addresses appropriate
disqualification (and reinstatement if applicable) of a NOBLE Board member upon
extended leave or suspension from the library he or she represents.
NOBLE Confidentiality
Policy Review: Ron discussed the need
to update NOBLE’s current confidentiality policy in light of the fact that it
has not been updated since its implementation in “pre-Internet” years. The Board praised the policy in that aside
from specifics relating to the Internet and electronic issues, its broad
content remains valid and appropriate in 2005.
Doug Rendell offered to research different policies from other
organizations and offer suggestions to the Board. Linda Hummel-Shea offered to work with Doug to ensure that in
proposing new policy, the needs of both public and academic libraries would be
considered.
Adjournment.
Respectfully submitted:
Martha Holden, Secretary