library of california
Gold Coast Library Network
Ventura + Santa Barbara + San Luis Obispo
Board of Directors
Minutes
May 10th, 2001

Presiding: John Murray, Chair

Attendees:
Present at this meeting:
Bettie Day, Library User Representative
Marcia Frasier, Public Libraries Representative
Sarah Pritchard, Resource Libraries Representative
Brian Reynolds, Black Gold Library System Representative
Terry Sheridan, Special Libraries Representative
Octavio Sifuentes, Finance Chair
Bill Stokes, School Libraries Representative

Also present:
Mary Lou Kravetz, Gold Coast Library Network Program Manager
Judith Segel, Gold Coast Library Network Chief Executive

Not present:
Hiram Davis, Academic Libraries Representative
Carol Keator, Vice Chair
Bryan Thompson, Records and Correspondence Chair

1. CALL TO ORDER - The May meeting of the Network Board was convened at 10:45 a.m. on May 10, 2001 at the Voskuyl Library at Westmont College by Chair John Murray.
2. ADOPTION OF AGENDA - The agenda was adopted with the following added agenda items:
   10. Approval of Revised 2001/2002 Plan of Service
   11. Substitute Representative for an Absent Board Member
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
   March 1, 2001- Moved, seconded (Sifuentes, Sheridan) and carried that the minutes be approved as written.
4. DISCUSSION SUMMARY March 22, 2001 - Information received and reviewed. Nothing noted to be carried forward.
5. SUMMARY OF LoC MEETING March 25-26, 2001 - John Murray, Judith Segel, Mary Lou Kravetz and Sarah Pritchard (first day) attended. Our region was not alone at being upset at the suggested fund distribution models. There were 8 models. Model 8 was selected that provides a base of $200,000 per region and distributes the remaining monies as follows: 50% for number of members and 50% for number of participating libraries. Region VII will receive $311,337 (not the hypothetical $468,671 on which the Annual Plan submitted April 1 was based). The argument for this model is that LoC is still in start up mode and each network needs a base level to keep going. Within three years, LoC might look at geography and population. No easy answers. It's the dense vs. rural issue. Uncertainty pervaded the meeting. The question is how much will the LoC budget be cut. Regions were asked to report whether they would spend all of this year's allotted $361,000.

   All Plans of Service were disapproved because of the change in the funding allocation. Regions are to re-write their Plan of Service and resubmit by May 25, 2001.

   Since funds are based on membership, we need to look at potential members. This is the first item of business for the newly appointed Membership Committee. There might be 25-30 potential members. Karpeles Manuscript Library will be contacted again as a prospective member. Eligibility for membership was brought up. This will also be an issue for the Membership Committee.

   LoC plans to pay for a membership to Amigos for all members. LoC (Ira Bray) will be contacting the regions and Amigos will in the future communicate with the regions

   LoC is hiring new staff. Nothing yet on resource libraries. Resource libraries will become an issue when central I&R comes into play. Next year, to qualify for loan reimbursement, a library must be a member of the Library of California. The ILL consultant study said that to do reimbursements right, ILL would cost the State $20-$50M.

   It was agreed that all Board members should receive LoC meeting dates and housing information via email. If Board members do not receive this information on the Regions' ListServ, Mary Lou Kravetz will forward a copy. It is important to have at least one Board member present at each LoC Board meeting. The Board likes to hear from regional board members.

6. CONSIDERING OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE - John Murray asked Diana Paque at the LoC Board meeting if it were permissible for the Region to seek other sources of revenue. Diana said it is fine and that some of the other regions are even entrepreneurial. Programs, such as Region IV's Newsbank contract, which organized a discounted program for members and provided some income for that Region, is an example. Paque said that only concern was that a region not raise money for a program that is already funded by the State. This could give the appearance of double dipping.

   There was concern among the Board that it can take as much money to initiate a fund raising program as what can be raised. The Board agreed that this idea should be kept in the background. We could go for grants and then charge back. The most important issue for the Network is to work together. The Region should look at other ideas, such as, a radio station giving station time to talk about the library.

   Amigos membership may be helpful.

7. COMMITTEE UPDATES - At the committees' organizational meetings at the Annual Meeting April 19, 2001 chairs were chosen and first meetings arranged. Membership Committee had their first meeting in May. Online Services and Reference Committee plan to meet May 18. The Training and Technical Assistance Committee meeting is proposed for either June 4 or 5 and the Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing Committee has not scheduled a meeting yet.
8. GRANT UPDATES
   1. Cat-A-Link Gold is installed in the Network's Ventura office with a server and T-1 line. Staff is now looking at the firewall question.
   2. Electronic Status Analysis draft report has arrived. Sections are being emailed to each participant for corrections and additions.
   3. Gale Biography Resource Center - Gale has provided a quote for next year. Staff will negotiate for a lower price and a more advantageous expiration date.
   4. Membership Promotion and Communication has allowed the purchase of promotional materials.
   5. Videoconferencing equipment is in place and functioning. Continuing cost are the lines and connect time.
9. FUTURE MEETING DATES - It was decided that Mary Lou Kravetz will poll board members on date availability and preferred date availability and then email the year's schedule and post it on the GCLN web site.
10. APPROVAL OF REVISED 2001/2002 PLAN OF SERVICE -The Plan of Service is to be revised and returned to LoC by May 25, 2001. The budget and the narrative have been revised to reflect the decrease. The administrative budget has been reduced by eliminating the administrative support position. Region VII wants to maintain its basic structure. Telecommunications was adjusted upward. Cat-A-Link Gold needs more personnel support because the position was previously grant?funded. We will not be able to support videoconferencing as much as initially planned. Regional Delivery is protected. Training and Continuing Education has been reduced from three training classes to one. The Training Committee will consider the use of the videoconferencing equipment for both training and reference services. All members added prior to April 1, 2001 will be covered in the revised budget. The Information and Referral budget was decreased. Gold Coast will have Gale this year, but we won't have the money for 2003. Stokes inquired about expanding online services. Amigos is supposed to negotiate online services for LoC members as well as poll them on what databases are desired. $10,000 was added to Public Awareness to reflect the time that will be spent distributing materials and giving information to members, potential members and the community.
    
    Moved and seconded (Sheridan, Reynolds) that the Revised Plan of Service be approved with the proviso that an error in addition be corrected and that any further modifications on funding to comply with the requirements of LoC be authorized by the Executive Committee.
11. SUBSTITUTE REPRESENTATIVE FOR AN ABSENT BOARD MEMBER - Hiram Davis, in his absence, asked John Murray to present the following question to the Board. Can a Board Member who will be absent from a meeting send a substitute representative?

    GCLN Bylaws do not address this. The Council reps can send another voting member from their institution, but board members are elected as individuals. The Board agreed that a board member could send a representative to convey and collect information, but the person would have no voting rights. There is no provision to designate or permit a vote by proxy. Mary Lou Kravetz will review other associations' bylaws to see how this matter is handled. John Murray will relay this discussion to Hiram Davis.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.

Recorded by Mary Lou Kravetz

Signature of Approval:

John Murray, Chair

Bryan Thompson, Records & Correspondence Chair

Judith Segel, Chief Executive