Wednesday, January 13, 2016 | Maine State Library Studio

Minerva Executive Board Meeting

Present at the Maine State Library: Steve Norman, Judy Frost, Shelly Davis, Kevin Davis, Nancy Crowell, James Rathbun and Liz Soares. Via phone: Janet Elvidge.

Present through remote feed from the University of Maine at Orono: James Jackson Sanborn, Lynn Uhlman, Alisia Revitt.

The meeting was called to order at 10:09 a.m.
The minutes of the November meeting were accepted.

1. Non-Contributing Libraries
   A letter to the “non-contributing” libraries (that is, libraries setting a default item status as non-contributing to MaineCat, as distinct from Minerva) was drafted, but Steve had not yet sent it out. There was discussion of some libraries that don’t like the three-week loan rule for DVDs. Nancy said there may be still more libraries that have not expressed concerns.  Kevin asked if they were concerned that items are out too long. Nancy says they feel they are lending more than their share. They also want to split up multi-disk sets. Steve noted that one of the libraries does not seem to be running notices as often as it should. However, Lynn said the library in question doesn’t have stuck holds, so it must be running reports regularly. If the person running holds does not hit send, then the action is not recorded.These libraries believe the initial process for deciding the loan period was not as open as it should have been. They want the option of two lending periods.The letter to the non-contributing libraries asks why they are doing what they are doing. The intent of the letter is exploratory, not accusatory.Incidentally, Portland is adding a lot of videos from Video Corp (which went out of business). That helps by adding more DVDs to the MaineCat pool.
2. Minerva Strategic Plan:
   We are on track and working on the Memorandum of Understanding.Judy noted that our connection to the Maine State Library is not as direct as when they held the license to Minerva/Sierra. The Minerva MOU was originally set up as guidelines for MSL and Minerva. In a first draft of a revised MOU, almost all references to the MSL have been removed. Unless an action goes against Maine InfoNet goals, Minerva is self-governing.James Jackson Sanborn will ask the Maine InfoNet board if its chair or James should sign a new MOU.We need to approve a final draft then forward it to the Maine Infonet (MIN) board for discussion.James noted that there is a possibility for an amending process at the MIN end as well.

   Nancy wondered whose document is this to be approved?

   James: This is the document that created Minerva as it is now. Minerva’s bylaws were made possible by it; it is both a Minerva document and a MIN document. It should be presented as a partnership agreement, although it was originally drafted because of concerns within Minerva.

   Judy agrees it is the closest document of partnership of any of the MIN libraries, and we need to revise and formalize it.

   The MOU allows Minerva to make its own decisions, but the ultimate authority is the MIN board.

   James: The MIN board has identified as a goal establishing MOUs with all their libraries. MILS has an agreement of participation, for example. The MOU is part of a larger plan.

   Judy will review the MOU and make suggestions. We will need to vote to approve a new MOU.

3. Budget and Dues:Steve had asked Amber about next year’s budget. She said she hadn’t worked on it yet and that we are following last year’s schedule for preparing the budget. Steve checked, and they had exactly the same conversation last year!We will have a small increase or no increase. The reserve fund is healthy. Steve: Perhaps it is better to have small increases regularly than big ones occasionally.Judy thinks we should try to leave it the same because many are in difficult financial straits.James Jackson Sanborn: With Innovative, the contract years 3-4-5 increase three percent. There’s a $4,200 annual Minerva fee and $3,000 goes to III.  So we might need a $4,300 budget.

   Shelly said we should compare a small increase versus the same that Amber did last year. Steve will spread the word that there may be a $100 increase.

4. Executive Board Election:Amber’s, Liz’s, and Steve’s seats are up. Steve and Janet agreed to form the nominating committee.
5. RDA Toolkit:
   The renewal was not ready yet so Steve asked to extend the deadline.After Nancy asked about the cost, Steve said he is assuming the cost is in line with the previous year.However, Lynn said that many catalogers feel the toolkit is not useful. There is plenty of free info out there in blogs and on YouTube, as well as online help from MIN.Judy moved we review statistics on use and then vote on whether to renew it.Steve last heard that catalogers wanted it. Shelly: It may have been helpful for the transition to RDA but may not be useful anymore. Lynn said it was useful for some but not all as it is difficult to navigate.

   Nancy: If we give libraries a heads up now, they can plan to pay for themselves–maybe $200?

   Steve: Dealing with the consortial billing is a problem.

   Nancy moved that we not renew RDA toolkit and alert members of this fact. Shelly seconded and it was unanimously carried.

   Nancy: We should include that information is available on the cataloging page.

   Steve: This does save some money.

6. Bags:We are ordering additional delivery bags. Previously, Belfast had ordered and was reimbursed. James Jackson Sanborn noted that if Belfast can order again, Minerva will pay.
7. New Committees:
   *Communications will start up once it can; various things have to happen first.*Innovation: Shelly has recruited Tim McFadden as well as Cyndi Burne (Topsham), Anna Romer (Hobbs), Sarah Sugden (Waterville), Josh Tiffany (Gray). They have formed a committee but have not met yet.
   *Financial Feasibility has not met yet.
8. Kaplan University Library:Steve wondered where they had gone. Rumors circulated that the staff had been laid off. They are not running their reports.Lynn noted that this summer, all Kaplan locations weren’t running reports. Since then, the South Portland and Augusta campuses have begun to run them, but Lewiston hasn’t since summer.Steve said it appears that no new staff will be hired and that they intend to get rid of their paper collections and instead go all digital.If that is the case, Kaplan will have no collection to contribute to Minerva. They would only be borrowing.

   Steve’s attempts to phone the three locations were unsuccessful, but he was finally able to talk with a student worker in Lewiston. Steve eventually learned that Kevin Cusson, a former student advisor at Kaplan, was directing the learning commons. Judy thought there was a “virtual librarian,” but Alisia thought that person had been laid off.

   Steve: This is a real problem. It would be logical and appropriate to cut off requesting privileges. I want to talk to someone first, but can’t reach anyone.

   Kevin moved that Kaplan’s requesting be turned off. Nancy seconded. She suggested we also draft a letter to send via registered mail to tell them that requesting is being turned off.

   After further discussion, Kevin moved that we disable borrowing and lending and send the letter to an administrator.  Nancy seconded. The motion carried.

9. Reports:*MaineInfonetAt ALA MidWinter, James attended informative thinking and planning meetings with a subset of MIN and OCLC folk to discuss where they are and where we are two years into our five-year contract with III. We are having these conversations early about where we go in the future. OCLC is a potential partner we identified in 2012.OCLC has made a lot of progress but is not there yet on the consortial ILS level. The subset MIN board met with III and its entire leadership team about the corporation and technology. It was a good—although not amazing–conversation.MIN had concerns about III’s equity partners and the aging architecture of the III software. III has been cleaning up instead of rolling out new things. Maybe MIN should use an RFP to find our next partner?

   In other news, there will be new Sierra web-based modules. This will be a full suite of web-based workstreams such as check out and check in.

   James also met with EBSCO. We perhaps could use a Kickstarter funding model to add a new database to MARVEL. He is looking at an automotive repair database and was waiting for the figures on it.

   *MIN Liaison

   Judy: Where we’re going is the big question. Colby-Bates-Bowdoin are considering other options. Many academics are going to Ex Libris because they don’t feel that III has done enough for academics. Ex Libris is focused on academic libraries.

   There is a sense that III may not be keeping up with the changing environment. There’s WorldCat Discovery, but you need to have your whole collection in OCLC and there are mixed reviews.

   Ex Libris has been purchased by ProQuest, so EBSCO is probably looking to buy something now.

   Another issue is that SOLAR is disappearing. Hartland has a large AV collection and will join MILS. James Jackson Sanborn is still working on a plan for the dissolution of SOLAR and looking for ways to connect with Evergreen and Koha.

   *Minerva Tech

   Alisia: We will be updating all to Sierra 2.1 during the early morning of Jan. 31. This will fix some known issues with the web interface.

   Lynn reviewed the healthy system protocols that the users group and circulation roundtable has heard. For example, a hold on a unique item needs to be formally canceled (if it must be cancelled) or else it will just sit there.

   *Finance—A healthy balance is in the Minerva account. All has been quiet on the spending front.

   *Membership—Anne Davis is now chair.

   *Circulation: James Rathbun said that the primary thing is that everyone do their job and run notices.

   The standards committee has discussed how to make members accountable for attending circulation meetings. Should members be required to attend or should they be able to watch videos, such as the cataloging committee permits?

   He said that Cyndi Burne had a list of patron accounts more than five years old that are just sitting there. A lot of stuff is cluttering up the system.

   Another question: What about checking out a hold to patron who doesn’t come in on time to pick up the hold? This will give the patron some extra time to come in, but the “clock will be ticking” on the loan period, so to speak.

   Judy: We’re not supposed to touch others’ patron records but she is seeing it on her patron’s records—two in the last month—so maybe a reminder should go out?

   Lynn suggested running hold cancellations in the afternoon as well as the morning.

   James noted the circulation committee hasn’t been taking notes but will in the future.

   *Cataloging: Katherine Morgan sent a brief report. She has a list of 8-10 members that have not attended the required number of cataloging meetings. The committee wants to toggle off cataloging permissions to those libraries.

   Steve wanted to communicate with directors first and then have the board take action.

   Lynn thought everyone’s had enough warning.

   Nancy moved, Kevin seconded, and the motion to turn off cataloging privileges for those who have not attended or viewed the required cataloging meeting carried. Steve will reach out to the affected libraries then implement the consequence.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:03 p.m.

The next meeting will be held March 9, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.