NOBLE Executive Board meeting
May 18, 2005
@ NOBLE
In
Attendance: Deb
Abraham, Mary Rose Quinn, Dennis Kelley, Linda Hummel-Shea, Doug Rendell, Sue
Koronowski, Martha Holden, Barbara LaChance, and Ron Gagnon. Also present were Elizabeth Thomsen of NOBLE
and Jeff Klapes of Wakefield
Call
to Order: Mary
Rose Quinn called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.
Approval
of Minutes: Doug
Rendell forwarded a motion to approve the Minutes of the April 13, 2005
Executive Board Meeting. Motion was seconded by Deb Abraham and approved.
Treasurer’s
Report: Ron
Gagnon distributed Treasurer’s Report.
We are on target for this time of year, having spent 73% of the
operating funds 80% of the way through year.
Although insurance bills have not yet been paid, we are in good
shape. Motion to approve Treasurer’s
Report by Barbara LaChance; seconded by Dennis Kelley and unanimously approved.
v
NOBLE
staff are planning Tech Expo scheduled for June 9.
v
Ron
reported that his Quarterly Executive Director’s Report will be in blog format
so that Ron can update information throughout the Quarter.
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Ron
has been working with Flatley Company.
We are waiting for Flatley to execute lease extension agreement. In the meantime Flatley has performed minor
repairs to the building and will replace both HVAC units. Flatley also facilitated purchase of new
NOBLE sign paid for by NOBLE.
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NOBLE
insurance coverage will be provided by CNA.
Single policy will incorporate several smaller policies we purchased in
recent years for approximately the same cost.
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Elizabeth
Thomsen has been busy guest speaking at several events including NMRLS “Learn
at Lunch”, New England Assoc. of Independent School Librarians, MLA Conference
and Innovative Users Group annual meeting in California. Elizabeth will also be a mentor at the MLA
Leadership Institute next month. Both
Ron and Elizabeth will be attending the Leadership Conference at Endicott
College.
v
NOBLE
facilitated a group pc purchase for five libraries: Danvers, Gloucester, Lynn,
Melrose and Salem, at a cost better than offered by State Contract
pricing. Reading Public Library joined
the NOBLE pc support program for onsite service.
v
The
MBLC will move to their new office space in Boston’s North End on June 13.
NOBLE is coordinating the router installation with the move to the new space.
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Elizabeth
and Ron met with representatives from EBSCO’s “Success Team” yesterday. Both gave EBSCO input into how EBSCO can
provide better service for libraries.
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Next
week’s Members Meeting conflicts with MBLC’s “Key Issues Forum” in Methuen that
offers libraries statewide an opportunity to provide input for the MBLC
Strategic Plan. Other sessions are
available, but next week’s is the most convenient location for NOBLE
members. Rob Meier will contact Ron to
see if alternate sessions can be scheduled.
Appointment
of Asst. Treasurer: Ron distributed a handout that outlined the procedures for finance
authorizations and procedures. As Tom
Scully is on leave and is not able to fulfill the day-to-day responsibilities
of Treasurer, Mary Rose Quinn is authorized to sign payroll and NOBLE
checks. The current procedures are
outlined in the by-laws that were passed in 1996. There is no specific language that relates to suspension of NOBLE
office when one no longer represents a NOBLE library. The bylaws allow for the position of Asst. Treasurer although
NOBLE has never utilized this. Doug
Rendell agreed to accept the position of Asst. Treasurer until June 30, and
Mary Rose Quinn agreed to assume Asst. Treasurer position on July 1. Barbara LaChance forwarded motion to
authorize NOBLE to activate the position of Asst. Treasurer as established in
current by-laws. Linda Hummel-Shea
seconded the motion that passed unanimously.
Linda Hummel-Shea forwarded a motion to nominate Doug Rendell to serve
as Asst. Treasurer until July 1, 2005, and also nominate Mary Rose Quinn to
serve as Asst. Treasurer starting July 1, 2005. Motion was seconded by Sue Koronowski and unanimously
approved. The Board authorized Ron
Gagnon to draft a letter to Tom Scully to assure him that NOBLE has provided
for the administration of the duties of Treasurer in his absence.
2006
Officer Nominations: The Board nominated Linda
Hummel-Shea to serve as Vice-President/ President-Elect and Martha Holden to
serve as Clerk/Secretary. Both were
present and agreed to serve.
Catalog
Content Policy: Elizabeth Thomsen reported
that as the diversity in collections in NOBLE increases, guidelines for what
should or should not be included/added to the catalog and under what
circumstances, need to be addressed.
NOBLE has never had specific guidelines for low-end bibliographic items
(e.g. puzzle pieces) or at the other end of the spectrum, high-end items (e.g.
e-materials/NetLibrary/ Overdrive). The
Database Quality Working Group and the Electronic Resources Working Group
jointly created a policy that Ron distributed that will serve, as ERWG Chair
Jeff Klapes explained, as a base document on which NOBLE can build as
technology changes. The proposed policy
refers to the catalog as opposed to the database as the database includes both
suppressed and non-suppressed items.
Linda Hummel-Shea requested that NOBLE address acceptable circulation
counting standards to address inflationary counting practices at an upcoming
Members Meeting, Doug Rendell forwarded
a motion to accept the proposed Policy on Permissible Content in the NOBLE
Online Catalog. Barbara LaChance
seconded the motion that was approved unanimously.
Grant
Updates: Ron
is wrapping up work on the telecommunications grant for 2005. On Saturday June 11, new equipment will be
installed (central site router/firewall/T3 connection). Although internal connections (libraries to
NOBLE) will be down most of that day, Internet connectivity from the outside
should be mostly unaffected. Ron
discussed the Gates Foundation Grant that will provide a packet shaper to
monitor traffic on the network.
Activities funded by these two grants should effectively address the
network’s bottleneck issues. Ron also
reported that by the end of May Atrion should complete the router/Bluesocket
upgrades to those libraries that have not yet been upgraded.
Ron also reported that NOBLE is
on track for the 2006 server grant for the Innovative server and the federated
searching grant. SACL approval in June
and Commissioners’ approval in July is still pending. Ron and Elizabeth continue to investigate potential federated
searching vendors. Due to a
misunderstanding by Innovative, the server grant was written based on a quote
for a less sophisticated machine than we require. Ron is working with Innovative to reconcile the difference. Once we know where we stand with this, Ron
will address the EDIFACT component as well as software not covered in the grant
application.
Adjournment.
Respectfully
submitted:
Martha
Holden, Secretary