American Library Association
Reference and User Services Association
Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS)
Vendor Relations Committee Meeting Minutes
January 24, 2009
In Attendance: Douglas Hasty (Florida International University), chair; Kevin Wilks (Center for Research Libraries); Wendy Allen (Enoch Pratt Free Library); Anya Arnold (OCLC); Julia Gustafson (The College of Wooster); Zina Somova (East View Information Services); Mary Wilke (Center for Research Libraries)
Vendor Relations Committee Charge- Monitors and, as appropriate, collaborates in resource sharing product and service development; provides a forum for the exchange of information between resource sharing practitioners and the providers of products and services that support resource sharing; disseminates information to the resource sharing community.
Julia Gustafson agreed to take the minutes.
Discussion about the problems the committee has been having trying to figure out how to carry out its charge. The group brainstormed ideas and came up with several, including the following:
· Ask other committees to “feed” the committee tasks related to vendor issues.
· Send particular vendors recognition for something that has been done well.
· Encourage communication between vendors regarding standards.
· Monitor and contribute to SharILL to make sure it contains useful vendor information.
The committee agreed that, in order for this committee to carry out its charge, it needs to know the issues of concern that are raised in the other section committees. In fact, this possibility provided the committee with the hope that they would, in turn, work on real tasks that could be useful to both ILL practitioners and to vendors. Doug agreed to bring this task-generating change recommendation to the Executive Committee.
Discussion about whether or not the section had in existence a list of what ILL practitioners need from vendors in terms of what they do. It was agreed that processes vary from institution to institution. Vendors, although they try to meet as many of our needs as possible, do fine it cost prohibitive to satisfy every institution’s current processes, so some adaptation is necessary on the part of users.
Discussion about the name of the committee followed. We all agreed that the name “Vendor Outreach Committee” was more in line with the committee charge and with the more positive nature of the committee believes is the purpose of its charge. Doug agreed to bring this change recommendation to the Executive Committee.
Anya Arnold and Julia Gustafson were asked to both get access to the SharILL web site and learn how to manipulate it as well as explore what needs to be done.
It was decided that the committee would work on drafting a revision of its charge during the first conference call of the committee, which was tentatively scheduled for February 27, 2009, at 2 p.m.
Doug Hasty said he would communicate with the other committees by April to find out if there are specific tasks they would like the Vendor Relations Committee to work on.
Doug Hasty agreed to volunteer to continue as chair of the committee. Anya Arnold agreed to apply to be on the committee. Zina Somova said she would consider applying to be on the committee.
Submitted by Julia Gustafson