Connecticut Library Association Executive Board Meeting

December 5, 2013

Middletown Library Service Center

  1. Richard Conroy called the meeting to order at 10:04 am.
  2. Board Introductions.
  3. Minutes from the December 5th meeting were approved with corrections.
  4. Old Business
  1. President’s report – Richard Conroy
  1. Richard Conroy, Carl Antonucci, and Ken Wiggin attended ALA Signing Ceremony which coincided with the CLASS conference at the Hartford Public Library.
  2. PowerPoint demo/review on conference registration using Star Chapter.
  3. Reminder to send invoices to unpaid attendees. He will revisit Star Chapter in a few weeks to find out who still needs to pay and clean up registration records. Jennifer Keohane added to call CLC for help with disputes.
  1. Treasurer’s report – Christine Baum
  1. Reported accounts are in good shape. Robin Messenger has added notes as explanation for the money/payments to the budget which is helpful.
  2. Salaries for Jen Datum and Bobbi Shea are paid up.
  1. New Business
  1. Richard Conroy proposed that the next meeting on January 2nd be pushed back to January 9th. All were in agreement.
  2. Sally Tornow proposed that the Awards Committee handle all awards including the Excellence in Library Service Award. The Region Reps are okay with this change.
  1. Reports
  1. ADA – Ed Morrissey
  1. Conference call meeting to discuss presenting an awareness session on how to better service patrons with disabilities at a future CLA Executive Board Meeting.
  1. ALA/Legislative – Carl Antonucci
  1. First signing ceremony of the ALA initiative Declaration for the Right to Libraries is scheduled for April 16, 2014 at the State Capitol.
  2. Jennifer Keohane added that CLC is offering workshops on howto do this at your own library and that a lot of people are planning library activities that week and suggested adding an event to go to the State Capitol on April 14th for the signing ceremony as part of those activities.
  3. Publicity Committee added that SnapShot day on April 15th dovetails nicely with the event.
  1. Career Development – Michael Spellmon
  1. Survey Results from the CLA Minimum Salary Recommendations were passed out.
  2. Happy with the 119 responses: 60% management, 40% rank and file.
  3. 52% of managers do not hire according to the CLA MSR for a variety of reasons: unions, too small, no MLS jobs.
  4. Reasons for the survey were to get a sense of how members were using the MSR. This would help quantify a recommendation for an increase in the MSR, initiated at the 2013 Leadership Conference.The state is skewered more to lower starting salaries.
  5. Richard Conroy re survey results, tough but making progress. It used to be 40%.
  6. Jennifer Keohane added of CLC job postings from the last three years, 57% did not meet the minimum level recommended. The State is skewered more to lower.
  1. CLC – Jennifer Keohane
  1. CLC is sponsoring a bus to NYC for the “I Love My Librarian” award Dec 17, 2013.
  2. Affordable Care Act dates to register extended to December 23rd.
  3. Bookmark Access Health site for information on Affordable Care Act. Connecticut is way ahead of the other states. Only seventeen other states have their own Access Health Site. Get to know your local assister and establish a relationship with them.
  4. 590 participated in Health Happens, an ALA sponsored webinar. Link is available on the CLC website.
  5. Holiday Gift Guide has been created and is a great tool unique to our field. Other book links available of the CLC website include tiny book reviews and
  1. CSL – Ken Wiggin
  1. Fairs of Access Health are being organized throughout the State.
  2. State Library Board endorsed the Right to Libraries in December.
  3. $7 million in construction grants have been approved.
  4. Dawn Lavalle from DLD and Tom Newman discussed how to improve the survey.
  5. Diane Frankenstein,Linda Williams and Susan Cormier partnered with benefactor Andrew Etter for Conversation Reading Workshop which provides $500 to each library and an additional $3000 grant for early childhood literacy modeled after 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. Andrew Etter wants to work more with the State Library and Department of Education.
  1. Children’s – Mary Beth Rassulo
  1. There are 9 publishers confirmed for Children’s Book Buzz program at CLA 2014.
  1. College & University – Dan Lewis

i. Webex Annual Meeting date is June 2014

ii. CLA 2014 Conference submission include Professional Developers Maker Space, Common Core with speaker Rene Hobbs from U of R.I. Digial Literacy. ACLB is cosponsoring the event.

  1. Conference 2014 – Chris Angeli

i.Follow-up with program submitters for more details in order to complete submissions for conference programs.

i. Customer Service – Brandie Doyle

i.Introduced new Co-Chair Ellen Cartridge.

j. Editorial – Doug Lord and Jen Datum

i.CLA newsletter will be out December 15. Please send in tiny book reviews of 50 words or less.words or less.

  1. Updating Publicity Information and other changes on website.
  2. Available for help using StarChapter. Richard Conroy added that to make the website better we need content from others.

k.Friends – Mary Etter

i.Successful fall conference on Nov 9th at CCSU. Key note was Rebecca Smith of Aldridge Inspiration. Barbara McGrath spoke about Giving to Libraries. There was a presentation on what to do with your books and other resources. More information about conference programs is available on the website.

l. Membership – Jen Datum

i.Change of bylaws approved and will be updated in StarChapter. Changes will go into effect Feb 1st. Beth Crowley added to make sure verbiage is clear before changes are made.

m. NELA – Beth Crowley

i.NELA President Deborah Holding will visit other state associations and will attend the February 6th CLA Executive Board meeting.

n. PEG – Peter Ciparelli

i.Money is available through June 30th. There is $800 left.

o. Publicity – Julie Menders

i. 2014 Publicity Awards flyer submissions goes live on CLA website.

p. Public Libraries – Sally Tornow

i.36 Libraries want to participate in the Passport Program during September 2014. Library participants need to provide materials,i.e. raffle tickets, prizes. Meeting is scheduled for Feb 19th in Bristol to work out details.

q. Resource Sharing – Jill Adams

i.Please promote CLA membership and joining RS committee and the ILL Roundtable at meetings and conferences that you attend.

r.Technology – Arianna Schlegel

i. Great attendance at the Public Library Redesign program.

s.YA – Kristy Sadowski

i.40 people attended November 7 conference. There was good feedback. The author panel was made up of good speakers.

  1. Region Reports
  1. Region 1 – Patricia Lunn
  2. Region 2 – Marjorie Ruschau
  3. Region 3 – Peter Ciparelli

i.Saxon B. Little Library, Columbia - The library has been awarded a $1 million dollar construction grant from the State Library.

ii.Booth and Dimock Library, Coventry – The library has almost raised enough funds to purchase a 3-D printer, the first step towards their Maker Space. They have begun the Very Ready Reading Program: 1,000 books before Kindergarten and are getting huge registrations from individuals and preschools.

  1. Putnam Public Library, Putnam – The library board and town government are in the process of trying to get a parcel of land which would house a new library. They just received a $1 million dollar construction grant from the State Library and the referendum to buy the land will be held on December 16th.
  2. Tolland Public Library, Tolland – The library was awarded a $1 million dollar construction grant from the State Library, also.

Region 4 – Sheri Szymanski

  1. Greenwich Library is celebrating the 50th anniversary of everybody's favorite Time Lord! We'll have trivia games, refreshments, prizes, and a showing of a classic "Doctor Who" adventure. Presented by the Greenwich Library Student Leadership Council.Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame will perform a 90 minute concert at the Greenwich Library Cole Auditorium on Sunday, December 8 at 3:30 p.m. as part of the Peterson Concert Series.
  2. Lambert Shell has been appointed as the new Director of the Danbury Library. Lambert earned his MLIS from C.W. Post University and comes to Danbury from the Queens Library System in New York.
  3. Westport, Greenwich and Darien Libraries have all earned Library Journal Star Library ratings for 2013.
  4. Fairfield Library continues its Skype a Docent program series, which recently featured Skype tours of the Bruce Museum’s Chuck Close show. This program series is funded through an LSTA grant for senior services and is a component of the library’s homebound service.
  5. Weston Library is featuring Atomic Training, online computer classes via their website.
  6. Wilton Library’s holiday book sale is running through December 23rd in the library gallery.
  7. C.H. Booth Library in Newtown is also featuring a holiday book sale on December 7th & 8th. They are also welcoming Steven Kellogg and Patricia MacLachlan to the library on Suday December 8th for a signing of their book, “Snowflakes Fall” which was written and illustrated in honor of those who died at Sandy Hook School.

Region 5 – Christy Billings

  1. The Cromwell Library is hosting “A Winter Happening!” on Monday Dec 2nd.There will be a Social hour starting at 6:00 p.m. with the Friends of the Cromwell Belden Public Library, and then at 7:00 p.m. The Choral Club of Hartford will present a musical performance.
  2. On Wednesday Dec 11th at 7:00 P.M, Author Garrison Leykam will be in the Arch Room for a Book Signing for his book entitled Classic Diners of Connecticut.The Cheshire Public Library will host a Holiday Concert on Dec 8th at 4:00 pm featuring the performers, “Jim and Maggi.” Music historians, as well as musicians, their concert of holiday music will inform and entertain. No registration required, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
  3. The Wallingford Public Library will present: Dessert with a Doc: Combating Holiday Depression as part of their Healthy Living Series onThursday December 5th, 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Registration is required.This program is co-sponsored by MidState Medical Center.
  1. The Woodbridge Town Library will host Holiday Hors D'ouerves with Robin Glowa
    on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 @ 7:00 pm Samples and recipes will be provided. Space is limited, and registration is required.
  2. At the Russell Library, The Friends of the Russell Library will be selling their best; most recently published (2007-present) fiction and non-fiction books on Friday, December 13, 9-6pm, Saturday, December 14, 9-5pm and Sunday, December 15, 1-4pm. The books represent a wide range of subjects such as art, sports, cooking, history, home and hobbies, science, nature, and travel. All books are great bargains, priced to sell at $2+, and are in excellent condition.
  3. River Valley Services and Russell Library are cosponsoring Mental Health Matters: Living Successfully with Mental Illness which ends with “Living Successfully with Mental Illness” on Saturday, December 7 at 2pm in the Hubbard Room at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. A panel of people who live with a mental health diagnosis will share their experiences of Hope in Recovery. The program will include successes in moving from homelessness to independently living in the community, experiences of working in a competitive job, creating and enhancing personal and family relationships and living a life that is thriving and not just surviving.

Region 6 – Kate Byroade

  1. Adjournment
  1. With no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Carl Antonucci and seconded by David Boudinot.

Attendance: Michele Martin, Richard Conroy, David Boudinot, Carl DeMelia, Carl Antonucci, Ken Wiggin, Christina Baum, Douglas Lord, Jennifer Datum, Bailey Ortiz, Kristi Sadowski, Jennifer Keohane, Bernadette Niedermeier, Christy Billings, Jason Neely, Marge Ruschau, Gerald Seagrave, Peter Ciparelli, Kate Byroade, Michael Spellmon, Beth Crowley, Mary Engels, Ed Morrissey, Dan Lewis, Alison Wang, Mary Beth Rassulo, Frank Ridley, Brandie Doyle, Ellen Cartridge, Betsy McIlvaine, Sarak Marek, Arianna Schlegel, Karen Carey, Chris Angeli, Dawn Lavalle, Sally Tornow, Sheri Szymanski, Julie Mendez, Vivian Bordeau.

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