NJLA Executive Board Meeting

NJLA Executive Board Meeting

July 26, 2011

Monroe Twp. Public Library

4 Municipal Plaza

MonroeTwp, NJ 08831

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Susan O’Neal, President, at 10:05am.

2. Roll Call– Anne Wodnick, Secretary

Members Present: Ingrid Bruck, Cynthia Czesak, Karen Klapperstuck, Allen Kleiman, Mary Martin, Susan O’Neal, Eileen Palmer, Mary Romance, Anne Wodnick

Members Absent: Jayne Beline, Brett Bonfield, Trevor Dawes, Linda Devlin, Judy Macaluso, Gary Schmidt, Patricia Vasilik,Leah Wagner

Staff: Pat Tumulty

Guests: Peggy Cadigan, Susanna Chan

3. Adoption of the Agenda

Motion: Motion to adopt the agenda by Cindy C., second by Mary R. All approved.

4. Minutes

The following corrections to the minutesof June 21, 2011 were noted:

• Item 7, Committees and Sections, under heading NJLA Audit, 1st sentence - Change “net access” to “net assets”.
• Item 9, Reports, under heading Children’s Services Section, correct spelling of Susanna Chan’s name.
• Item 9, Reports, under heading Statewide Virtual Reference, 2nd paragraph, - Delete: “If the committee decides that it needs funding, the State Library will call a meeting of the LSTA group to discuss funding.” Insert: “The committee discussed future funding. Various funding possibilities are being explored. The State Library may consider calling a special meeting if necessary.”

Motion: Motion to approve the corrected minutes by Cindy C., second by Eileen P. Motion approved with 3 abstentions.

5. Financial Report

Susan O. presented the financial report in the absence of Treasurer Brett Bonfield. Susan noted that overall income is at 91% of budget projectionwith income from membership at over 100%. Expenses are under control. It has not been necessary to use Reserves as budgeted. There have been a number of successful programs. One of the most popular was the Micro-Conference programs sponsored by the Professional Development Committee. Pat T. noted that there is a $7000 bill with a credit still outstanding from the conference.

The financial report will be filed for audit.

6. Reports

President - Susan O’Neal

Susan O. reported that she has had a busy start to the year. She attended the Virtual Reference Task Force meeting and two Budget Committee meetings. The recent E-Summit was a wonderful success. E-Summit presentation materials and comments are available on the State Library andLibrary Link NJ websites.

2012 NJLA Conference

Susan O. is in the process of writing a survey regarding the 2012 NJLA conference. There will definitely be an NJLA conference in 2012 even though several national conferences are happening locally, including the PLA conference in Philadelphia in March of 2012. Conference revenue is essential for the operation of the association. The survey will be posted on a number of listservs in an effort to reach both members and non-members. Susan asked that any suggestions for questions be emailed to her as soon as possible.

Pat T. reported that she has concerns regarding the viability of Ocean Place as the conference location. She has had problems with a lack of response when trying to contact them. Evidently, there has been a corporate reorganization at Ocean Place. Staff, many of whom Pat hasworked with in the past,have left. It is her understanding that although they have some business on the books, it may be best not to count on Ocean Place as the conference location.

The survey will include questions regarding the date, location and format of the conference. It was suggested that it might be possible to find a hotel deal inAtlantic City due to current economic conditions. Depending on price point, it might also be possible to stay in Central Jersey. Parsippany was mentioned as a possible location. Pat T. suggested Somerset although it had not been popular in the past due to the limitations of the facility.

Allen K. expressed concern regarding staff only coming for the day. He thought that libraries may not be able to send staff if the location requiredan overnight stay. He was also concerned that library boards may have a problem with an overnight stay in Atlantic City because of the casinos. Cindy C. suggested that it might be possible to coordinate transportation for day trips. Having a bus that leaves after the last program of the day could be a money maker. Eileen P. asked how many attendees stayed overnight in the past. Pat T. stated that she will check and provide that information. Peggy C. has contacts at Trump and Borgata and will provide Pat T. with the information.

Cindy C. expressed concern that members might not understand our requirements regarding concurrent meeting spaces and exhibit space. Susan thought it would be beneficial to survey vendors.

It was suggested that members be asked about the importance of keynote speakers. Cindy C. asked if it could be possible for NJLA, like NJSLA, to have a keynote speaker and installation luncheon in June.

Susan thought it may be possible to separate out certain conference events. Peggy C. mentioned that Maryland and Delaware did a combined conference. It was agreed that the concept was not viable with such short notice. Susan thanked everyone for their input. She hopes to have the survey out by the end of the week.

Intellectual Freedom Defense Fund

Susan reported that a library director under duress has hired her own attorneyand asked Susan if the Intellectual Freedom Defense Fund could help. After initial discussion, Susan felt it was not appropriate given that a challenge to materials is not involved.Eileen P. asked if there was a statement regarding the purpose and use of the fund. Pat T. will check the minutes for fund specifics.

This situation highlights the question of library directors having employment contracts. There was interest at conference regarding this topic. Pat T. and Susan talked about the possibility of bringing in Beth Hinsdale, a well known attorney to present a program on this emergent need. The program could be sponsored by the Administration & Management section. Members of the board concurred. It was agreed that it would be beneficial to have the program as soon as possible, perhaps as early as September. Pat T. suggested that it would be necessary to look at the calendar so there is no conflict with meetings that have already been scheduled.

Committees

Susan O. has been working on committee appointments and has seen an uneven response. A very small percentage of the membership has volunteered to work on committees. Susan reminded the board of the need to reach out personally and remind people of the value of committee participation. In particular, the Member Services and Conference committees need additional members. Mary M. commented that people are not sure what each committee does and don’t understand what is involved. She suggested that we need to address what people will learn and gain from the experience. Allen K. remarked that it was necessary to change the perception that committees are closed. There has to be a sense that new people are welcomed on committees each year. It was also noted that with reduced staffing at many libraries, it is often difficult for people to get permission to attend face-to-face meetings.

Cindy C. suggested that people don’t realize that there is a document that defines committee roles and responsibilities. Mary M. commented that it was written in “board” language and suggested that if we want people to join, we need to communicate to them in their own terms.

It was suggested that at the upcoming leadership meeting, committee chairsbe asked to reach out personally to encourage new members. Susan will also ask committee chairs how they plan to operate and if they will offer virtual meetings. Committee chairs will be reminded of the importance of communicating their goals and the value of committee membership; welcoming new committee members; and setting standards regarding meeting schedules and communication.

NJLA Membership

Susan O. reminded board members of their responsibility to cultivate members. Membership numbers have decreased significantly. The budget committee has identified increased membership asa keygoal. Susan stated that she is willing to go on the road to speak about the value of NJLA membership. Eileen P. suggested that former board members could be useful in promoting membership and serving on committees. Susan agreed that this was an excellent idea since former board members have a deepunderstanding of the work of the association.

Mary R. thought that a theme could be “Help NJLA help libraries – We need your membership support”.

Susanna Chan added that there are more and more part time librarians and suggested that we need to find ways to reach them. Susan suggested that a key point is that NJLA is working for you if you are a member or not. Advocacy takes place even if you can’t afford to join. Everyone needs to think deeply how a few dollars will help NJLA do its work.

Census

Mary R. has been contacted regarding census training. There is a mandate to offer training for access to census data and the Census Bureau is looking for sponsors. The Census Bureau will conduct in-person training or webinars. It provides the training free of charge, but doesn’t prohibit the sponsoring organization from charging a fee. Representatives from NJLA, Library Link NJ, and the State Library are meeting in August to determine who will do what. Eileen P. suggested that it be followed up by the Professional Development Committee and that if a training program is offered, it would be appropriate to charge a small fee. The training will need to be scheduled for late August or early September. As new releases in the census data become available, the workshops will be modified by the Census Bureau to reflect the changes. It was agreed to proceed.

Executive Director - Pat Tumulty

Executive Director Pat T. submitted a written report.

Pat T. commented that she was a little disappointed that library funding was not included inSenate overrides to the Governor’s budget line item vetoes, even though the overrides were unsuccessful. She noted that the Governor will release additional aid figures for urban areas next week that hopefully would help urban libraries.

Regarding the Somerville case, Pat noted that a summary judgment is expected on September 6, and it is anticipate that there should be no further role for NJLA. Pat will keep in contact with the attorney and will keep the board informed.

Pat served as the chair of the ALAcommittee which developed a document called Keeping Public Libraries Public which addresses the issues to be considered if a community is considering library privatization. Allen K. commented that it is difficult for libraries to be competitive with LSSI. In his experience, LSSI can dazzle trustees and government officials, even though LSSI will not provide information about salaries and other operational cost saving measures until they have an RFP. There is a clear disconnect with transparency in government and the appropriate use of tax dollars. Allen suggested that even though privatization efforts have been unsuccessful in the past in New Jersey, we still have to be on guard.

Pat T. reported that she was interviewed by News 12 NJ on an issue involving a complaint by a patron that her child saw “pornography” at a local library. Pat was subsequently asked to do a follow-up segment with Dan Kleinman from an organization called Safelibraries. Pat felt that it was unnecessary to add anything to her original statement. Pat expressed concern regarding this push for “follow-up”. Mary R. commented that it is a complicated issue because a public library is a democratic institution, committed to freedom of speech and freedom of information, while at the same time it serves different constituencies. A public library is a public space with both youth and adult areas. Thepublic at large does not always understand that a public library is an open institution and not necessarily safe.

Allen expressed concern regarding the trustee point of view. It is important to educate board members before there is any issue. Mary R. pointed out that it is also important to build relationships with officials who support freedom of speech and open access. Eileen P. suggested giving a “heads-up” to the Intellectual Freedom committee. Susan O. suggested that the Intellectual Freedom committee be asked to put together a template for educating board members. Eileen P. thought that Pat was correct in how she handled the situation. The board agreed.

ALA Councilor - Cindy Czesak

ALA Councilor Cindy C. submitted a written report. Discussion will be postponed until the next meeting.

7. Committees and Sections

Adoption of 2011-2012 Budget with Budget Recommendations

Susan O. reviewed the budget notes prepared by Treasurer Brett Bonfield. The 2011-2012 NJLA budget includes compensation for newsletter editor, Kathy Dempsey. No new employees are included in the budget and salaries for all NJLA employees will remain flat. The budget committee looked at increasing revenue and decreasing expenses and suggested, increasing the conference registration rate for non-members.

Motion: Motion to adopt the 2011-2012 NJLA budget made by Cindy C.

Discussion on the motion followed. Eileen P. was concerned that this will be a very difficult budget year with a deficit budget. In her opinion, it can’t continue. There needs to be a 100% commitment on the part of the board and the membership to grow the association. Action needs to be taken to address the decline in membership. There is a need to maintain a certain level of reserves. To that end the budget committee will look at restricted funds to see if some can be unrestricted, and will continue to explore long term solutions. Eileen also agreed with the need for a successful fundraising campaign and endorsed a start-up fundraising goal of $5000. Eileen expressed her sincerethanks to the budget committee for their hard work, with special credit given to Brett Bonfield and Keith McCoy for their expert analysis.

Allen K. expressed his disappointment that the services of the fundraising consultant were not available sooner and asked how quickly the process can be moved along. He agreed that continued deficit budgeting would not be acceptable.

Susan stated that there will be a meeting of the Strategic Fundraising Task Force on August 8 withfundraising consultant, Peter Pearson. The agenda will be to define fundraising goals for this fiscal year.

Eileen P. stated that while she hopes for a successful fundraising effort, it is her belief that for the next several years the biggest need is solving the membership problem by attracting and retaining members. Eileen reminded all that NJLA is a membership organization first and foremost.

All approved the 2011 – 2012 NJLA budget.

Motion: Cindy C. made a motion to compensate NJLA newsletter editor Kathy Dempsey with a payment of $500 for previous expenses;to permit her to have a business size card ad in upcoming issues; and to provide for current and ongoing expenses at$1,000 for the first issue and $750 for each of the three remaining issues. Motion seconded by Eileen P. All approved.

It was determined that the issue of raising the non-member conference rate would be referred to the Conference Committee to bring a recommendation back to the Board.

There was discussion of the possibility of additional legal fees pertaining to the Somerville case. $1000 has been budgeted for legal fees. Pat T. stated that as it stands right now, it appears that no additional legal work will be needed. Pat will return to the board if authorization is needed to exceed the budgeted amount. Pat T. can notify the board by email if there is a need to exceed the budget line.

Update on Virtual Reference Task Force

Eileen P. reported that the task force is still defining exactly what their role is and what format the work will take. She added that this is not to suggest that work isn’t going on. Tasks are being worked on. In another week or so, a survey will be going out requesting input of the library community on this issue. Timing is difficult because funding runs out at the end of September. There is a group of people working on short term objectives such as how to move from one service to another. There is a group of people working on long term goals regarding funding. Eileen reported that there was a question regarding the specific written charge from the board. The motion passed by board was broadly stated. Eileen felt this was not a big issue, but she wanted the board to be aware of the question. Peggy C. stated that when the question was asked, task force chair Michael Maziekien responded that the charge had been defined.

Susan O. also attended the most recent task force meeting. She was surprised to learn that it is unclear if Library Link NJ will be able to continue as the fiscal agent for Q&A NJ. Cheryl O’Connor stated thatLibrary Link NJ will need a contract with another organization to remain as fiscal agent. There was some discussion regarding NJLA being that agent. A bridge from the end of September through the end of the year is needed. Libraries may be asked to subsidize service at $100 per month through the end of the year, on a leap of faith that the task force will have a plan in place by then.