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Minutes of the System and Resource Library Administrators Association of Wisconsin: Thursday, August 23, 2001
Members Present: David Polodna (WRLS), David Weinhold (ESLS), Peter Hamon (SCLS), Mark Merrifield (NFLS), Michael Tyree (West Bend PL), Shannon Lang (MWFLS), Mary Bethke (Marathon Co. PL), Tom Hennen (Waukesha County FLS), Joan Airoldi (NWLS), Janet Jennings (Superior PL), Ken Hall (WLS), John Nichols (Oshkosh PL), Mark Morse (LE Phillips PL, Eau Claire), Bernie Bellin (LLS), Jim Zwadlo (SWLS), Jessica McPhail (Racine PL), Ruth Ann Montgomery (Arrowhead LS), Karen Krueger (HPL, Janesville), Milt Mitchell (IFLS), Heather Eldred (WVLS), Peg Zappen (La Crosse PL) and Barb Dimick (Madison PL).
Guests Present: Kathy Schneider (WILS), Larry Nix (DLTCL), Cal Potter (DLTCL), Al Zimmerman (DLTCL), Bob Bocher (DLTCL), Ron McCabe (McMillan Library, Wisconsin Rapids), Sally Drew (DLTCL), Peggy Shaffer (LLS), Matthew Bollerman (MWFLS) and Phyllis Davis (SCLS).
The meeting was held at the Marathon County Library, Wausau. Vice Chair David Polodna called the meeting to order at 10:07 a.m. and announced the presence of a quorum. He also announced the deletion of items 12f and 12g from the agenda and the addition of the following two items to the agenda: online job listings and privacy of records.
Nichols moved approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, and Bellin seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.
On a motion by Merrifield, seconded by Eldred, there was unanimous approval to receive and file the treasurer's report.
Delivery Services
David Weinhold distributed and explained the recommendations of the SRLAAW
Subcommittee on Delivery Service Costs for Public Library Systems. The
Subcommittee considered methods of cost assessment that used volume and
ability to pay (state aid) as factors in assessing these costs. The subcommittee
agreed that every public library system receives a benefit from the statewide
delivery service, that each system sends and receives different amounts
of materials on the statewide delivery service and that each system has
a different ability to pay for this service.
The Subcommittee agreed to incorporate these principles by using a cost allocation method that uses a base of $8,000 and then assesses the balance of $79,000 on factors reflecting volume and state aid. A table was distributed showing the recommended assessments for 2002 and 2003.
Weinhold moved, and Hamon seconded, that SRLAAW accept the recommendations of the SRLAAW Subcommittee on Delivery Service Costs for Public Library Systems for 2002 and 2003. The motion passed unanimously.
In response to a
question, the following reasons were given as factors causing the increase
in delivery service costs:
1. South Central Library System had previously been subsidizing the costs
of service because SCLS was not charging all costs to the users
2. As the volume of delivery increased, SCLS had to split up routes, which
in turn increased costs
3. Gas costs have increased
SRLAAW Chair Barb Dimick took over as chair of the meeting.
Library District
Legislation
On behalf of Sharon Winkle, Barb Dimick reported on Sheboygan's interest
in the passage of state legislation that would permit the creation of
library districts. Creation of such a district in the Sheboygan area would
move library costs off of the city tax levy.
Ron McCabe said that he would help secure passage of district legislation if it is introduced into the legislature. He commented that the issues involved are complex, especially issues relating to the transfer of assets from municipalities to a district, and issues relating to annexation.
Cal Potter reported that when the Legislative Study Committee considered this, it was opposed by conservative legislators who were generally against the creation of new property taxing units. He recommended finding conservative legislators to introduce it. The introduction of this legislation would also permit re-raising the issues related to crossover borrowing, he said.
The consensus of the meeting was that Dave Weinhold and representatives of DLTCL should meet with interested officials in Sheboygan about moving forward with library district legislation. The chair of SRLAAW is empowered to appoint a SRLAAW group to help with defining the text of district legislation.
Milwaukee County
FLS
Cal Potter reported that 4 out of 15 libraries had not signed the Milwaukee
County contract. He said that this was a difficult matter for DLTCL.
Cal asked SRLAAW members to consider what they will do if they are approached by one of these four libraries and asked to provide interlibrary loan services. There was considerable discussion of issues relating to such services.
Tom Hennen moved, and David Polodna seconded, that it is the clear vision of SRLAAW that interlibrary loan and resource sharing are part of system membership and that SRLAAW encourages its membership to reject requests for interlibrary loan services from libraries that are not members of systems. The motion passed on the following vote: Ayes: 18, Nays: 1 (Mitchell), Abstentions: 4 (Ameel, Krueger, Morse and Zwadlo)
State Aids
Cal reported that we still do not have support for system aids from local
trustees and friends. We need to put a local face on system aids. Legislators
are not getting the grass roots contacts that they really need. We did
not generate sufficient grass roots support to affect the caucuses.
Larry Nix also talked about the importance of grass roots support. He emphasized the need for systems and libraries to try new ways to secure effective support from local people. We need to get the people who use the library politically involved.
Cal said that DLTCL expects a 5% budget cut from Governor McCallum.
SRLAAW Chair Barb Dimick appointed the following people to a SRLAAW Legislation Committee to work with DLTCL on legislative strategy : Bernie Bellin, Ken Hall, Peter Hamon, Shannon Lang and David Polodna.
WISCAT Rebid
Sally Drew reported that DLTCL has now signed contracts with the two vendors.
The two vendors are working on design specifications for an interface.
Linked Systems
Sally reported on the results of a linked systems project questionnaire.
12 out of 13 systems indicated interest in being part of the linked system
project in 2002 or 2003.
E-Rate
Bob Bocher announced that a federal court hearing is scheduled for February
14, 2002 regarding the constitutionality of the Children's Internet Protection
Act (CIPA).
Gates Grants
Bob reported that Wisconsin is in a holding pattern with respect to Gates
Foundation grants. Applications from libraries are not due until 12 months
from now. Only communities that have a poverty rate greater than 10% will
be eligible.
LSTA
Larry Nix explained that we are looking for a higher level of funding
for LSTA while seeking the reauthorization of LSTA. Surveys are going
to libraries about how LSTA funds have been used. SRLAAW members should
contact Wisconsin Congressman Thomas Petri, Vice Chair of the Education
Committee, to urge his support for the reauthorization of LSTA.
Morse moved, seconded by Nichols, that SRLAAW Chair Dimick send letters on behalf of SRLAAW to Congressmen Petri and Kind, requesting their support for reauthorization of LSTA at higher funding levels. The motion was approved by consensus.
DLTCL Data Available
on the Web
Al Zimmerman reported that after reviewing applications from 13 vendors,
DLTCL decided to keep the current vendor that makes DLTCL data available
on the Web.
Measuring Electronic
Library Services
Al said that DLTCL and a few Wisconsin public libraries will be testing
new measures of electronic library services in October. These measures
were developed by Bertot, McClure and Ryan and are contained in their
recent book Statistics and Performance Measures for Public Library
Networked Services.
Trustee Handbook
Larry Nix announced that revision of the Trustee Handbook is underway.
When completed, copies will be sent to every trustee in the state.
Online Jobs Listing
Phyllis Davis reported on SCLS work with starting and maintaining an online
jobs database. She asked if anyone would be willing to pick this up and
provide it on a statewide basis.
Cal Potter replied that DLTCL is supportive of this, but DOA is considering doing something along these lines. 14 programmers have been hired by DOA to do a state portal on the Web that would allow all state functions to be accessed through a single portal.
Wisconsin Public
Library Consortium
It was announced that the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium agreed to
continue with the NetLibrary structure and to merge the e-book collections
of academic and public libraries.
Privacy of Records
It was reported that the sign up log for public Internet access at the
Menominee Falls Public Library was subpoenaed in a case involving death
threats made to a columnist at the Milwaukee Journal.
Minimum Standards
Karen Krueger asked that a discussion of minimum standards for public
libraries be put on the next meeting agenda. She reported that previous
surveys showed that even small libraries are very supportive of minimum
standards.
The next SRLAAW meeting will be held in Milwaukee in November.
Recorded by Mark
Morse
