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Upper Hudson Library System
Friday, May 2, 2003 At UHLS

Attending: Jeff Cannell (APLM); Ginny LaJuene (ALTM); Nancy Pieri (BETH); Carol Trager (BRUN); Darlene Miller (CAST); Deborah Canzano (COHS); Bob Jaquay (COLN); Pat Nonamaker (EGRN); Barbara Nichols Randall (GUIL);

Lenny Zapala (MEND); Pat Sahr (NASS); Daryl McCarthy (NGRN); Margie Morris (POES); Judy Felsten (RCSC);

Jane Minotti (SNLK); Paul Hicok (TROY); Phil Ritter (UHLS); Gail Sacco (VOOR); Barbara Schoen (WVLT);

Elaine Albrecht (WSTR)

Visitors: none

Meeting convened at 9:02 am

Minutes:

Motion (Cannell, LaJuene) to approve March 7, 2003 minutes. Carried. (No meeting was held in April due to ice storm.)

UHLS: Phil Ritter

• LSTA Grants for 2004
  Policies for Results (Sara Dallas) There are 5 library systems involved with a total of 60 individuals participating. Contact Sara if interested.
  
  Sky Camp (Mary Fellows) This is in collaboration with Mohawk Valley Library System, 6 members libraries from each system will participate. Contact Mary if interested.
•    NY Council for the Humanities Grant
  Who Hates and What to Do About It (Jo-Ann Benedetti) Six member libraries are participating. Project date is October 2003 – NYS Humanities Month
• National Library of Medicine Grant – workshops at EGRN & APLM – contact Sara to register
•    Special Legislative Project Construction Grants 2001-2002 – Approval was received at the beginning of April and the checks were distributed by April 27^th. Six libraries were involved.
•    Public Library Construction Grants 2002-2003 – Three libraries have been notified by DLD that the grants have been approved. Phil has not heard anything about grants for this year.
• UHLS Holiday Schedule – Phil distributed the new holiday schedule that is effective immediately. If any UHLS library is open, UHLS will be open. UHLS and all libraries are closed on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
• Refinancing Loan on UHLS Building – The bond has been paid off and UHLS has a typical mortgage through Troy Savings Bank. It is a 20-year loan and a savings of over $20,000 per year is anticipated.
• Library Services to Older Adults workshop – postponed from May 8^th – seeking Directors’ Association input as to reschedule time. Consensus is to postpone until the fall, preferably in October.
• Planning facilitators on UHLS website – There is a list on the Intranet for help with the process. Call Sara with any questions.
• Registration card final draft needed – this process needs to be completed soon as UHLS is running out of cards and needs to order more.
• DYNIX Update – Phil distributed a weekly report for May 1^st with updates on Horizon issues. The lawyer for the UHLS Board sent a letter to Dynix with many concerns. Phil received a letter in return but it was not from their lawyer and did not address the issues and concerns listed in the UHLS letter. Dynix says they are working on it. The letter will be presented to the Board at the next meeting. Phil will submit a report every Friday to directors and HorizonL regarding what has happened during the week.

Horizon: P. Nonamaker

• Maximum fine for books and audio/visual – There was discussion regarding maximum fines and why they are needed. Horizon cannot set maximum fines for each library.

Motion: (Morris, Sacco) UHLS should set the systemwide maximum fine for books and audio-visual materials at $5.00. Carried. This will be implemented in 7 days (May 9^th).

• Local Request – The discussion at the last ASC meeting was that the exceptions for local request will slowdown the service. The system only handles 1000 exceptions and local requests would create 13,000 exceptions. ASC is concerned about doing more damaged at this point. Barbara Nichols Randall shared an ILL report for the month. There was a lengthy discussion regarding the local request issue. Local request should continue to be a priority for Dynix to resolve. Phil stated that a new version of Horizon (7.3) is coming out.

Motion: (Schoen, Zapala) Move that the Directors’ Association request ASC to investigate creating a local request option in Horizon. Carried.

• ASC is having a reports workshop on May 13^th. Send concerns/requests to Sara, Rob, or Rawdon. Carol Trager reports that the numbers are not reliable at this time.
• Other Horizon issues –

1.       There was discussion at ASC about leaving this system. Dynix feels that 7.3 will be a better release. Pat Nonamaker spoke to someone in Columbia County – they just started with Triple I and are not happy with that. They do not have local request either.

2.       Bob Jaquay asked about searching by patron address. Dynix had said that it would need a custom program. This will be brought up at ASC.

3.       Bob expressed the need for the Directors’ Association to be aware of decisions made by the DA representative on the UHLS Board. No one was aware of the decision to send out the letter to Dynix.  Pat will call Phil Ehrlich, UHLS Board President, to ask for a copy of the letter sent to Dynix by the UHLS lawyer.

4.       Gail Sacco stated that she is very pleased with Rob Ganz, UHLS Board member and chair of the UHLS Library Advocacy Advisory Council, and his knowledge and ability when advocating on behalf of libraries.

UHLS Administration: N. Pieri

• Director of the Year Award – not enough time for it to be done for this year. It will begin next year.
• Personnel policies – vacations
• Trustees of the Year – Brunswick and Colonie were recipients.
• Annual Dinner will be held June 11^th at the Albany Country Club

Services: J. Felsten

Committee reviewed applications for program of the year and advocate of the year.

Finance Committee & UHLS Board: J. Cannell

• Refinancing of building loan
• UHLS- Dynix relationship
• Gail Sacco – Jim Reilly, VOOR Board President is being appointed to the UHLS Board.

Central Library: J. Cannell

No report

Nominating Committee:

Committee needed for Directors’ Association positions. Barbara Nichols Randall and Gail Sacco will recruit.

Nuts & Bolts:

VOOR: They have not received their money from Albany County due to continued issues regarding Feura Bush (not a chartered library). Also Gail is going to begin to work with Albany County to invite the people that do programs for the County to appropriate (similar interest) events offered at the library. 

RCSC: Further discussion regarding Feura Bush issues

BETH: Launched their new website on March 31^st. This was an 11-month project.

ALTM: Ginny, along with one of her trustees and Mary Fellows, visited legislators last week to encourage their support.

Old Business:

Jane Minotti asked if any one still used a shelf list with cards. Nassau and Watervliet said they did.

New Business:

Gail Sacco asked about a possible bylaw change for UHLS Board regarding eligibility of recent trustees for Board positions. There was also discussion about UHLS Board changing the time that they meet. Many possible candidates for positions say no to being on the Board  due to the time of day that the meetings are held. If they were in the evening, more people might be interested.

Pat Nonamaker and Barbara Nichols Randall discussed the possibility of interested libraries joining to purchase databases.

Motion (Trager, Felsten) Meeting adjourned 11:20am. Next meeting June 6, 2003 at UHLS.