Maine Library Commission Minutes, March 27, 2007
The Maine Library Commission met at the Maine State Museum on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 1:10 p.m.
Members present: Karl Aromaa, Charles Campo, Suzanne Finn, Moorehead Kennedy, Barbara McDade, Steve Nichols, Jamie Ritter, Joyce Rumery.
Members absent: Gretchen Asam, Charles Cawley, Inese Gruber, Barbara Harness, Elizabeth Moran, Glenna Nowell, Steve Podgajny.
Also in attendance: Karl Beiser, David Cheever, Dean Corner, Bonnie Dwyer, Shirley Helfrich, Linda Lord, Gary Nichols.
- Approval of January 10, 2007 minutes. Moved by Finn, seconded by Ritter. Approved unanimously.
- Cultural Building Task Force (Gary and David)
The Task Force released its findings and recommendations on January 15, 2007. The State Museum has requested $100,000 from the Legislature for consultant services regarding its expansion plans. This action is separate from the recommendations of the Task Force. The Task Force has requested $100,000 from the Legislature to further study the recommended options. An additional $50,000 has been requested to study the reuse of the Cultural Building by the Maine State Court system.
- Consultant’s Report (Shirley and Bonnie)
- SMLD: The spring council meeting theme is embracing change without fear. Sessions will include building design and renovation. Library “makeover” sessions will once again be offered. The creation of a Maine literary map is being considered.
The public library director’s institute and orientation for new directors will be held in June.
School librarians are very concerned about the Governor’s school consolidation plan. Elementary school librarians may lose their jobs.
- CMLD: Discussion has begun about the prospect that public libraries may be expected or asked to assume an additional service if elementary school libraries are closed.
Bonnie attended a PLA symposium on customer service which stressed the customer rather than library materials.
Weeding workshops are being held throughout the district.
Spring council meeting theme will be on copyright issues for librarians.
The PR committee is making efforts to market library services (especially MARVEL) to retirees at upcoming events focused on seniors.
- NMLD: Interviews for the vacant consultant position for this district will be held in late March and early April.
- MSL Budget (Gary)
Our budget is flat-funded. Personal services cost increases were not funded and will have to come out of other budget lines.
- Joint Library Legislative Committee (Gary)
A number of library groups or associations have contributed $10,000 for lobbying activities. A second meeting with Mike Saxl and Jim Cohen from Verrill and Dana will be held on March 30 to finalize advocacy plans for LD793.
- Library Bonds and Bills (Gary)
The Governor has included in his $397 million bond package a three year, $5 million New Century Program item which will include grants for public libraries. Two similar bills have been introduced in the Legislature:
Senator Beth Edmond’s LD440, for $5 million for New Century and Representative Hannah Pingree’s LD1344, for $25 million for New Century.
The Commission and interested parties are urged to contact members of the Appropriations Committee or to contact their own representatives for their support of the New Century Program.
LD793 – An Act to Provide Essential Library Resources has also been introduced and has a sponsor list of very important Senate and House majority and minority party members.
LD1091 – Resolve, to Establish the Maine Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission has been introduced. This Commission will include the State Librarian as a representative.
- 2006 New Century grant to Davis Library in Limington
The Limington selectmen have decided not to move ahead with renovation and expansion plans. However, the library board is requesting to keep some or their entire $50,000 grant for basement waterproofing and/or construction of ADA-required building improvements. Steve Nichols will contact the library board president to determine what quotes the library has received for these items.
- MSLN Project Manager (Linda)
Linda will be going over contract specifics with the new hire for this area and hopes to have everything in place in April.
- 2003-2007 LSTA evaluation (Linda)
Every five years the LSTA program must be evaluated by states to describe what goals were chosen, the activities created to accomplish the goals, and the strategies used to promote the activities. Copies of the report were distributed to Commission members.
- Maine InfoNet (Karl)
Karl discussed some recent projects that are being tested or are in the planning stages: Espresso, a pilot project demo that reformulates the indexing from diverse sources (URSUS, digitized materials) into a new index; a project that would involve Google Scholar and MARVEL, Maine’s online databases. This would allow people in Maine access to Maine resources via Google as well as through their libraries’ home pages.
The Minerva system is evolving into a full-fledged consortium. Decisions on what the Minerva consortium will look like and how it will be administered as a distinct entity rather than an InfoNet entity are now being formulated.
- Future of Libraries Conference (Barbara McDade)
Barbara presented a fascinating and complex overview of how libraries will have to adapt to changing demands for information by students and scientists, especially. These two groups want open access to resources and information that can be manipulated by users and reformatted in ways they desire.
The conference was primarily for academic librarians and IT staff but it did present the brave new world of information retrieval that is coming to our state in the near future.
Next meeting of the Commission is Wednesday, May 9 at 1 p.m. at the State Library.
